[GARYLEWIS]

Have a water pump bolt broken off in the timing cover. there is about 1/8 inch piece of bolt extruding from timing cover and about 1/2 inch of bolt lodged in cover. have tried vice grips, no help there. Is it worth trying to drill the bolt out and retapping or am I going to have to replace the entire timing chain cover which looks time consuming?

Forgot, this is in a 1968 mustang, 351w engine.

any advice or help greatly appreciated

[rodbender]

When you take aluminum and steel add moisture and oxygen. you chemically weld the two metals together.Ford timing covers are the epitome of this process.Now for the fix. Do you have access to a mig welder? If not go to a muffler shop. Here's what you do: Take a nut. The size of the bolt. Have it welded on the stub via going through the hole in the nut. That, with the heat from welding, should allow you to remove the remaing part of the bolt. Reasemnble using stainless hardware for the water pump etc.Then your problems are over for life as stainless hareware is corrosion resistant ( although more expensive) Good luck.

[67coupe]

There is a set of pliers made for stud removing. Channelock makes them and they look just like a slip joint plier only both jaws curve the same way. If there is enough left to grip, these pliers will get it out. The harder you pull on them the tighter they grip.