I doubt I'm dealing with the original water pump, but the shop manual says to assemble the fasteners with Loctite 270. So, 500° is supposedly needed to break it. I was thinking that was another good rain to use the weeks method here. That said, I didn't need to heat the other one I removed. So, it might not be the original water pump, and someone used something a bit less permanent. Though, there was definitely something in the threads of the other.
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Melvyn Best
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Can you temporarily refit the old pump to use as a drilling jig? At least use it to centralise a drill bit?
Morrisman
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You need a 6mm washer but an 8mm nut. The washer protects the surrounding material while the 8mm nut gives you room to get a good ball of welding in to the end of the stud. You have no chance trying to weld through a 6mm nut.
Gareth J
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Are you working on this in/under the car? That will make it harder. Drilling centrally and not damaging threads in an aluminium housing on a 6mm bolt sounds beyond hard. Picking threads out afterwards similar.
It'll obviously be harder with the gassless mig and rely on you chipping all slag off between blobs but worth a shot.
Don't panic about damaging the aluminium you won't stick steel to it and it's so conductive you won't melt it other than maybe a very small amount very locally.
It'll obviously be harder with the gassless mig and rely on you chipping all slag off between blobs but worth a shot.
Don't panic about damaging the aluminium you won't stick steel to it and it's so conductive you won't melt it other than maybe a very small amount very locally.
The wire brush may be brass coated and this can also contaminate the weld. Best to get back to shiny metal using one of the small dremel grinder attachments.
Yes, that's a good idea and what I will do if I go the drill route. If I go the drill route, I'm pretty much accepting that I'll have to helicoil that hole. I think it will be nearly impossible to drill that thing out without damaging those soft aluminum threads. Of course, the helicoil will be stronger. So, not a huge deal. Still, I would love to make the welding route work.
Porsche 968 - 3.0L I4. The shop manual calls for Loctite 270 on those fasteners, due to the vibration. They are not through holes...I'm not even sure why that one stuff was getting hit with coolant. I'm assuming the paper gasket was failing, though the pump was in fabulous condition... probably didn't even need to be changed, but too late now. I was hearing a chirp that sounded like the bearings failing.
Morrisman
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Maybe like BMW motorbikes, they use thread lock on lots of parts, to seal the thread to water, and corrosion. It works very well, but heat is required to remove a lot of parts.
Luckily I'm in the front Bay if the car rather than under it. The water pump attached directly to the front of the block. With the radiator fans removed I have just enough room to work.
Good to know about damaging the block. I figured the aluminum would quickly disperse the heat. That was my main worry.
Pigeon_Droppings2
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Theres no harm in cleaning the end of the bolt lightly with a drill to get it nice and clean and dish the top...more surface area for the weld too. You want the wire protruding from the torch and dead center. I usually do short blasts to get a nice blob going....then build from there.
It might be trickier with using gasless flux cored though.
It might be trickier with using gasless flux cored though.
I deal with this a lot working on motorcycles. A steel stud corroded into aluminium is a nightmare really.
Ideal tool would be a core drill that would take the 6mm stud out but leave enough meat for a tap and Wurth insert.
If.you do decide to drill it, make sure it's bang on centre..
Ideal tool would be a core drill that would take the 6mm stud out but leave enough meat for a tap and Wurth insert.
If.you do decide to drill it, make sure it's bang on centre..
addjunkie
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Ive had success drilling in the past. If its a 6mm stud, start with a 2.5 drill, then 3 etc….then if your not quite on centre your not damaging threads straight away. Eventually you will be touching the ali threads, if noting else it lets penetrating oil around the threads for an easy out, or you can pick out threads if not too far off.
steveo3002
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ive struggled before to make the weld stick , cleaned the broken stump with a dremel and worked first time after that
