Coolant has been leaking from the gasket between the block and the timing chain cover for about a year. Recently the leak got worse prompting me to replace the gasket. After reading hours of posts from here and watching all the relevant Youtube videos, I got started. All went well until removing the last bolt securing the water pump/timing chain cover. It snapped/broke off leaving about 1/4" showing above the timing chain cover after removing the water pump. See attached photos. I'm now to the point where everything has been removed (harmonic balancer, all other bolts securing timing chain cover) except this one broken bolt. Just looking for advice on how to proceed at this point. I'm thinking that since the timing cover bolt holes are not threaded that I might be able to carefully pry the timing cover off over the broken bolt. It's a fairly tight fit. If successful, that would leave over an inch of the broken bolt sticking out of the block to try and get it to turn out using vice grips. Although not shown in the photo, I've also removed the AC compressor and steering pump and bracket to give me more room to work with and perhaps allow me to get some heat on the block near the broken bolt with a torch. All the other timing cover long bolts were pretty tight/stiff coming out. Lots of caked on thread sealer.

Thanks for your ideas on this....

 

OK...time for an update to this problem. Even though I was able to get a fairly tight grip on the broken bolt with vice grips, the bolt was so tight that the vice grips didn't work..they just kept slipping off. It turns out that the steel bolt had corroded to the aluminum timing cover pretty good. I also attempted to drill out the bolt, but like I said, it just wouldn't turn out of the aluminum timing cover...it was really corroded to it. I finally went at the timing cover with a pneumatic angle die grinder and ground down all the aluminum material surrounding the bolt. After about an hour of grinding I had enough material removed that I was able to knock loose the timing cover. The broken bolt then easily turned out of the engine block.

I've ordered a replacement OEM timing chain cover and it should arrive in a few days. In the meantime I'm just getting everything organized so that when it is delivered I can finish up the job fairly quickly. The one question I have is how to get a new bolt to replace the one that broke off. It's a M8 X 1.25 X 70mm with a flanged 13mm head and is threaded about half way up the shaft (see photo). I'd like to get an exact OEM replacement one if possible, but have read that the Ford dealerships really like these bolts alot and their prices for them are crazy high. Does anyone know the Ford part number for this bolt? I thought that with the part number I might be more successful in my internet search for a replacement. If that doesn't work I'll drop by my local Fastenal store and see what they have. Thanks for any ideas.

 

Goos Job, using your resources and head!!

 

I stopped by my local Ford dealership parts department yesterday. They told me that the water pump/timing chain cover bolt I'm trying to replace is "discontinued". But they did give me a copy of their parts diagram for the 94 Ranger 3.0L engine. It shows the Ford part number for this water pump bolt. Two part numbers actually...N804168-S2 and N804576-S8. See photo. After about an hour searching the internet I was unsuccessful at locating this bolt from another source. So it looks like I'll be replacing it with an aftermarket option. I've found lots of similar bolts, but they are all different from the original in some way...either the bolt grade is different (OEM bolt is stamped 9.8) or the threads are a different length along the shaft. Also, Fastenal carries two bolt finish options...yellow zinc or Magni 565 black. Decisions decisions...