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THE LOBBY A gathering place. Introductions, sports, showin' off your ride, birthday-anniversary-milestone, achievements, family oriented humor. |
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#1
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Matt C's step by step guide to Pontiac water pump replacement
The subject: One 1974 Grandville with a 455 and 75,000 original miles. The water pump has been weeping but got real bad over the last couple months.
Step #1 begin draining coolant 2. remove fan and clutch 3. remove alternator and PS pump 4. remove one of the 1/2" bolts 5. remove two more by breaking 6. remove three on the bottom 7. remove two more 8. remove one more by breaking 9. attempt to remove the two 3/8" bolts through timing cover but break them as well, heat was applied and tons of lubricant 10. check to see if you have a decent timing cover 11. drill 1/4" holes on top of the 3/8" bolt and lube and heat 12. remove pulley (you literally could not get another spec of dirt in there) 13. remove balancer 14. remove fuel pump 15. remove lower 4 bolts in pan 16. yank, tap, wedge to get cover off for about 45 min 17. install cover over front of oil pan 18. heat bolt to try to remove by tapping and two nuts (breaks further) 19. drill 1/8" then 3/16" hole through bolt and spray with kroil through hole 20. call you buddy Roy to see what kind of easy outs he has 21. Roy comes over at 630 to remove the driver side bolt (success) 22. heat, tap, play with pass side 23. your brother in law stops over and says hes got a better EZ out 24. your brother in law breaks EZ out in 3/16" hole 25. drink a miller lite (dont like miller lite but I had it, someone else bought it) 26. brother in laws goes to get "drill bit for EZ out" (yeah right) 27. attempt to drill it (LOL) 28. drink another miller 29. grind with cutting tool on air grinder until the is a noticeable divet 30. drink another miller 31. drink ANOTHER MILLER AND CALL IT A NIGHT 32. go to Lowes and buy 3/16" sharpening stone for chainsaw blades 33. grind in hole 34. grind 35. grind 36. grind carefully 37. grind even more carefully 38. EZ out falls in hole 39. drill to 1/4" 40. heat and try more EZ outs (but none broken) 41. drill to 5/16" 42. re-tap and clean out threads (threads are all clear but its 2 pm) 43. right stuff and gaskets (by now my buddy mark is here cleaning hardware) 44. observe really bad timing chain (luckily I got a couple in stock) 45. install new old TRW timing chain 46. install seal in timing cover out of my stash 47. install timing cover 48 install balancer 49. install fuel pump 50. clean 5# of dirt out of pulley and install it 51. drink a miller 52. drink a miller 53. drink a miller (gotta bbq at the same bro in law that broke the EZ out) 5pm 54. 9am sunday install radiator and hoses 55. install drive accessories, brackets, trans lines 56. fill with coolant and start engine (it actually sounds great with new chain) 57. let run for 20 while watering flowers 58. observe coolant leak from heater hose near firewall 59. fix leak 60. 1pm buddy calls and needs help picking up tool box and after returning 61. road test and no leaks 62. drink a miller 63. drink a miller 64. drink a miller The car feels better with the new timing chain!! All in all about 6 hours removing both 3/8" bolts. A simple two hour water pump swap, this thread for entertainment purposes only.
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" Is wearing a helmet illegal" Mike Kerr 1-29-09 |
The Following User Says Thank You to 4dblnkldude For This Useful Post: | ||
#2
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I read your post, first, in reverse, from bottom to top.. Either way, that's one hell of a post.
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70 TA, 467 cid IAII, Edelbrock D-port heads, 9.94:1, Butler HR 236/242 @ .050, 520/540 lift, 112 LSA, Ray Klemm calibrated Q-jet, TKX (2.87 1st/.81 OD), 3.31 rear https://youtube.com/shorts/gG15nb4FWeo?feature=share |
#3
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Is this typical or anectdotal?
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#4
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Funny because there is a common rust situation on those long 3/8" studs.
My very 1st Pontiac had that deal in the early 80s. Those Timing Cover top-studs get fresh Bolts, and the troubles seem to not-occur as each decade goes on. Rust troubles might be remedied by re-torquing the Timing Cover bolts the next week after a heat cycle or two. |
#5
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Have pulled hundreds of original Pontiac waterpump cores, two stick out as a super PITA to remove without snapping off the drivers side 9/16" headed long bolt. One trick I've used over the decades in boneyards, is with the fan shroud & radiator removed (they nearly always are) is to take my heavy fiberglass handled min sledge & carefully line up & pop the face of those two 9/16" headed bolts real good. Then follow up with 6 point socket on near 2 foot long ratcheting brake over. Not sure how much that jars the threads, but has always seem to work well.
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Buzzards gotta eat... same as worms. |
The Following User Says Thank You to 'ol Pinion head For This Useful Post: | ||
#6
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OMG Matt, that brings back some bad memories for me. Although I only broke 1 bolt.
Dave |
#7
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Yeah, if that water pump hasn't been off for a while, get ready for a MUCH bigger job. Then, when you're finally done, hope that your new water pump is not porous in the casting and squirts coolant from the housing. Then hope that six months later the Chinese cast iron doesn't corrode against the aluminum timing cover.
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#8
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This thread not anecdotal. I have torn down my share of blocks and it has always been the passenger side bolt!! But always on a stand, never in a car. I put fresh plugs in her last night (who knows how long they were in there... super tight) and drove the car tonight 20 miles or so. Re-adjusted the new belts (probably 20 years old) and no leaks. When I was growing up my buddies dad had a 74 or 5 ford truck with I think a 351M that was rusted so bad by the mid 80's. The old man loved that truck, it had old school railing pipe for a ladder rack and was the truck that started his roofing and siding business. The old man kept that truck going for years. If an atom bomb hit it, he would rebuild it. Still sitting in an open bay at my buddies work, he cant let go of it. Hid dad died at 63. This Grandville is my Ford truck.
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" Is wearing a helmet illegal" Mike Kerr 1-29-09 |
The Following User Says Thank You to 4dblnkldude For This Useful Post: | ||
#9
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Buicks are worse.
Last edited by PunchT37; 05-03-2022 at 10:13 PM. |
#10
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What breaks in the buicks? Or is it the fact you have to take the dizzy out?
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" Is wearing a helmet illegal" Mike Kerr 1-29-09 |
#11
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They have that thick aluminum timing cover like a pontiac. BUT, those through bolts are smaller and almost always break.
Good timing cover to is $450. |
#12
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Wouldn't you rather have a Buick.
Passenger 3/8 bolt is moreso the seize culprit. Oh, and when the racers figured a Front Plate that sandwiched between Tining Cover & Block, well I just have to comment about thaat. |
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