Bolt Spreader Tool For Small Block Chevrolet V-8 Engines
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Floyd Stivers, Stroud, Okla.: Floyd says a common problem on small block Chevrolet V-8 engines from the late 1960's through the early 1980's is this: The heat from the engine causes the cast iron exhaust manifolds to "draw up" so much that bolts cannot be started in the original holes when reinstalling them.
"To solve the problem, I came up with a bolt spreader tool consisting essentially of a bolt and a couple of nuts. It exerts several thousand lbs. of torque to spread out the manifold to its original shape and is ideal for tight spaces where a pry bar won't reach.
"Get a bolt that's a little shorter than the space you need to spread, then screw on a nut that fits the bolt threads. Put a slightly larger nut over the first and insert the tool into the area you need to spread. As you turn the smaller nut out, it, in turn, forces the larger nut outwards to spread out the exhaust manifold. The technique also works well for many other jobs, such as removing pulleys from engines.
"I've used this method dozens of times and it's never failed - so long as you get everything lined up straight and the bolt and nuts don't slip. Since I came up with the idea in the 1970's, some tool makers have come out with a similar product, but mine is definitely less expensive and probably just as effective."
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Bolt Spreader Tool For Small Block Chevrolet V-8 Engines ENGINES Engines 23-3-37 Floyd Stivers, Stroud, Okla.: Floyd says a common problem on small block Chevrolet V-8 engines from the late 1960's through the early 1980's is this: The heat from the engine causes the cast iron exhaust manifolds to "draw up" so much that bolts cannot be started in the original holes when reinstalling them.
"To solve the problem, I came up with a bolt spreader tool consisting essentially of a bolt and a couple of nuts. It exerts several thousand lbs. of torque to spread out the manifold to its original shape and is ideal for tight spaces where a pry bar won't reach.
"Get a bolt that's a little shorter than the space you need to spread, then screw on a nut that fits the bolt threads. Put a slightly larger nut over the first and insert the tool into the area you need to spread. As you turn the smaller nut out, it, in turn, forces the larger nut outwards to spread out the exhaust manifold. The technique also works well for many other jobs, such as removing pulleys from engines.
"I've used this method dozens of times and it's never failed - so long as you get everything lined up straight and the bolt and nuts don't slip. Since I came up with the idea in the 1970's, some tool makers have come out with a similar product, but mine is definitely less expensive and probably just as effective."
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