Hi guys... Just wondering if it was common for the bolts to come loose on the water pump on a 350? Also, are the Chevy water pump bolts the same as the Buick 350? Any help would be greatly appreciated.o No:
I would check to make sure that your fan and/or fan clutch are not seriously out of balance. I have had many, many problems with the 4.3 V6 in the newer S-10 trucks blowing gaskets and coming loose when rev'd past 5500, but never with a Buick 350. The bolts are not the same. I think the Buick bolts are much longer.
Actually, the Buick water pump bolts are 'known' for being hard to come out!:blast: Steel bolts and aluminum housings with no anti-seize = Trouble!! The Buick bolts are much longer and skinnier.
water pump probs i have never seen a water pump work loose . i believe all the bolts are 5/16" and are various lengths . are u using lock washers ? are any of the threads stripped on the bolts or bolt holes ? use at least grade 3 bolts . torque them to spec. an unbalanced condition is more likeky to destroy the water pump bearing . in some of the later model gm cars, it is recommended to use a thread sealant or low level loctite . good luck gerry 71 gs 350
Thanks for the replies guys! One more question, does anyone know where I can get a complete set of bolts for the waterpump. I've gone to local parts store and some performance places too and they all said "yah, it should be the same as the chevy" which I really doubted and that's why I'm here asking the gurus of Buicks! Thanks once again! :grin:
water pump bolts i remember seeing a listing for the correct water bolts some time ago . i would try t/a performance in scottsdale az . try their website http://www.taperformance.com gerry 72 gs 350 ht
be careful with using any bolts greater than grade 3, the different grades have different stretch characteristics when torqued down. the grade 8 bolts, being much harder, take more torque to stretch, they could conceivably come loose - or by applying too much torque to get them to tighten you could rip the threads out very easily. there are "rules" of sorts as to what grade of bolt to use in what location/application, and the torque settings are based on the bolt grade that the manufacturer initially installed in that location as it was designed by the engineers.
Thanks for the help guys. I did try TA Performance and they do have it for around $30 for the set and I will watch for the the grades of the bolt and the torque specs.
There are 2 size bolts, one has a 1/2" head size, the other a 7/16" i beleive.. (been a while) 4 long bolts (too long) go through water pump, timing cover, and into the block, these are the real SOB's that BREAK way too easy, and one of them is 1/2" longer than the others. The rest of the smaller bolts go in various places around the water pump into the timing cover only. I'd try and go as strong as possible and with Stainless steel on the long bolts because if they break (I had 3 / 4 break at one time) the only way to remove them is by taking the timing cover off, and that can be a task with 3" of a bolt still in the hole. Whenever re-installing, use anti-seize and a lot of it! Dan
