Hello everyone. I had this great idea to change my waterpump since my radiator sat for years with fluid in it. I had a extra radiator and didn't want rust particles circling through my system so when I went to remove the water pump some of the studs broke while half way out. I need help. I bought a kit to remove broken studs, but after i drilled into the center of the stud and tapped the piece to remove it in, it broke also??? So now I have 4 stuck studs 2 of which have broken pieces in the center of them. I have no idea how to remove these. Please help
do a search for PB BLASTER on this forum. There are probably several that address just what to do. PB Blaster is a spray that loosens rusted bolts, etc. Good stuff, but you must be patient.
idk about PB blaster but Im trying to look at it on their website and it wont open. Site opens but click on PB blaster catalyst and it times out...
You're probably best off cutting the studs flush and drilling them out and tapping a new thread. Especially if they're all siezed up. Good luck.
pb blaster or 50/50 atf/acetone mixture,,,, what I do with those really stubborn ones is to take a very small drill and drill in from the side, right where I figure the threads are and then take a needle and srynge and squirt the mixture in the drilled hole....and let it soak for an hour....and use a heat gun....
Take some acetylene and heat up around the bolt. Dont heat the bolt! Once the area has some heat on it, clamp a vise grip on the stud and try and unloosen it. heat works the best. As far as getting out the broken extractor, your going to have to use a chisel and a hammer and break it apart. Cover up areas of the car that you dont want getting pelted with debris.
I would rather use a heat gun on a aluminum part , than a acetelene torch,,,, to much chance for a melt down.... :Brow: :Brow:
I use a plumbers torch. Just an acetylene tank. Ive heated aluminum timing covers up without a problem. It doesnt take much heat to free up a steel bolt in aluminum. The aluminum wont melt. Now if you add a little oxygen, that a different story! There are alot of options here. He should go with whatever he's most comfortable with doing.
I've found an even better solution to these broken bolts. Put the vice grips down and pay a machine shop $15 to drill out and helicoil it. Works every time.:Brow:
Still not that familiar with Buick engines, but sounds to me like the broken bolts are sticking out of the block. If so, getting the car to the shop without a waterpump is going to be a bit tricky.
Thanks guys. Here is the situation: 3 bolts are flush with the opening. And 1 broke while almost out(about 1" left in engine and i cant see it no matter what i do.) I'll be sure to use PB blaster in the future cause wd40 did not work and i let it sit. I'd love to have a machine shop tackle it for me but transport is a problem. I attemped this repair because after opening the radiator stop cock and watching it pee brown floating particles, I was worried about the new radiator being contaminated if the water pump were to pump rust particles through also. I now wish I'd left it alone because it was only pitted a little and still spun free and quietly. I just wish I'd known wd40 was that big of a waste. Here i thought i was doing something. My biggest problem is I've never done tapping and drilling and fear I might cause more harm than good. I've changed waterpumps on every classic i've ever owned and never had a bolt break so no experience here at all...o No:
So all the bolts are broken in the aluminum timing case? If so, remove the timing case and bring it to a machine shop. Or get another timing cover.
In your case, this isnt going to work because you dont have any of the bolt to attach the vise grip to. If you did, you would heat the area around the bolt. Not the bolt itself. Once the area is hot, clamp the vice grips on the bolt and try and loosen it. You dont usually need to get it super hot. Especially since its only aluminum. Once the bolt is out, you just let the area cool down. I just recently did this with Jen's Mustang. I broke a bolt in the timing case cover. A little heat and it came right out. Happens to the best of us.
Wow... Can you see how green i really am? Didn't even think of removing or replacing the cover. This is the best news I've heard all day. This time I'll be sure to PB blaster everything and let it set. Thank you so much gentlemen Wait... Now i think about it the one bolt that broke partly in is the one that holds the alternator bracket... Don't know if this makes any difference or not.
