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Bracket of sea water pump

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Siwash Rock

New member
Ok I'm new so excuse me if this is dumb, but one of the two bolts attaching the sea water pump bracket simply will not come off (Merc 5.7L 350 CID 1995 v-belts). The nut rotates both ways but the threaded bolt prong part stays in place. There is no backing nut to the threaded prong - it looks like it is screwed into the engine block. Does this mean the thread of the bolt and engine block are toast? Or is there some tool or technique I can use to free it? The prior owner used two nuts on the prong/bolt thread - one came off easily. The other nut is stuck. The lower bolt came out easily.

Also, would you big dogs in the forum replace old nuts/bolts/washers with new stainless steel to re-attach the bracket to the block?20211002_161812_3 small.jpg
 
The threads on the stud or in the nut are stripped. Happens to everyone sooner or later. There are several techniques you can try to remove it. My favorite way is to start with a very small drill and drill thru the nut on the small part of the flat. You will be drilling the top of the nut not the side which is why you start small. Go up drill size by drill size until you get most of the material drilled out. Then use a chisel on the side of the nut where you drilled to split the nut which will also expand it enough that you can get it off.
Another method is to weld the nut to the stud and remove all of it and replace the stud with a bolt. If you blob too much weld, then just weld another nut on the end.
 
Pretty much looks like a bolt head, identical to that on my engine and as stated, if it turns to the right without tightening, either the threads on the bolt or those in the block are stripped. If you can get a needle-nosed or vice-grip pliers on the bolt head, pull and turn to the left. It may work itself to a set of good threads and come out. Drilling off the head of the bolt will still leave the threaded stem. If enough of a stem remains, you might be able to use a vice-grip pliers to turn it out.

Gene
 
Siwash Rock said:
Ok I'm new so excuse me if this is dumb, but one of the two bolts attaching the sea water pump bracket simply will not come off (Merc 5.7L 350 CID 1995 v-belts). The nut rotates both ways but the threaded bolt prong part stays in place. There is no backing nut to the threaded prong - it looks like it is screwed into the engine block. Does this mean the thread of the bolt and engine block are toast? Or is there some tool or technique I can use to free it? The prior owner used two nuts on the prong/bolt thread - one came off easily. The other nut is stuck. The lower bolt came out easily.

Also, would you big dogs in the forum replace old nuts/bolts/washers with new stainless steel to re-attach the bracket to the block?View attachment 27864
Click to expand...

I fixed it with a simple $10 tool! It worked 1st time - I could barely believe it. This nut cracker simply cut through half of the nut and the deformed remaining part of nut slipped off easily with a ratchet. After wasting a day trying to work around this thing, a simple $10 tool did the job. A good lesson.
20211009_173010.jpg
 
comogene said:
Siwash: Good on you. How did you get the shaft of the bolt out once you cracked the head off?

Gene
Click to expand...

Hi Gene, the shaft of the bolt remains embedded in the block. I'm not sure if that's how it is designed, but it ain't moving so I left it (and just slid bracket on/off). The middle of the shank was also de-threaded, so I threw some washers over that section as spacers and fortunately there was enough thread at the end to securely add a new nut and tighten it all up.
 
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