Ok well I have an update.

First of all, I was worrying over nothing with those studs. Rusted in beyond belief? Must have been the only thing that I didn't think was going to snap in half when I turned the wrench! They came out, I just had to pry with a screwdriver between 2 of the bolts in order to get them out. Pry, rotate, pry, rotate, etc. The new ones were a different story. They must have been just a hair too large, or the threads were not correct, because it took the Vise Grips, WD-40, and lots of prying to get them installed. But hey, they're studs, they go in once, and never come out, right?

I am about a day from getting it done, except, I work tomorrow and Friday, so maybe this weekend I can check it for driving.

I ended up with a broken bolt in the timing cover (bolt goes through water pump, and holds the alternator bracket, so it's kinda important) that I mulled over for about a week as to how to get it out without breaking something else, or getting in over my head.

I decided that removing the timing cover, repacking the oil pump, sealing yet another seal on the timing cover, removing and re-installing the distributor...just was too much for me to handle in one sitting. All just to get the timing cover off, and then still, having to have it drilled out, probably at a machine shop, as my drill is pathetic. I considered spending the money investing in some air tools and big enough compressor, but that is not a priority, with a wedding coming up.

So I put the pump back on and even got some new bolts. There's still THIS to deal with (that is a bolt drilled out, with a extractor tip snapped off inside):


What I decided, was to stuff gasket sealer in the hole created by the water pump on the bolt. On that, I stuck the 2 tabs from the thermostat gasket (for the 2 bolt holes). That makes a nice barrier, so I have a deep enough space...to J-B weld in a stud. Incidentally, it's going to be the stud from the water pump, because I can then use one of the nuts from the old stud, to tighten down on the bracket for the alternator.

Hopefully all will go well, and I will post the aftermath.