Water pump snafoo!!

[Hoyt79]

'72 50 HP Johnson...was tightening the water pump housing bolts down and one was a little tough on the last few threads and I forced it and 'pop' bolt broke off in the threaded hole. So, now I have to get a new bolt for it and then figure out a way to get the other one out...will probably have to retap it too...never done that...any ideas

 

[wifisher]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

Here's one. If it is not threading in properly, don't force it.

Get a left-handed drill bit (cobalt or other hardened bit, not high speed steel), and make sure that you center-punch the broken bolt before you start. Use lube and drill straight. Retap with a spiral tap to pull chips out of hole. Blow clean with compressed air and reassemble.

Oh yeah. Don't break the tap!!!

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

Im assuming that if you now remove the water pump housing there will be no exposed bolt to brab with vice grips or the like?

If it broke off beneath the surface, I second the left hand drill bit mentioned.

 

[Hoyt79]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

Here's one. If it is not threading in properly, don't force it.

Get a left-handed drill bit (cobalt or other hardened bit, not high speed steel), and make sure that you center-punch the broken bolt before you start. Use lube and drill straight. Retap with a spiral tap to pull chips out of hole. Blow clean with compressed air and reassemble.

Oh yeah. Don't break the tap!!!

When re-tapping it is going to make the hole bigger...this is the bolt that sandwiches the water pump housing and stainless plate together and then threads into the hole...so, won't I have to make the holes in the pump housing and plate a little bigger since i will have a bigger bolt going in? Would this alter the pumps performance in anyway?

 

[wifisher]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

When re-tapping it is going to make the hole bigger...this is the bolt that sandwiches the water pump housing and stainless plate together and then threads into the hole...so, won't I have to make the holes in the pump housing and plate a little bigger since i will have a bigger bolt going in? Would this alter the pumps performance in anyway?

It depends how good you are with a drill. Drill the bolt out a couple sizes smaller than the tap drill for the bolt. Then there is a good chance that whats left of the bolt will screw out. You can use an easy-out to turn it out. The tap is only to clean up the threads so this problem does not repeat itself.

If this does not all go as easily as you hope it does, then yes, you would need to enlarge the hole. If there is enough metal surrounding the threads, I would drill it big enough to install a threaded insert and use the same fastener size on the water pump. If there is not enough material to do this, then a helicoil will allow you to tap slightly oversize and maintain the same fastener.

 

[Kens242REGAL]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

I'd suggest getting a Easy-Out tool. You drill in a small hole in centre and then tap the easy out tool in, you thread out the broken bolt and then put in a new one.

Try that first, most quality tool stores will stock them. or a good bolt store. Don't go to Walamrt and ask if they have one!

Good luck, let us know if you get it!

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

.......And when you break the EZ Out off in the bolt, then bring it to a machine shop to fix because you'll have a heck of a time trying to drill that thing out of there. :redface:

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

I agree, EZOuts fail more than they work.

 

[Sixmark]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

Yep, I'll drill it out and pull bolt threads out with a dental pick and a needle nose if I have to before using an EZout

 

[Art Bernard]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

Get a helicoil kit for that size bolt. The kit will come with the correct size drill bit, tap, and new thread insert. I did helicoil all the time in the nav and if your careful it's hard to do.

Art

 

[F_R]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

I hate Eas-outs and think they should be banned from the earth. However, this is the one case where they have value. You broke the screw while putting it in, not while taking it out. Therefor, the broken screw probably is loose in the threads and will back out with ease.....er, make that "easy-out".

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

Yea, I agree. Easy-outs seem to be made out of crappy material and love to snap off. They work best, if a bolt has threads that are not locked, but the head is sheared off.

One nice tip, when you do any lower unit work, it's best to take a tap and chase all the threads with a lot of WD-40 and get them cleaned out. You want to get the screws and bolts to go about 1/4" below the point that they would normally go, when they are doing what they are intended to do. For example, the water pump housing. If those screws will turn easy enough by hand and go 1/4" or more below the hieght of where the top of the waterpump housing is, then you should be safe as far as sinching down the screws without snaping them off. You definately want to follow this rule, if you have bolts that require a specific torque setting, because bad threads or threads packed with corrosion will give you false readings and the bolts won't be seated properly.

 

[rickryder]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

Since it broke off on install it just may back out using the reverse drill bit...... I have even used a small punch or chisel and spun out broken bolts...... just take your time

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

Sometimes, but not always. There's many times I have found it took more to back out a broken bolt in a case like this.

 

[Hoyt79]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

My manual said to use the gasket maker/sealer on the bolts before I threaded them...wonder if this had anything to do with it, although the other three went in just fine. I will be using a tap I recon to get all the gasket material out of the bolt holes though.

 

[AlTn]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

did you use BRP Gasket Sealing Compound P/N 508235?.. I ask because I encountered a situation where a l/u had the w/p screws installed with some type of brown permatex that was a bear to get out of the threads with a tap and various solvents

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

If you don't have the tap yet, if you have a decent industrial supply place, ask for a plug or bottoming tap.
Either will give better results here than just a taper tap.

 

[archcycle]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

did you use BRP Gasket Sealing Compound P/N 508235?.. I ask because I encountered a situation where a l/u had the w/p screws installed with some type of brown permatex that was a bear to get out of the threads with a tap and various solvents

The BRP is the brown gunk

 

[AlTn]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

not in this case...

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Water pump snafoo!!

My manual said to use the gasket maker/sealer on the bolts before I threaded them...wonder if this had anything to do with it, although the other three went in just fine. I will be using a tap I recon to get all the gasket material out of the bolt holes though.

If you got allot of the sealer at the bottom of the hole (in other words, you slathered too much on the bolt) it could have basically hydro-locked the bolt from reaching its final destination, and you forced the issue. Like others have suggested, try using a left handed drill bit and it may back out. Hopefully the sealer you used will cooperate, and won't make too much resistance that will stop the bolt from spinning.

I've had mixed results with easy-outs. You can try using one, you need to have patience while using it. Most of the time when I've used them, if the bolts really locked into place, the easy-out will become overwhelmed and just open up the hole you drilled in the broken bolt.

Like others have suggested, re-tap the threads when your done. You need a tap for a blind hole which will get the threads all the way at the bottom. I would suggest using some white lithium grease on the tap flutes to both lubricate the tap and collect any metal shavings made by cleaning the threads. You want to twist the tap in a couple turns at a time, then back it out. DO NOT force the tap or you will easily break it off. It is hardened steel, so it is brittle.