I accidentally my water pump bolt

[ZombiE30]

behold



okay, so it's hard to see because I am Le Fail at taking pictures. Most of y'all should be familiar with where the water pump bolts go, and should notice that there is a vice grip hanging from some mysterious and insidiously slight protrusion. (AKA remains of bolt)

Here's the skinny:
-leak from water pump
-needed a gallon of water/coolant every two weeks
-annoying
-yanked apart everything down to the timing belt cover in front of gf's apartment (boulder)
-tightened bolts to slow leak
-tightened more (with normal ratchet)
-bottom bolt said "OING BOINGO SNAPPY WOOOO"
-car now peeing out the front of the block
-hurriedly reassembled
-drove home (Broomfield) at 80mph
-temp almost made it into the red
-again yanked everything out, including hood and radiator (notice killer front access since I deleted that bullshit condensor and auxillary fan)



-bought new gasket and bolts
-turns out old bolts were m8x25 instead of m8x20
-slathered mating surface with high tack airplane gasket sealant
-torqued to specs again
-worried about leaks since this car doesn't ooze oil sludge to plug any up, unlike the beater
-reassembled like McGyver in a maze of tripled-breasted whores
-NO LEAKS
-THIS IS AWESOME
-also rigged some blinkers

[chadthestampede]

I'm going to go ahead and imagine the engine is glowing red hot in the first picture

[iamsam]

HAH! So did you get the snapped bolt out? I don't remember seeing that step in your account of events...

oh and you should have bought an M42 E30. They are easy to work on. unlike M20s.

[ZombiE30]

yup, got it out! (barely)
Fortunately the water pump itself is 7/16" thick, because I needed that stumpy 3/16" of remaining bolt to grab onto with the vice grips. (wasn't looking forward to drilling the block)

as for the m42, i'd be curious to work on/drive one, but i'm pretty happy with all the space i've freed up around my m20b30!

[iamsam]

there is oodles of room in my engine bay. but of course your M20 is built so you can't go back now!

[Bishop]

Psh, they're all easy enough to work on... Try doing a stage 2 install on a WRX or STI without pulling the turbo or OEM intercooler..

[clarkkey594]

Psh, they're all easy enough to work on... Try doing a stage 2 install on a WRX or STI without pulling the turbo or OEM intercooler..

Pshh you can pull and entire EJ block in 2 hours without breaking a sweat. Subaru's are like lego's.

[Bishop]

If you pull the motor to do a stage 2 install, you deserve a swift kick in the nuts

[clarkkey594]

It might actually be faster lol

[Bishop]

It's 100% unnecessary though... If you pull the motor you'll be pulling the turbo and intercooler anyway... Why not just pull those and work in the tighter area without having to diconnect and reconnect all those damn hoses, cooling system, bellhousing, etc...

Course, you could just man up and install the DP with everything in place ;)
Just need a socket extension that's about 2.5 feet long with a universal joint at the end

[iamsam]

M42 are still better.

[Bishop]

This thread needs more small block Chevy

[James Crivellone]

M42 are still better.

Argggggggggg

[jasonsnoddy]

This thread needs more small block Ford

[clarkkey594]

I have never met a man who would put a ford motor in a chevy but have come across many who put a chevy motor into a ford......i wonder why that is?