OK so I'm hoping this one doesn't belong in the "something stupid you've done" thread... Yesterday I was dismantling an AC pulley/mount from my 401 nailhead. I have an aftermarket AC system in my '63 Wildcat that doesn't work and I've been thinking about taking it out. I figured in the meantime I would at least take the belt off and eliminate a little strain on the engine. I was having no luck loosening the pulley wheel so I decided to at least loosen and maybe pull the whole mount. The top bolt came out easily and when it was out I could see the whole shaft was rusty and the threads were basically gone. I couldn't very well put that bolt back in and tightened it so at that point I was committed to pulling the whole mount. The second bolt was also the far left bolt of the water pump--it started to leak a little coolant as it loosened but I figured I could pull it out and put it back in quickly without losing much liquid. But once the bolt was out it leaked pretty heavily--more than I expected. I popped the bolt back in quickly enough to stop it from leaking much but now here's the problem... I tightened up this bolt until the head came to the water pump, but it will NOT get tight. It seems to keep spinning--there is some resistance but it isn't getting tight enough to seal up the water pump gasket. So...it's still leaking a little coolant in that area. So...what to do? First of all, how long should that bolt be? The pulley mount made the bolt stick out no more than 1/2" to 3/4" from where it is now, right up against the water pump. Does it just need a washer? Or do I need to remove the whole water pump, reseal and re-tighten everything? Any help is much appreciated! Phil
Not scare you but this happened with my 455 timing cover. The lower oilpan bolts did the same, the oil pump and some wate pump bolts. I had to get it rethreaded. Try the washer before redoing everything
Thanks for chiming in guys. I found a short term solution--putting the pulley mount back on! Worked like a charm...so yeah, a washer that's the same depth as the mount should do the trick nicely. I was just worried I may have done some internal damage to the threads or something. But no, the bolt looks good and tightens up perfectly when it's in the right place.
I had the same thing happen to me a few weeks ago during an alternator change. I cleaned the bolt with a wire brush, then applied high temp silicone to the threads and put the bolt back in- no leaks! I never did have a problem with the threads going soft, though. Glad it worked out for you.
