water pump timing cover bolt twisted off, will it leak?
 

There's a bolt twisted off in my engine. It's the one that goes through the center of the water pump on the passenger side, through the timing cover, and into the block. For those of you who have had it apart, it's the one with the dowel pin in the block. If I put this thing together, what's the chances it leaks? I thought of putting extra RTV around the down pin, and between the water pump and timing cover on that hole, or maybe even using some gasket material and making a little washer sized gasket and sliding it over the dowel pin, and maybe another one between the water pump and gasket. Another option, though far fetched... remove dowel pin, replace it with a piece of small tubing the same size but maybe an inch longer, welding the dowel pin into the block through the hole, filling the the extra long dowel pin with JB weld and screwing a bolt into it, then back out so it threads it, putting it all together and putting the bolt in, since the torque on that bolt is very low anyhow, it might hold up? Halp

Do you have any easy-outs and reverse drill bits? I would try that and get a new bolt.

I've never had any luck with them, and the bolts were rusted into the engine pretty good. Several twisted off, but it's the only one that only left what was in the threads in the block, when it twisted off. The rest had a bit sticking out to get to, so I heated them up and worked on them.

drill the bolt as much as possible with out screwing up the threads and use the biggest easy out possible. works every time.

Using a big drill bit to drill it first, wouldn't that just eat up the bolt I'm trying to get out of there and make it more difficult to twist it out? I've got some easy outs, never used them before. It looks to me like I should use a bit about 3/4 the size of the bolt, drilling a hole into the bolt to start the easy out. Is that how I should do it?

yes. you could use a small bit to start a pilot hole. my earlier point was to use the biggest easy out possible otherwise, if you use one too small, it'll break. which sucks, i've done that before

Ah okay, I misread you. Yeah I had another set years ago and had one break off in a Jeep J10 exhaust manifold. I ended up having to take it and get the manifold cut open, and the easy out removed, then it all welded back together.

The hardest part is keeping the drill centered in the broken bolt. You're trying to drill a hole in a steel bolt that is surrounded by soft aluminum. I do not like that job but I have to do it sometimes.