ARP says you should use their thread chasing tap to clean the threads in the block before installing their studs. Is that special tap needed to do the cleaning or will a typical thread cutting tap do the job w/o screwing up the threads?

 

you don't want to use cutting tap it could f them up. take one of your old head bolts and cut 4 lines down it and use it as chasing tap. that's what i do and it works good.

 

good suggestion, it'll be hard for me to get someone to cut slits in a bolt though. anyone else?

 

a standard thread chaser will do fine. a thread tap will do fine, a tap cannot mess up the threads if you use the right tap, a tap is a bolt with grooves in it to collect the metal it cuts while creating threads. so run a tap through it. what does arp's thread cleaner look like? does it look like a tap? and actually the guy above posted you can groove a bolt, that actuall does work, you just use a die grinder and grind 4 or so grooves into the bolt.

 

found a pic of the ARP "cleaners" they look the same as a tap, it just says thiers are not made for cutting threads, which would make me think they are just not strong enough for cutting?

 

alright, anyone else?

 

Craftsman carries a thread chaser set. It does not cut threads, but reforms them. Pretty useful to have around when you want to clean up the threads on a bolt etc..

They don't remove material.

Evan

Basically, a bolt with slots in it and no cutting surface. You can slot yours with a grinder or dremel and a cutting blade.

 

Most thread chasers are not going to be long enough to get down into the hole to clean up the threads. Your best bet would probably be to cut the grooves (like mentioned above) and use one of them to do the job. Use an old head stud, it works wonders. If you don't have access to a Dremel, take it to a local shop and see if somebody would cut them for you.

 

thanks for the ideas. i'll cut slots in an old head bolt.

 

What you need is a bottoming tap with a long shank.

 

you don't alway have to do this. run studs in and see if it good in easy.
or go to a shop and pay them 3 to 5$ to cut slots in the bolt.

 

**** gimme 10$ i'll mail you a cut bolt.