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If I remember correctly, your grim experience with heli-coils was the rear a-arms, and you didn't put in those heli-coils. Heli-Coils are an excellent repair if done correctly. We've installed thousands of them here at work and never had any problems, and I've used them in many automotive repairs here at home.

Before you start thinking the worst, probe the hole with the wire as I mentioned in the edit of my last post, and determine if the hole is clear through. If so, then you'll have to take off the pump and the housing to see what's what.

Edit: I do have another down and dirty trick if those threads are stripped, but I rather see you put in a heli-coil. Anyway, you can take off the water pump housing, and then tap the hole up to the next size...3/8"-24. Then drill the hole in the housing to accept the larger 3/8" bolt. Just make sure that before you do this, there won't be any problems with drilling the housing out slightly larger.
 
Dale,

The bolt has to go through the thermostat housing and then into the head. The thickness of the housing with the washer included is 2-1/2". To thread into the head you will need a 2-5/8" or 3" bolt. Since you had this housing off I would think the correct bolt is on your workbench because it would have leaked from the beginning if it had been missing.

OK, now breathe - in, out, in, out.....
 
according to the jpeg I count 4 not three. Did you remove the thermostat housing?
 
Dale,
I checked the bolt on my spare engine. It is indeed a 3" 5/16 NF. If it just goes in all the way up to the head of the bolt, it is either stripped, or has been drilled out to 3/8. With Pedro's mechanic, you never know. I am assuming you tried a 3/8ths.

So, either helicoil or as suggested drill out and tap the block hole to 3/8, and drill/ream out the pump housing hole, plenty of metal there to handle it.

I would do the helicoil, less work.
 
Ok, some more detective effort.

But first- I never had the housing off.
I only removed the water pump itself.
The housing is as it was when Pedro had it.

My 5/16" X 3 bottomed out at 2.5" but
a 1/4" diameter piece of cable penetrates
to 3.125"

I'm thinking the housing unit is off kilter
and the threads "might" be there but my bolt is
hanging up.

In any event, it appears I must now remove the
housing itself and that is really starting to stink
of the long and very expensive road of engine work.
 
Is this an option?

I believe the car might be somewhat streetable;
were it not for this open hole. Pedro must have
had it stopped up with somethng that broke loose
when I switched out the failed water pump.

I am wondering if I just grind a soft copper cone
and hammer it into the opening, if the car might
go around the block with a forum member d behind
the wheel?

If I decide I want to begin major engine overhaul,
I can always drill out the soft copper plug.

If I decide no major engine work, maybe I'll get
a few quick hops locally before the car goes to
the salvage yard.

Will a soft copper plug work for a short duration?

thanks,

dale
 
Hummmmm???

I wonder if tightening the fan belt pulled the
housing bore out of alignment with the engine
threads???

I might try loosening the belt and hammering the
housing backwards a bit. See if maybe I can get a match up.

What's to lose?

Well--THAT DID NOT WORK.

d
 
Dale :

You might get away with a plug for a short time, but if you try it, I would suggest leaving the radiator cap loose. Any pressure in the cooling system is going to try to force that housing away from the engine and cause a leak at the joint behind the housing, maybe even break or distort the housing. Likely the joint will leak a little anyway, but you should be able to go around the block in spite of that.

But IMO, if you have the gasket on hand or the materials to make one, it's not such a major project to remove the housing and deal with the problem properly. From your description, I would guess the housing is just a bit out of line and the threads in the block are fine; but even if that's not the case, it should be easy enough to put a Heli-coil (or one of the other types of thread repair insert if you don't want to use Heli-coils).

BTW, the correct bolt is 3-1/8" long. As mentioned, 5/16" NF threads.

If it were my car, no way would I be hammering on that housing. It's cast iron and old cast iron tends to be rather more brittle than you think. There's even half a casting in my shed somewhere, relic from someone bumping the water pump against something while removing the engine I suspect. (Not me, got it with a spare engine.)
 
Tom,

Nope. Never had the housing off. I never knew
there WAS a thing called a housing until this
afternoon.

I wonder how Pedro kept in from leaking?

Well this is a new record for the shortest
duration of Crypt Car operation between break
downs. Didn't even make it to warm engine stage
let alone any 1/10th of miles driven.

Another d(^(*^% break down!!

BLUUUUFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!
 
Seems to me you've gone beyond what you can blame on your DPO ... this looks like a DCO stunt to me.

There had to be something blocking that hole before; now there is nothing ... how many people have been under there with a wrench ???

Not that I've ever left a bolt out, Oh no, not me !!!
/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wall.gif

One of the very few times I've towed a Triumph home was when I tried to reuse the con rod locking tabs ... should've had the rubber chicken for that one but fortunately it wasn't a club event /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Dale, stop talking about major engine work. It's one stripped hole, fer cryin' out loud. You have two options, as mentioned. HeliCoil it back to 5/16 x 24, or rethread it to 3/8 x 24.
Just <u>do</u> it. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
Jeff
 
dale , your being to mellow dramatic.As Randall said, there was something there before. find an old photo of the front and compare. It ain't rocket science!!
 
Dale,

If BCF Member a wrench pick up (kidnap) BCF Member(s) on island now and bring to house to help fix housing attachment bolt hole? Use the Jeep though as Amos will probably overheat five minutes down the road. The hardest part of getting the inner housing off IMO is to remove the water pump and you just did that.
 
there is a bolt in that hole in my cars block. i think it's one of the bolts that holds the water pump housing on.
 
Tinster said:
This is starting to look a whole lot like the beginning
of major engine work. And major engine work is not in the cards.d
Click to expand...

Dale, with all the mechanical work you've done, please don't let this stop you. Pulling the WP housing is not major engine work; I know, because I just put mine back on last weekend. ISTR there are 3 bolts hoding it to the block, in 3 different lengths. There's also a small 2 chambered gasket between the housing and the block.... Your BCF buds are here for you....
 
i think he got the wrong water pump. Every other time he gets parts for that car it turns out to be wrong year or type. the photo he showed does not look like the jpeg at all.
 
Nah, it's just an aftermarket pump. Not exactly identical to the original (for example the pulley is permanently attached instead of being removable), but it fits fine.
 
Tinster,

While that is where a pump housing bolt should go, it also holds the small bracket that keeps the metal fuel line to the carbs out of the way of the fanbelt...if you still had the original fuel set up. When did you fit your Post-Pedro super fuel system? In removing the old pump-to-carb line you probably took off (and didn't reinstall) that bolt. No big deal.

Do you still have the original fuel parts laying around? The bolt I checked is 3 1/4 inches long.

Keep the faith, brudda

Jeff
1974 TR6 CF13816U
 
Jeff,

No I don't have DPO Pedro's original fuel lines
but I do have an archive photo taken Feb 2006 just
after I replaced the Crypt Car's break down from
day 2 of ownership.

The photo shows something at the approx. location
of the hole in my engine that is pouring forth
coolant fluid.

It could very well be my bad but the curious thing
is, I drove this car a total of 48 miles ""after"
I removed Pedro's fuel lines. I wonder why coolant
never spilled onto my garage floor prior to yesterday?

I ripped it apart most of last night and found a bolt
that fit. I try it out later today. I had to install without a housing gasket. Only gasket sealer.

thanks dd

pedrofuel.jpg
[/img]
 
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