Some of you might find this interesting follow on to my post about breaking my truck.
I did some work with lighting and mirrors and a dewalt electric drill with a left-hand drill to get that broken stud out. I’d loosened one of the header bolts and I could turn it with thumb and index finger so I figured if I could just get a hole started in the remnant, maybe it would back out.
WHAT. A. PAIN.
But it worked.
Got a good look at the 7/32” hole I’d made in the head into the water jacket. You can barely see it in this photo at bottom:
Used a steel sharp probe to figure the angle and depth.
Looked up some tap/die numbers and figured hey, it’s low pressure (15psi), so I used a 6-32 tap to thread the hole (all 1/4” of it (used dychem on the tap), bought a 6-32 x 3/16 set screw at local ace hdwr store which will be glued in place with red high-temp threadlock. New bolt I’ll put in place and the set screw will run interference with the bolt (it ain’t gonna back out) and it it SHOULD leak, I’ve got a pack of those GM turmeric, ginger, pecan candies to drop into the water reservoir to seal.
Installed the “Paradox by Design” setup while I was at it, and changed the oil sender ‘cause I’d been getting weird oil pressure numbers since I’ve owned the truck, had replaced the gauge and got same weirdness (like sometimes idle would be around 15, driving 40-60, sometimes idle pressure wouldn’t drop).
Got the pulley off the power steering pump, pulled the pump and cleaned the bracket. Will hit it with some 383 spray paint tomorrow. Going to put in a new pump.
Enough for one morning, I think. Then I replace bent wheels...
Got a line on an August 2000 6.5L NA engine - ready to assemble, cheap. Going to post about it elsewhere for feedback.