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

1046 Views 2 Replies 2 Participants Last post by  ozvaldo
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!!!
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I would have probably done the same if access was that restricted. Not sure about the V6 but the 2.0D sure is. As it's water you'll most likely get away with it. You wouldn't with something like the head bolts for example. My first car, a 8-valve Escort, I used a cutout from a Weetabix package smeared with grease as a thermostat housing gasket! Now I wouldn't publicly advise doing this but it lasted for years and was still there when I sold the car! :D
Ha Ha... It sounds familiar... My first car was a Capri, and for months I drove around on 3 cylinders!!!! The old Fords were great!!! I remember when i was small my dad repairing the back box on his Viva 100 with a baked bean can!!! Times were hard then!!!
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