What were the GM engineers thinking????
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,970
Likes: 21
From: Denville NJ
What were the GM engineers thinking????
It's day three and I still can't find a tool that will crimp the clamp at the base of the EGR pipe! Besides being constructed out of hardened steel you only have about two inches of space to get any leverage to crimp the darn clamp. Does anyone know of a tool that I can use to crimp this clamp? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated, Thanks :confused:
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 0
From: Puyallup Washington
Re: What were the GM engineers thinking???? (CG77VETTE)
I don't know?
I had the same problem, I out the clamp on as best I could, heated it red hot with a torch and crimped it with a big pair of wire cutters. That worked!
I had the same problem, I out the clamp on as best I could, heated it red hot with a torch and crimped it with a big pair of wire cutters. That worked!
Pro
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 686
Likes: 0
From: Crystal Lake, IL USA
Re: What were the GM engineers thinking???? (CG77VETTE)
I know the frustration firsthand. I drove with that thing leaking for well over a year. Then, somebody on this forum posted a catalog number to order the exact OE clamp tool from Grainger. I got it and a new clamp and got a tight seal first time. It is manufactured by Oetiker and sold by Grainger (www.grainger.com) catalog # 4E608 "side jaw pincer" and cost $20.60 back in April of this year. It looks like a dull side cutting plier about 12-15" long with a recess in the front for the small loop on the clamp. Fits perfectly down the side of the EGR tube.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 14,130
Likes: 7
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: What were the GM engineers thinking???? (Hendej)
I have the tool from grainger...what a waste...I even had the engine on an engine stand last year when I was putting my parts back on it...I could not for the life of me squeeze that clamp shut even with the correct tool.
The clamp was so hard to crimp I gave up after squeezing and trying for like 10 minutes.
I dont know why the clamp was so hard to squash onto the egr pipe.
So I got my snap on bolt cutters which is about the same length as the grainger tool and with EASE it began to squash the clamp into place.
I had to be careful that I didnt cut it through..I didnt.
Whew!I cant imagine doing this in the car..without bolt cutters. that is.
Btw the later TPI L98 cars came with the egr tube that had 2 bolts holding them together..I have an extra set of exhaust manifolds off a '90 that has this set up and may add them someday.
GM DID eventually realized they screwed up and made the newer models have a longer tube off the exhaust manifold and attaches to the egr pipe with 2 bolts kinda where the clamp is now on the 86 cars....better improvement over the first design.
Dont even bother with the grainger tool...get a good pair of 10-12 inch bolt cutters and squash the clamp on with that.You can get them at sears or someplace.
My snap on one I already had, cost me too much money when I bought it a few years back, but it will squash or cut anything I use it on.
The clamp was so hard to crimp I gave up after squeezing and trying for like 10 minutes.
I dont know why the clamp was so hard to squash onto the egr pipe.
So I got my snap on bolt cutters which is about the same length as the grainger tool and with EASE it began to squash the clamp into place.
I had to be careful that I didnt cut it through..I didnt.
Whew!I cant imagine doing this in the car..without bolt cutters. that is.
Btw the later TPI L98 cars came with the egr tube that had 2 bolts holding them together..I have an extra set of exhaust manifolds off a '90 that has this set up and may add them someday.
GM DID eventually realized they screwed up and made the newer models have a longer tube off the exhaust manifold and attaches to the egr pipe with 2 bolts kinda where the clamp is now on the 86 cars....better improvement over the first design.
Dont even bother with the grainger tool...get a good pair of 10-12 inch bolt cutters and squash the clamp on with that.You can get them at sears or someplace.
My snap on one I already had, cost me too much money when I bought it a few years back, but it will squash or cut anything I use it on.
