Colorado Boy-74-FJ40
I may grow older but I refuse to grow up!
My water pump replacement this weekend went south quick. The pump went on easily and got the alternator belt on, Fired her up and she started to overheat. No heat in the top hose and the radiator was cold. Thermostat!. The damned thing was working fine before the pump shaft got loose. So I go to Checker auto. They tell me it wil go back-order like everything else I try to get for it. I order it and head home. On the way back home I swung into NAPA just for the hell of it. They had one on the shelf along with both seals!. I couldn't believe it. So I get a refund from Checker and head home. As I take the bolts out of the thermostat housing, one snaps!. Son of a bitch! I try to easy-out the bolt and the easy-out snaps off. I end taking the thermostat housing off the block and get it on the bench. I was able to get the easy out removed but the snapped bolt wont budge. I ended up drilling and tapping the bolt and using a 1/4" bolt in place of the metric. ( I only had an SAE tap) I got it all back together and now all is fine. I drove it to work and it seems great! What should have taken 1 hour took 5!.. Such is life when working on a classic.