Water Pump stripped stud hole

modela@aol.com

modela@aol.com

Well-known member
:confused: I was just re-installing my repaired radiator and I figured I would take the opportunity to check out the water pump. I have discovered that one of the stud holes for mounting the water pump is mostly stripped out. It is the upper passenger side hole with no worries about going through to a water jacket but it is a really thin casting there about a ~ 1/4 inch. Actually a Ford Script NOS head.

I believe that I can buy the correct Heli-coil and try to repair it. Also there are still a couple of threads left that may hold with the help of Loctite thread locker. I do have some Loctite Red handy and I am lazy. Will this come back to haunt me later if I do this??

What is the consensus of opinions out there on what I should do to re-mount the WP?
 
If you never put in a heli coil in before, maybe find the best bolt you can, and be care full how tight you put it. The worst would be you have to put a heli coil in anyway.
 
As George says...
Considering George's bolt advice about being "careful how tight you put it" To eliminate the need to have the questionable bolt overworked, consider using a good gasket maker/sealant. Permatex "Right-Stuff" would work well on both sides of the gasket. Let it set up for 24 hours and it will harden enough to eliminate all leaks.
When using staked pump shafts, I use Right-Stuff without a gasket and do not have any leaks.
Good Luck and Good Day!
 
Thanks guys !!! I really appreciate the quick input from you all.

I also just came up with one other option to consider. I could use my tap/die set with a longer bolt and make my own brand new stud with longer coarse threads and the fine threaded end so I could have a Loctited nut behind it to hold it firm when I actually tighten up the WP. Just enough bolt sticking through the back end to hold a locked nut on the inside of the head.

Pros / Cons to this idea??
 
I agree on the NOS part.. probably not! or a lot of times that's why those parts are still laying around. They have issues! Weren't used then... can't always be used now!
If not stripped badly you might try using some JB weld inside on the threads a little, insert stud before it sets. do not fill the hole, just give the threads a coating. it will tighten up the hole and seal it. Shouldn't ever be a reason for the stud to come out in our lifetime. If you don't like/can't do that just helicoil the hole ( carefully).
That should do it!
Larry Shepard
 
I don't mean to be the wet blanket but it seems that every time I take the easy way out the job goes bad just before a club tour or when you are on the tour trying to get home. I have installed many helicoils and it is the permanent fix. At the moment you have the cylinder head off and good access to do the job and paint the head when you are done. If you wait, you have to take off the hood, remove the radiator and remove the head. Plus you will need a new head gasket at another $25 bucks. Just my 2 cents worth! Ed
 
ever hear the phrase, "Pay me now or pay me later"

do it right with a helicoil, they are easy enough
the next owner of the car will thank you.....we are stewards, not owners...do it right
 
I stopped at an auto parts store this afternoon and looked for different length studs. Nothing they had there would work any better.

I was leaning towards the Heli-coil fix anyway but wanted to rush the job and get it all done today. So I then paid ~ $29.00 for the 3/8 -16 thread repair kit. Ouch... Now I have enough extra helicoils to do every Model A head in a three county area.

I just might Red Loctite the heli-coil in the head just for good measure and it should be a fix that should last for my lifetime. Hopefully this will also make the Pro Loctite guys OK with me.

BTW, I see this Helicoil kit is now using China made tools and the insert coils are made with "global materials". I hope my 100% USA Model A Ford will not have an allergic reaction to this.....:eek:
 
red is overkill. The inserts do no come out easily at all.
Red comes out only with heat, or drill it out.
Use blue and it ain't goin' anywhere

as to china, the air you breath now is made in china along with everything else. The epa drove most of our manufacturing to mexico and china where there are no air pollution laws so what did they gain anyway
 
Many times for this kind of problem i will find a bolt that is long enough that has threads the entire length, after a test fitting i will pick a spot to saw 1/4 through all the way around, then I thread the nut on,add whatever washers needed and tighten the 'bolt/stud" till the head breaks off using the few threads in the bottom of the hole --9 out of 10 times this works good enough to pull the proper torque with the nut
 
Well I finally got the time this evening to get back to this water pump install. On the stripped out bad hole I drilled it out with a 25/64 bit and then used the helicoil tap. Installed the helicoil with some Loctite Blue then broke out its installation tang with a small screwdriver. I then cleaned up the loose metal filings with a magnet. Installed the water pump with a new cardboard gasket with Permatex gasket sealer. Everything lined up and snugged up fine. I should now be good for another 25 years on this water pump....

I am going to keep my fingers crossed on my re-soldered radiator that kicked off this project. Hopefully this will also be good on this car for another 25 years. Bought this radiator brand new in 1989 for $250.. It was a good radiator right up until it started to shake all of the hood rod and mounting brackets off from driving the rough Illinois roads back from French Lick. It was then leaking from the top tank. Hopefully now all of these issues are now fixed. Thank you all again for your suggestions and comments. It is appreciated!!! Sometimes I just need a sanity check on my work plans for the Model A's...:)
 
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