I saw the tool you posted at Sears last night. But I followed your advice and used the vice grips and presto. What a wonderful tool the vice grip is. I'm feeling a lot better about the situation now.

So now I have to buy a new stud and install. Should I use the dual nut method to get the new stud in? I also noticed the other stud wouldn't let me turn a nut on with my fingers after a couple of turns. That might not mean its bad but I like it when the nuts spin freely. Think I should replace it to be safe or leave it?

Also, is it OK to use the gasket again? I squished it as I had the pump on there tight. The top seal looks good as well as the square ring on the return tube.

One last question. Are you a fan of torque wrenches for tightening down the pump bolts etc. I just bought a SK (10-100 ft/lb) torque wrench but didn't use it as I experimented applying 10 lb/ft on a screw and couldn't believe how much force it took to get the wrench to "click". The Haynes book says the spec is 16 ft/lbs and that kind of concerned me.