Water pump change...sheared a bolt!!!

A few months ago now I changed the water pump on my 2.5 x-type. A pretty simple job after reading up on this forum. All was going swimmingly until I came to the last bolt of eight. Creek....... Another quarter turn....... Creek......... started biting my bottom lip....... Another quarter turn..... Creek....... I just knew this wasn't good, the other bolts had been stiff but not as noisy as this one. I gave it one more slow turn and it all went loose!!!! Bugger. I'm left with the bolt head in my socket and the rest of the bolt firmly embedded in the water pump housing.

Don't pannic I heard myself say, as I began speed dialling my mechanic friend. After quickly explaining my problem I recieved the reasurance I needed. "Not much you can do about it now, you've still got seven bolts holding it on which is more than other makes of car!! Get some gasket sealant, apply it to both surfaces with a new gasket sandwiched inbetween, put it back together and you should be alright."

After cleaning everthing well with a wire brush, including the bolt threads before re-threading, it all went back together quite nicely. Two even lines of gasket sealant formed the complete circumfrance of the water pump. I left it overnight to cure properly before driving the car properly. That was about 3 months ago, not a single drop has dripped from anywhere, and the system is fully pressurised.

So, if the same thing happens to you, don't panic, and try a bodge-job repair first!!! Sometimes they work and the results are just as good.... And a lot cheaper!!!