Does anyone have any tricks to getting a bolt out that broke flush at the top of the water pump? I was changing the thermostat and putting the housing back. When I was tightening one of the bolts it broke flush in the water pump. I haven't had luck with drilling out bolts before but I'll try it again if I have no other choice. Hopefully someone with more experience than me has some sweet tricks!

 

Take a sharp center punch, rap on it with a hammer off center on the bolt end, and use the hammer to hit the bolt counterclockwise.

 

Or just use an extractor bit. It might be easier since it snapped flush

 

Let me know if this is a good idea... here's what I'm going to try:
1. Center punch to start hole.
2. Small drill bit and drill half way drilling counter clockwise
3. if bolt doesn't come out, use slightly larger drill bit
4. Tap in easy out and attempt to get bolt out.

 

First try tapping it out with the punch, that way works great if the bolt isn't frozen into the hole. Not likely to work when the bolt snaps off when trying to remove it because it's locked in, but you probably horsed the bolt on too hard which snapped it, not because it's stuck.

 

You are 100% correct. The bolt snapped when I was tightening it. Old bolt so the stress caused it to break. It broke before 10 foot pounds.

 

As luck would have it, the extractor broke in the hole I drilled!!! So, now I'm drilling size up and up until it's out and I'll re-tap it. ugh!

 

I quickly realized that there was no way I was easily getting this bolt out with the extractor broken inside it too:





So, I used the carving head of my dremel tool and carved around the area where the bolt was lodged. Eventually I pulled it out with vice grips.





I prepped the area. Since I didn't have a blow gun, a can of Dust Off worked great to clear the area of the aluminum filings. Now I'm stuck with a big hole. What do I do???





Permatec cold weld to the rescue! I've used this stuff before and it's awesome! JB Weld is garbage and doesn't work so don't waste your money!!!





I put the epoxy in a paper plate:





Then I mixed it. You have about 10mins to work with it before it starts to harden:





I filled the large hole with the metal epoxy. There are quicker drying ones on the market... don't buy them! Buy the regular stuff that takes overnight to dry and harden! You'll be glad you did! Once it's hardened I will sand it down to be flush so the housing seats properly. Then I'll tap a new hole!

 

Just an update to put closure to this thread... I replaced the water pump and thermostat housing.