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Arghhh, I'm an idiot who drilled through the block!
So I was drilling out a broken water pump stud and broken easy-out on my engine and I drilled through to the water jacket! What are the options here? There must be something I can plug the hole with and then install the new stud and live a happy high revving life, right? I really can't believe I did this but the depth of the hole is now 27mm.
I can't be the first person to do this and since the water pump stud will be in here, I would think it is sealable and not a case of having to pull the engine for welding.
It's the uppermost stud in this pic if that makes a difference...
Thanks, guys, I panicked. I had the water pump opening masked off while I was grinding out the broken stud but once I inspected the damage closer I found that I can reach around through the opening, into the engine water jacket, and get to the back side of the damage.
I figure I'll try and repair the hole with Quik Steel putty and then drill and tap with a helicoil. Quik Steel has very good reviews. And it's aluminum in the putty, not steel, despite the name.
Also, I have Loctite 574 for the balance shaft housing and I was planning on using that for the water pump bolts and studs. Is that just as good?
Also, what are your thoughts on any kind of gasket sealant on the water pump gasket? My old gasket had some on it but I haven't seen much mention of using it in this situation so not sure what is best....
JB weld and Devcon make aluminum-content epoxy, make sure it is coolant-safe though.
574 is NOT right for this task, go get the thread sealer, it's maybe $4 for the little tube and will last a while.
No sealant for the WP gasket.
Ok, I'm not crazy....There is an aluminum Quik Steel but it is hard to find in any kind of search and hard to find to purchase. It's Blue Magic Quik Steel 16402 so I'm back on to the original plan of using this. Good for 500 degrees and most of these epoxies are impervious to most auto fluids including gasoline but I can't find much of anything on 16402. I think they may have discontinued it as it's not in their current catalog. All their site shows is a TSDS and this pic:
Has anyone else drilled through at this spot? I've read reference to this happening but could not find a specific thread about resealing it. I tried the Quik Steel Aluminum but it didn't work because the stud goes so far in the hole that the quik steel won't stay put and seal the hole. So will simply using a thread sealant keep this stud from leaking coolant under pressure? I really don't trust this. Is there a specific sealant that will seal this problem?
The service manual calls for Loctite 270 for the water pump bolts but that seems like removing them next time might cause lots of problems. What do you guys use on the studs and also on the bolts for the water pump? I have the 567 but with such a light torque spec (6 ft lbs) for these bolts, I would think a thread locker would have to be used; just not sure 270 high strength is the best option.
just use liquid thread sealer - really, you'll be fine.
it is used as a substitute for teflon tape on threads - i used it on both my Subarus' oil sensor fittings which can see 80 psi, standard household plumbing applications will see ~50-60 psi, etc.
or, use a slightly shorter stud and pack the epoxy at the back of the hole so it doesn't get pushed out the other side by the stud.
just use liquid thread sealer - really, you'll be fine.
it is used as a substitute for teflon tape on threads - i used it on both my Subarus' oil sensor fittings which can see 80 psi, standard household plumbing applications will see ~50-60 psi, etc.
or, use a slightly shorter stud and pack the epoxy at the back of the hole so it doesn't get pushed out the other side by the stud.
There is really no room behind that stud and my old stud had to be drilled out so I now have a helcoil in there. And the problem with helicoils is that they need to be bottomed out or at least screwed into the end of the threads on the stud or they are loose and jiggly.
Does everyone normally use Loctite 270 on the water pump bolts? 6 ft lbs is pretty low. I was going to use 567 to seal them but Porsche calls for a stronger threadlocker, albeit one that does not seal. I'm sure there is another high strength sealing Loctite but has anyone looked at Loctite's site? There are literally hundreds of products and a crappy search engine to find the proper product so it's not very easy to find what you're looking for. IIRC 569 might work, but now I need to find a seller and spend another $30 on a sealer....Geez, why doesn't the local mall have a Loctite store? Stupid malls....
But really don't want to have to go in there again to seal up a single stud. Might try to add the Quick Steel from behind in the water jacket and make a little bump where the stud is so as to contain the stud hole. I already did this and then the hardened Quik Steel broke off and disappeared into the engine water jacket so that's another worry I have as to where that might end up miles down the road.....
Crappy pic, but on my block, the studs go right to the water jacket from the factory. Nothing to lose sleep over
Ah, ok, that makes sense as I couldn't figure out how there was enough depth for the stud to fully install. Thanks for that pic.
Of course I've since blocked the hole with Quik Steel but less chance for a leak so no harm done.
Originally Posted by V2Rocket
i never use any loctite on WP bolts, ever.
though antisieze is probably a good idea.
Really? 6 ft lbs is pretty loose and would seem to eventually loosen from vibration.
I installed one stud with 567 but it doesn't really harden; does 567 stay soft? I know it's a sealant and I know it's anaerobic so maybe the stud and helicoil are allowing too much air in there?
05-24-2018, 09:45 PM
Arghhh, I'm an idiot who drilled through the block!
