To all you guys with Nail heads. Be ready to do some wrenching. If you have a nail head and discover you got a bad water pump? Here's what I ran into and some hints to help you from throwing wrenches. First, disconnect your battery. Then disconnect and drain your radiator. Undo all hoses and trans cooler lines and pull the radiator out. Do not try replacing the water pump without pulling the radiator out. You might crush the fin's and the main reason... there are 4- 7/16th's bolts in the water pump that if its never been replaced or has been a long time since replaced... They will more than likely break the heads off when you try to loosen them. They are very soft and we all know aluminum and steel do not like each other. They corrode around the threads and become stuck. The other larger bolts should be easier but, use the same practice. One product that i find helps and works very well is PB- Blaster. The stuff works great. Spray the bolts but also have a small torch handy. So pull the radiator, fan, pulley and the alternator bracket (on a Riv) will have to be moved to get it out. So when you start taking the bolts out, Hopefully yours come out but, if they dont??? dont sweat it. Mine busted off with very light pressure right below the bolt head. It took a little help from a thin chisel and a hammer to break it free from the timing cover but, be gentle. You dont wanna score the pump surfaces or crack em. Do this all the way around, back and forth and it should free up and come off clean. Now... The busted bolts. Remember what bolts go were. I had just over a 1/4 inch of it sticking out. Spray them and wait, and repeat this. Heat up the area around the broken bolt and grab what left with a pair of vice grip. Get a good hold of it. try to move it gently back and forth. keep repeating this until it does move. It will save you lots of money to be patient with this. Once out, Clean threads with the proper tap. I got a rebuilt water pump for around 50 bucks but kept my old one so i can buy the rebuild kit and have a spare. Replace the broken bolts with grade 8 bolts. I used allen bolts. Use a little Anti- Seize on the threads. It will make it easier if you have to replace it again.
i have had great luck with heat removing the broken bolts. sorry to hear yours was such a pain. but looks like your advice will help other not be so difficult to do
Grade 8? why? Anti-seize is a wonderful thing, but what you said really goes for just about any engine over 20 years old, let alone 40+. Glad they didn't bust flush, and it does happen.
The bolts they put in stock are very very soft. But, I guess I wrote it for the first timers that might run into problems. And I will be do some work to the motor down the road. Similar to a Grand Sport. A higher lift cam and dual AFB's. Buick aluminum valve covers. Positraction. But first a suspension.
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