Broken bolt in thermostat housing....

Do you have to drive the car, or load it on a trailer? If it's just very short trip or onto a trailer, glue the thermo neck to the WP housing with one of the quality silicone goops, put it back together WITHOUT the rad cap (no pressure in the system) and a slightly low water level and drive gently.
 
You CAN actually bolt on the water neck with ONE BOLT, and use LIBERAL AMOUNTS OF INDIANHEAD SHELLAC,

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a nice THICK Felpro waterneck gasket, and....A SMALL C CLAMP ON THE SIDE W THE BROKEN BOLT STUCK IN IT. I Bullshit thee not, I used this approach on the old cast iron waterpump housing for Mathilda's 66 383 when one of the ears cracked off, the first spring one year after buying her. I eventually got an aluminum housing to replace the old iron.

Damned thing DIDN'T LOSE A DROP either. Try this, since you're in a hurry. Just give the shellac at least a good overnight to cure before you try putting coolant in. Even if you CAN'T get a C-clamp to hold down that waterneck, once that shellac sets, you'll have a VERY STRONG BOND between your pump housing, the thermostat, the gasket and the waterneck. Indanhead shellac is FAR less expensive than a machine shop's services.

While permitting that stuff to set, go firebomb the Harbor Freight you shopped at on Principle. Then order a new pump housing. You should be able to get one for less $$ than machine shop time runs for an hour, unless you have a friend somewhere....
 

That's a perfect replacement for a mid 60's pump housing, identical to the old one I have which cracked. Later models lack the same handy ears up top for the thermostat housing/waterneck.

I copped an aluminum housing made on the same pattern, but damned if I wouldn't love to get another of these for my own ends! Can't just throw down $ on anything right now, but a fellow needing a new water pump housing may do well to avail his self of this one!
 
I'd use a center punch, then drill with a small bit. Then drill a step or 2 larger. It looks like a gap from the flange to the rest of the housing.
 
You CAN actually bolt on the water neck with ONE BOLT, and use LIBERAL AMOUNTS OF INDIANHEAD SHELLAC,


a nice THICK Felpro waterneck gasket, and....A SMALL C CLAMP ON THE SIDE W THE BROKEN BOLT STUCK IN IT. I Bullshit thee not, I used this approach on the old cast iron waterpump housing for Mathilda's 66 383 when one of the ears cracked off, the first spring one year after buying her. I eventually got an aluminum housing to replace the old iron.

Damned thing DIDN'T LOSE A DROP either. Try this, since you're in a hurry. Just give the shellac at least a good overnight to cure before you try putting coolant in. Even if you CAN'T get a C-clamp to hold down that waterneck, once that shellac sets, you'll have a VERY STRONG BOND between your pump housing, the thermostat, the gasket and the waterneck. Indanhead shellac is FAR less expensive than a machine shop's services.

While permitting that stuff to set, go firebomb the Harbor Freight you shopped at on Principle. Then order a new pump housing. You should be able to get one for less $$ than machine shop time runs for an hour, unless you have a friend somewhere....

Will actually try this, thanks. Great idea for the time being
 
Ok I friggin snapped the bolt that holds my water neck to my water pump housing. I'm apparently not a very good machinist, I tried using a bolt extractor kit for harbor freight and probably made it worse.

Any advice on getting it removed without buying a whole new water pump housing? My plan would be to drill out the hole larger and run a new bolt and nut to mount.

1964 Chrysler 300k with 413 AC is the car.

View attachment 405506

Grind flat, center punch, reverse drill bit.
 
Are you handy with a welder?
My favorite way to remove broken bolts is to use a skinny stainless welding rod. Briefly zap the broken bolt , let cool for a second and zap it again, cool and zap until you have a stem built up. Then put a nut over the stem and weld the nut to the stem. The heat from welding loosenes up the bolt and it should screw out. Sometimes the stem twists off and then I start over.
My stainless electrodes are just over a 1/16 th inch. Slag on the weld flies off as it cools. Eye protection is a must.
I attached a picture of 2 extractions
In this example I just welded the stem onto a piece of chain link

20201005_130314.jpg
 
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