Waterpump studs
 

Replacing water pump tomorrow. I pulled the studs so I can replace the housing gasket. Do you guys out anything in the threads when you reinstall them? Any other tips / tricks to know of?

Wire brush the threads to clean them and put on a small dap of non hardening sealer .On my car I replaced the studs with long SS allen bolts cut to lenght and the heads polished .The small bolts are SS allens as well .

what non hardening sealer do you recommend?

Blue lock-tite.

I did something very similar with the WP and front cover as well. Took a bunch of REALLY long SS hex head bolts and put some acorn nuts on the finished end WITHOUT washers. Put the front cover/WP on and cut the heads off and trimmed them to fit. Add a washer and the gaskets and all's good. Studding parts is a good way to go. Makes assembly easier.

The bolts for the WP itself are the SS button heads.

There was only one that wouldn't work, and it was behind the oil return line. BUT, I'm using a -10 adapter and an RE front cover. You're experience may differ.

ok---dumb question - but what is a good way to make sure the studs are threaded in all the way? I put the washer and nut on and tightened. I am worried that the nut bottomed out on the stud before the stud threaded in all the way.

I can't get WP housing on with the studs in place...

any suggestions to make sure I don't mess this up.

oh and turbo coolant hoses are retarded...

You clean the threads on the stud as described above and run a chaser into the iron to clean those. Then you thread the studs in finger tight, no more. If you double nut the stud and crank it in, you will actually lessen the clamping force applied through it's threads. Studs always go in finger tight.

Thanks for the reply. Do you install the studs then put on the wp? The studs really get in the way inside the car. I started to install the pump with nuts on the studs-making them act as long bolts. But I have a feeling that this is not a good idea. Ill chase the threads on the iron. Hopefully that let's me get them finger tight.

Again thanks.

I usually put the pump on the engine before it goes in the chassis. Otherwise, I can't recall ever really having a problem getting one off or on in the chassis.