[TheRazor375]

Should I go with a roller chain or just the OE replacement chain? Don't plan on doing any upgrades to the engine. Current chain has a lot of slack and a mechanic a few years ago thought it jumped a tooth although the markings look like they line up to me.

 

[Bribri]

Doubt it skipped a tooth, pretty sure you can upgrade to a double roller.

 

[TheRazor375]

I have an acetylene torch at work so I'm thinking of bringing that home to heat those bolts tomorrow. I appreciate all the help and advice you guys have been giving. I figure a shop would have stuck it too me pretty hard if they broke the water pump bolts. One shop quoted 900 just to do the pump.

I did buy an air impact wrench at home depot to remove the main crank bolt, that thing took off the bolt in 2 seconds. Had me wondering why I never bought one in the first place.

 

[MojoJojo]

I’ll bet the $900 was to cover the bolt breaking 😜 bonus fir him if it didn’t 💰

Could not resist!!

 

[TheRazor375]

Lol well when its all said and done at least the top and front of my engine will be rebuilt. All the oil covering the engine was from a valve cover leak, previous owner drove it around for a while like that. I had a shop replace the valve cover gaskets and all the associated parts. Truck ran real good with new intake gaskets. Considering how much slop is in the chain I reckon it'll run better with a new chain too.

So far the acetylene, stud extractor, and vice grips have not worked. All I managed to do was break the stud that still have some threads even closer to the block. Since I broke it even more I'm giving up for today.

 

[TheRazor375]

I hired a welder to weld a nut on whats left of the studs. He's the 4th guy I called, the other 3 wanted nothing to do with my problem and one said he had a bronco that did the same thing and he ended up pulling the engine and taking it to a machine shop to get it drill pressed.

If I use the acetylene and get the stud red hot is there any chance of damaging or welding the stud in the block. Yesterday I didn't get it red hot because I didn't want to weld the stud and make it stuck in there further.

 

[MojoJojo]

Red hot shouldn’t weld it in place, heat expands the metal and cooling shrinks it. Kinda how that principle works for releasing rusted bolts.

 

[paul rondelli]

This thread is soooo much more entertaining than reality TV.

They can have the Bachelor and American Idol ....... Give the drama of broken bolts in the engine block.... any day of the week.

I NEED MY UPDATE FIX ..... did you get them out yet? More pictures please.

 

[TheRazor375]

Yes I got them out after the welder broke off 10-15 nuts on the studs and he was down to his last 2 nuts. He was ready to give up and said he wasn't going to take my money. I grabbed the breaker bar and rocked them back and forth until they started moving and blasted them with wd40, probably used about half the can. Got them about halfway out and felt the weld starting to break so he got under the truck and welded the front and back of the nut to the studs and they finally came out. The acetylene was used by us both, I don't know if it did anything. The welder got both of them red hot and they didn't budge.

I didn't do anything else to the truck. I felt mission accomplished, packed up my tools and called it a day after those damn bolts were removed. Im still waiting on a new timing chain cover, i might clean the front of the block and replace the timing chain today.

 

[Stevo440]

Congratulations on being persistent!!!! Never give up...

 

[paul rondelli]

I had my money on that engine coming out and heading toward the machine shop.

Congratulations

 

[TheRazor375]

Lol this bronco has had a rough service life. It caught on fire in 99 while the previous owner was out wheeling. Something along the lines it backfired and blew a hole out the manifold then set the fuel rail on fire, at least that's my understanding of what happened. Insurance repaired it, replaced a lot of components up top, windshield and repainted the hood. Been in 3 accidents, 2 were minor but the last one was major, frame was bent a little bit. Insurance was finally trying to total the truck. Previous owner refused, got the frame repaired but realized the rest of the job was too much for him to handle so he sold it to me.

So it's been down quite a bit but never out.

 

[Bribri]

While you got everything open might want to pull oil pressure sender and flush it/and the passage out with carb cleaner, only take a little flake of Carbon to block it up.

 

[KDus]

I'm doing the same project. Only had one bolt snap from being bound up in the cover. Got it out with heat and 2 vice grips as handles. The pics show timing chain slop at 270k miles. Was running fine but had a coolant leak. Also, had to Dremel the gasket steel off the oil pain

 

[TheRazor375]

Any other tools you can think of that will cut the steel gaskets? I don't have a Dremel and was thinking of leaving the stock oil pan gasket and putting RTV on top.

 

[MojoJojo]

Doesn’t look that thick, a file or hacksaw and some elbow grease, if you got any elbow grease left that is.

 

[TheRazor375]

Update for anyone interested got the timing chain cover, water pump, thermostat and harmonic balancer back on. Mostly straight forward just time consuming cleaning the gasket surfaces. Harmonic balancer was a bit of a pain and the adapter for the installer got stuck in the crank. Vice grips and a bit of swearing got it out though. I'd like to point out the OEM harmonic balancer puller and installer neither were a direct fit my truck. The puller I had to add washers to get it off and the installer I added brass nuts to it because it was going recessed in my new balance. Glad they are rental tools.

Today it's going to rain all day so probably won't get much done. Hopefully by Sunday my truck is running again. Just have to reinstall the radiator, fan and accessories.

 

[WoodGuy]

Getting close! Perserverence and stubborness are necessary traits while working on vehicles

 

[TheRazor375]

Perseverance is defiently needed to work on a 27 year old truck. The rain was nothing but a sprinkle so my bronco is fully assembled today and changed the oil. Still don't have coolant or power steering fluid. The hose came off the pump when I moved it to the side. Won't have a ride until tomorrow so I can't start it and see what else I broke yet. I'm hoping it works so I can just enjoy my Sunday.

The green antifreeze is actually pretty hard to find nowadays.

 

[WoodGuy]

I hope it goes smooth today for you!