jwlester

So I am at my wits end. I've been working on getting all the maintanence up to date so I can get my car back on the road in time for my honeymoon in July. I started a waterpump, belts, and seals job a couple weeks ago and have run into a problem. One of the waterpump bolts(upper right corner) snapped off close to the block. I was unable to budge it with any of the methods I have found on the list and had to grind it down and drill it. A combination of ****ty left hand bits and fading patients has mangled the bolt. I can no longer drill the bolt centered and straight. I'm loosing all self control and am going to really mess something up if I continue working on this. Can someone please lend some technical advice, lend a hand in the next couple days, or come with the proper tools and fix this bolt/hole for me. I have most any tool needed and a compressor. I do not have a "good" right angle drill or good bits. Please someone help!! I would really like to get everything done and back together. I've been without my car for a long time and would really like to take it on my honeymoon. This car was a Dad/son toy project and its one of the only things I have left after Dad passed away 5 years ago. Any help would be greatly appreciated and I will certainly pay anyone that can help me out. I don't care if it gets drilled and tapped or helicoiled. I just cant do this on my own anymore. I don't have the patients at this point to do it right. Thanks for anything that you can do to help out.

Fuming, Josh

jwlester

bump for the morning!

AKCJ

Josh,

I feel your pain.
Drilling a hole in the center of the broken bolt is both the best and hardest thing to do - most of us have been there or will be there some day.

Consider this - what if you took a piece of steel plate (say about 1/8" thick or even less) and drilled two bolt holes that would line up with two good bolt holes on your motor. Then you could drill a small hole exactly center of the broken bolt. Use a piece of paper as a template. Bolt the plate on using the two good bolt holes and it will serve as a guide for your drill bit. If the bolt is broken at a bad angle the drill bit will still not want to start so you may have to dress it up with a dremell moto tool.

One other note, a good right hand drill bit is better than a bad left hand drill bit for this.

After you get a good hole drilled you can try an extractor (but it could break) or just keep drilling bigger holes until you can clean it out.

This job takes more patience then skill.

Good luck.

davearm

Call Ahmet at Peak Performance, in Cary, NC. He is a lister, and is remarkable with 944's. He should be able to help. I believe he is only there a couple of days a week though.