Water Pump Bolt / Crossover Pipe

[Tailwheel]

I have encountered an unexpected interference between the brass fitting on the crossover tube and a water pump cover bolt.

According the TM’s and GM service manual this shouldn’t be happening. I’m not sure what I’m missing. The crossover pipe bolts will not come out. I guarantee if I pull any harder they will snap/strip. I already broke a socket and severely injured my right hand trying to remove the stud on the passenger side crossover and It’s going to take weeks to heal. I haven't hurt myself this bad since I was a teenager doing stupid stuff. My dominant hand it out of commission.

Any ideas? I’m about at the end of my patience for this engine. I have a ridiculous amount of hours in a rear/front main seal job at this point. Every step has been painful. I have roughly 5 hours in today and I have made zero progress and I don't know that I've ever struggled working on an engine this much. Is it me or is it these 6.2's?

 

[sneekyeye]

You should be able to unscrew the hose nipple. It is threaded at its base. Yours could be seized on by the look of it, though.

 

[Sharecropper]

Is it me or is it these 6.2's?

Let me get back to my shop in the morning and look at my original 6.2 in my M1028.
By the way, it’s not you, it’s the 6.2. Maybe you have Christine.

 

[cucvrus]

You need to use an impact on them bolts. The hard strike of the impact will free them from the corrosion. If they are that bad the gaskets need changed anyway. Good Luck. Get impact sockets and move on.

 

[Tailwheel]

You should be able to unscrew the hose nipple. It is threaded at its base. Yours could be seized on by the look of it, though.

It is 100% seized. I stopped before I did any damage but I gave it all I had. Everything on this truck is seized. I don't understand, its a mostly rust free low mileage truck. Every bolt has been so unbelievably difficult. The oil pan was stuck on with so much sealant that I bent the front lip trying to pull it down and it took me two hours to get the nut off the dipstick tube without damaging anything. To get the pan off I ended up having to hammer paint scrapers into the sides of the pan while prying with two pry bars.

 

[Tailwheel]

You need to use an impact on them bolts. The hard strike of the impact will free them from the corrosion. If they are that bad the gaskets need changed anyway. Good Luck. Get impact sockets and move on.

I'm so afraid I'm going to snap bolts. Seriously. Everything on this truck is so brittle and fragile. I dropped the pan and the oil pump shaft retainer fell out. It was in 10 different fractured pieces. Just got the replacement today. The hoses are rock hard. I'm trying to replace them one at a time. This truck has not aged well.

 

[faststandard]

A little heat on that water pump fitting via a Mapp gas torch and it should come out with relative ease. The threads are NPT.

 

[cucvrus]

I would remove the entire coolant crossover manifold. I would think no farther of removing the steel nipple adapter from the aluminum cross over. Like I stated the gaskets on the coolant manifold need serviced anyway. And if things get desperate I can send you a few new M10 flange bolts for replacements. Send me an address. Use some never seize lubricant on the fasteners when you reassemble. But do make sure to disassemble. All old hoses get hard no matter how well the vehicle was taken care of. Good Luck. B e patient and ask for help it is here.

 

[Valor]

I would remove the entire coolant crossover manifold. I would think no farther of removing the steel nipple adapter from the aluminum cross over. Like I stated the gaskets on the coolant manifold need serviced anyway. And if th

It is 100% seized. I stopped before I did any damage but I gave it all I had. Everything on this truck is seized. I don't understand, its a mostly rust free low mileage truck. Every bolt has been so unbelievably difficult. The oil pan was stuck on with so much sealant that I bent the front lip trying to pull it down and it took me two hours to get the nut off the dipstick tube without damaging anything. To get the pan off I ended up having to hammer paint scrapers into the sides of the pan while prying with two pry bars.

I can sympathize with you. I've had times working on my 6.5 in a civy suburban that I just want to throw a hand grenade at it! Sounds like your engine hasn't been torn into in some places for a long time. When bolts won't unthread and seem like they are going to snap, it is best to STOP. Take a breather and think about it or put it off for another day. In your pic of the bolt and hose nipple, that nipple unscrews. Take that out then you can remove that bolt maybe with an impact wrench. Try turning the bolt back in then out again. Spray wd40 in there and work it loose. Use a socket, 6 point if possible, on that hose nipple. It will probably be very tight. And as CUCVRUS said, use antiseize on the bolts when you assemble. My big frustration is having to take 5 things off to get at the 1 thing I want to work on. Sorry about your hand. I do that too. Maybe can wear gloves to help with that. Let us know how it goes. Hope these ideas help.

 

[cucvrus]

My point about the steel pipe nipple in the aluminum alloy coolant manifold is not whether you can get it out. It is can you get it back in after you get it out? I see the threads in the manifold coming along with the nipple. Maybe not but I find it easier to remove the coolant manifold since you already said it is rusty and in bad shape. But do as you wish. I know without seeing it that the gaskets are crispy and have basically turned to dust. They may not be leaking at this moment. But the moment you refill the coolant they will begin leaking. My bolt offer still stands. Take Care and Good Luck.

 

[Tailwheel]

Well, as usual I was shipped incorrect parts. For the 5th time. I will not have parts until the 11th so I'm dead in the water. What has happened to our automotive industry that you can't even get basic off the shelf parts? How do businesses function? Every part on this truck takes a week to get and I'm in a major US city.

 

[Tailwheel]

My point about the steel pipe nipple in the aluminum alloy coolant manifold is not whether you can get it out. It is can you get it back in after you get it out? I see the threads in the manifold coming along with the nipple. Maybe not but I find it easier to remove the coolant manifold since you already said it is rusty and in bad shape. But do as you wish. I know without seeing it that the gaskets are crispy and have basically turned to dust. They may not be leaking at this moment. But the moment you refill the coolant they will begin leaking. My bolt offer still stands. Take Care and Good Luck.

I'm not going to remove that fitting. It seems like it just wants to snap. I tried once and I stopped. I don't need to twist off the brass fitting or strip the aluminum out of the crossover pipe. I'm going to get an impact today and remove the crossover pipe.

 

[Tailwheel]

Well I finally got the water pump off. The crossover coolant tube, well.. I have made little progress and it's not promising.

 

[frank8003]

Well I finally got the water pump off. The crossover coolant tube, well.. I have made little progress and it's not promising.

Kroil is the only thing I have ever used that will wick up dissimilar metals.
I read that 50/50 trans fluid/acetone works wonders also.
Ford was famous for putting non-accessible fittings on an engine that rotted in place.

Remember your hand.
.............. Never Ever push on a wrench, always pull on wrench.
We all sad You got hurt working on Christine.
Take a break, everything you gonnah work on then soak the heck out of it first, give it a few daze.

 

[Tailwheel]

Happy to report that after many, many hours of cleaning old gasket material using every trick known to man and scrubbing bolt threads all through the night, it's all finally starting to go back together. I'm really curious what sealant was used on this engine, particularly the water pump. I had to essentially cut the backing plate off, took several hours but it finally came off without damage.

Got the new Cloyes timing chain installed, the front cover installed with a new main seal, and the IP timed. Tomorrow the oil pan should go back on followed by everything else, assuming I don't have any more issues. I carefully and tactfully used anti-seize where appropriate so I hopefully don't have to go through this again when it's time to tear back into it. I've never seen a low mileage engine look so clean on the outside yet be so difficult to disassemble.

Regarding the oil pump. I'm going to prime it by hand prior to installation. Any other advice to guarantee oil pressure on startup? All I have is an idiot light.

 

[Sharecropper]

Happy to report that after many, many hours of cleaning old gasket material using every trick known to man and scrubbing bolt threads all through the night, it's all finally starting to go back together. I'm really curious what sealant was used on this engine, particularly the water pump. I had to essentially cut the backing plate off, took several hours but it finally came off without damage.

Got the new Cloyes timing chain installed, the front cover installed with a new main seal, and the IP timed. Tomorrow the oil pan should go back on followed by everything else, assuming I don't have any more issues. I carefully and tactfully used anti-seize where appropriate so I hopefully don't have to go through this again when it's time to tear back into it. I've never seen a low mileage engine look so clean on the outside yet be so difficult to disassemble.

Regarding the oil pump. I'm going to prime it by hand prior to installation. Any other advice to guarantee oil pressure on startup? All I have is an idiot light.

I have a priming tool that fits into the vacuum pump hole and is powered off a drill. You are welcome to borrow it. It will flood the bearing surfaces with engine oil prior to start up.

 

[nyoffroad]

Just a tid bit of info here, you mentioned replacing hoses. When replacing heater hoses do NOT twist the hose off the heater core! It will almost assuredly cause a leak in the core. Instead remover the clamp and then use a sharp knife or razor blade to slice lengthwise along the hose the just peel it off the brass barb. I use Never Sieze on just about everything! Years later bolts come out without issue.

 

[Keith_J]

The timing cover to engine block and water pump to timing cover are sealed with an anaerobic acrylic sealant gel. Similar chemistry as anaerobic thread locking products, only in a gel formulation. Heat is your ally here.

I've used it for multiple purposes. Best thread sealant if you don't want it to come apart.

 

[gringeltaube]

The timing cover to engine block and water pump to timing cover are sealed with an anaerobic acrylic sealant gel.

A typical example for that kind of sealant would be Loctite 518. Parts are assembled metal-to-metal, without any gaskets(!)

 

[ldmack3]

I'm so afraid I'm going to snap bolts. Seriously. Everything on this truck is so brittle and fragile. I dropped the pan and the oil pump shaft retainer fell out. It was in 10 different fractured pieces. Just got the replacement today. The hoses are rock hard. I'm trying to replace them one at a time. This truck has not aged well.

With an impact you can try going back and forth; tighten-loosen-tighten-loosen. Sometimes this will break free. Good luck.