perryinva

While replacing the water pump and T-stat on my mkII, I found the access to remove that last bolt near the crank pulley impossible once it was loose. The 1/4" drive & 10mm socket are fine, but once loose, it has to be turned by hand, and either my hands are just too big, or you JUST have to have the right tool, because I spent 2 hours working that thing out, trying different ways to get more room between the engine and the carrier brace. Anyone that has done one of these water pumps knows what I am talking about. All the water pump threads I could find were MKI, so maybe it is just more difficult on a MKII. I have a lift, and was able to fix the engine in place and raise the body plenty by removing the motor mounts. (which I was replacing anyway, along with the AOS) I completely loosened and could almost remove the engine brace, but the catalytic converters are in the way. So I went to remove the passenger side cat, which goes to the muffler on the driver side. The first 2 13mm nuts came off fine (pre-soaked with Kroil), the 3rd, with practically no effort just snapped off the stud. I'm assuming it was previously stretched and just waiting to snap.

So now that I have the cat in my hands, how do I get that stud out to replace with a bolt? Is it welded in place? Looks pressed in place, so can I just hammer it out? Does it have to be drilled out? I can't be the first one to have this happen to...

New WP & 160 T-stat are in place, getting them in was cake compared to getting them out. Getting all the hoses off, like others have said is a bear. I had ordered some new hoses, based on input, but I could have just left them all as is, they were fine, actually. I installed the new ones anyway since I bought them.

Imo000

Hammer or press it out in a vise.

pmkazz

I thought they were pressed in. In any event I had to drill one out one time. PITA but got it...

ivangene

they are tack welded in - you have to get rid of the weld....then hammer it out

dremel - ear plugs and a whole lots a little tiny metal bits for about 20 minutes

Dharn55

I drilled one out on one of my cats. You need a good quality bit and it is easiest if you remove the cat from the car, I am not sure it you could do it with the cat in place. Also, remember that when drilling metals you don't want to use a high speed on the drill.

perryinva

Yeah, like you, I've worked with metal a lot. I just hate drilling hardened steel bolts out, such a pita. If it could be pressed out, that was preferred, but no way. Just too awkward against the flange, and the head of the stud is too big. So I wacked off the remaining stud and most of the head with my angle grinder with a cutting wheel, then drilled it out with 3/16" pilot, then a 5/16 (cobalt drills for hard metal with cutting oil) and got a bolt to match. Not a big deal, but after 14 hours working on the car yesterday, (all my own "proactive choices") frustration levels run high. You know how it gets.

ivangene

yup - doing the right thing has bitten me more than I care to admit