ddombrowski

After our Champcar wreck, cutting off the front of our car and welding on the front from a parts car, I was just about ready to take the car for a test drive. I filled the thing with water and started noticing a few leaks. One is from the radiator, and thats a whole can of worms there. The other is from behind the water pump.

When the impact occurred, the passenger frame rail ran into the oil filter, which ran into the water pump/hose inlet and split the hose. The oil filter was crushed, but the oil filter housing wasn't bent.

Bottom line, it looks like I've got water leaking from the interface between the water pump and the block. I guess the impact put more force on the water pump than I thought. So my question is - are the studs for the water pump replaceable if they happen to be bent? I'm hoping I can put a new gasket on with some sealant and a new water pump and be okay, but if the studs don't hold torque anymore I'm not sure what the plan is.

And it looks like its required to take off the rear timing cover to get the water pump out? Thats what clarks garage says, but if theres a shortcut I'd love to hear it.

931guru

1) Yes, if you are running the rear cover, it needs to be removed to do the water pump. (Removing the rear cover (after marking the correct positions for the balance shaft belt) makes servicing the front of the engine much easier, although a danger to dangling watches, chains, and loose clothing.)

2) The studs can be replaced if necessary. Use heat and gentle persuasion and make your own studs from available metric threaded rod. Lots of mechanics have lots of experience with replacing studs that have broken, etc.

ddombrowski

Excellent, thanks for the feedback. I had considered removing the timing covers, because racecar, making quick repairs like this even quicker.

If its just the studs I need to replace, I'll be happy with that. Hopefully the threads in the block haven't pulled out. Fingers crossed.

Wisconsin Joe

You should be able to Time Sert the studs if needed.

I know Time Serts have been used on the head studs of a Caddy Northstar.
They do a good job for this sort of thing.

odonnell

They're just standard M6 studs, nothing special. When I last changed my WP I removed and shelved the belt covers.... no regrets. Everything is a lot easier to access. I can monitor timing belt tension in 2 seconds by just deflecting it with a finger.

Swenny

"I removed and shelved the belt covers.... no regrets."
No worries about an accessory belt failing and causing the balance shaft/timing belt to fail? What about a critter getting in there and causing a failure? Road grease and grime and debris would shorten the life span of the belts also. My 2 cents.

ddombrowski

Turns out I got lucky. Despite triple checking to make sure that the leak wasn't coming from above the water pump (head exit port), it seems thats where it was coming from. I re-tightened all of the connections and filled it with water and there is no leak from the water pump. Glad I don't have to pull the water pump.

The new ebay aluminum radiator is in the car and it seems to hold pressure, no leaks.

931guru

No problems running it that way for 15 years. Of course, I'm a lucky ba$tard.

odonnell

At this point even if something went wrong due to no belt covers.... a complete head job is under $300 and removal/replacement takes a few hours and a few beers. I actually had the alternator belt fail with no covers installed, the belt is somewhere on the side of I-10 in Houston because I never found it. My alternator light came on and my timing belt was untouched.