Water pump hell: bolt stripped/rounded out

[Trav]

Unless your F body is different than the FWD sleds that Ive worked on, I'm pretty sure that your "13mm" bolts are actually 1/2" headed 5/16 bolts and the "10mm" headed bolts are actually 3/8" headed... Yes, I know lots of other metric bolts are on that car/engine, but for some stupid reason these aren't.

I remember when they first started mixing metric and SAE together, back then they had the decency of coloring the metric heads blue or a sick yellow green, those days in this business sucked especially when rust or corrosion had got to the heads. I still keep a small amount of SAE sockets and wrenches for stuff like this but they are seldom used.

 

[The_Eric]

Funny, I just encountered this on ZJ motor mounts for a 5.2. I'm 99% they're an 11/16" head, which I thought was kinda douchey just 'cause 11/16" ain't that common.

IIRC I tried 17mm and it didn't fit.

I figure a bolt (NOT a nut) with 11/16" head is likely a 7/16‐14 in "heavy hex." I never did actually check the thread pitch though.

Yep, Mopar is probably the worst offender!

 

[TheLastWord]

I remember when they first started mixing metric and SAE together, back then they had the decency of coloring the metric heads blue or a sick yellow green, those days in this business sucked especially when rust or corrosion had got to the heads. I still keep a small amount of SAE sockets and wrenches for stuff like this but they are seldom used.

I'll raise you and go one better. On a 96 Roadmaster wagon the studs holding the cat cans have a metric on one end and an SAE on the other. On the same part.

 

[SHOZ]

Hyundai/Kia manual transmission drain plugs are advertised as a 24mm but a 15/16" fits perfect. It has a very thin head and is easily rounded too.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

UPDATE

The new bolts arrived last night, and I installed the water pump this morning with no problems. I added water and turned the water pump by hand, and no leaks! Then I put the pulley back on and started the car, still no leaks

I added Blue Devil radiator flush and water and ran it for awhile, and everything seems to be OK so far. Blue Devil says at least 10 minutes, but I ran it for 20. Right now, I am waiting for the car to cool down, and then I will drain the water and blue devil and then add coolant. I will be using Peak 10x to replace the Deathcool or whatever was in there. The old coolant looked yellowish, so I'm guessing it was some Prestone or other dexclone with 2-EHA.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I used the Dorman 902-803 bolt kit. The 1/2 and 3/8 bolts come with thread sealer. The small pulley bolts in the Dorman kit have a 3/8 bolt head! (the stock ones are 8mm or the SAE equivalent)