Lets talk exhaust expanders

[signcrafter]

I have an older one that I don't use much but has come in handy here and there, mostly to get ridges out of exhaust pipe that has had U clamps on it. I have some exhaust work to do and as usual it makes a good excuse to get some new tools. While looking at tooltopia at exhaust tools I see there are some newer versions of exhaust expanders. Lisle in particular makes a really nice kit that goes up to 4.25" and even have another adapter that goes over 5" and says it will do stainless. I did a 4" exhaust on a diesel one time and accidentally tightened down a U clamp and the inner pipe wasn't in all the way so the outer pipe had a ridge in it now and wouldn't let the inner pipe slide in. Nobody I called in town could reshape the outer 4" pipe. I ended up finding one place that barely could do it on their machine, the die was all the way unscrewed and kept falling off as they expanded it. So the ability to do up to 5" at home would be great. Like I said not something I would use often but they come in handy and I have an excuse to buy some exhaust tools!

What is the difference between these two different styles of lisle expanders?

http://www.tooltopia.com/lisle-32750.aspx

http://www.tooltopia.com/lisle-17350.aspx

Obviously the kit comes with more adapters for different sizes. But the single tool(comes in two sizes) has more fingers. Just wondering why lisle has two different tools to essentially do the same job? Do any of you guys have either of these tools?

 

[Strouty]

The cheap one is only to make the pipe round again, the expensive one will allow you to make a pipe slide over another one.

 

[Strouty]

The names are really confusing, I have the 17350 kit, I have only used it a few times, but it worked well. In order to get the pipe to the correct size to slide over the other one, I had to adjust it a couple of times. Once you have used it, you will be able to figure it out.

 

[vssjim]

The 17350 is a real expander the other s probably never overall a good expander.

 

[sselander]

I just went over this with my dad.

The ones with the fingers (32750) was not intended to make the pipe larger. It also does not work well with heat. The O-rings holding it together are some type of plastic/rubber.

The other one (17350), you use with an impact wrench

A better explanation and videos are found directly on the Lisle web site:

Lisle 17350 pipe stretcher kit
http://www.lislecorp.com/divisions/products/?product=565

Lisle 32750 tailpipe expander:
http://www.lislecorp.com/divisions/products/?product=178

 

[Graham08]

I have the 17350 kit. I have used it to make a set of merge collectors that were a slip fit over the primaries. It works well. The only thing you need to pay attention to with it is you need to expand a bit, rotate a bit, and repeat until you get to the desired ID. If you don't, you wind up with a square pipe end.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[signcrafter]

Ok so the ones with fingers are just for little stuff like taking the U clamp ridge out of used pipes? And the bigger kit is more of a true expander. That makes sense. I can also see why you have to rotate the expander to keep the pipe round.

 

[Canadian Charlie]

I don't own one yet, but I'm sure it will come in handy someday

 

[signcrafter]

One more question. Will the expander kit remove the ridge created by U clamps also? Or do you need both types, one to expand and one to reshape and remove that ridge clamps leave?

 

[Fordman7795]

The 32750 breaks real easy

 

[signcrafter]

The 32750 breaks real easy

What breaks? Just the orings or the actual metal parts? Does it break when you are just reshaping the pipe or were you trying to expand the pipe to slide another pipe into it?

 

[jimindm]

II bought the expander that you show in kit form. When I bought it you got one size and the rest were bought separately. Its one of the best I have used. Has roller bearing and boy can you put the impact to it.

I think I have six sizes. I think the worst thing for these kinds of tools, is that you just keep going with adaptors that you have. As it get larger so do the spaces between the fingers, and that's what make the pipe square. With different sizes you just need to expand it until you can get the next size to work.

I would not use it to do exhaust work all day long, every day. I have had mine several years and have used it a lot over time. Its a very good product.

 

[joecon]

I have the second one and it works great.

 

[AndyA]

The 32750 breaks real easy

The first time I used it, I broke my 17350. A few of the rollers in the bearing split in half longways. I was using the impact, but wasn't really pounding it too hard. A new bearing was cheap. I don't remember how much, but something like $5. I've abused it since then and it's held up.

 

[JDon99]

The first time I used it, I broke my 17350. A few of the rollers in the bearing split in half longways. I was using the impact, but wasn't really pounding it too hard. A new bearing was cheap. I don't remember how much, but something like $5. I've abused it since then and it's held up.

Does it use an off the shelf bearing, or something you gotta order from the manufacturer?

 

[matt01073]

I have the one with the bearing got it from snap on likely its rebranded lisle . I have abused it for many years and its great i lube up the bearing once in a while and never had an issue . you can expand a pipe by at least 1/2 inch just put a 1/2 impact to it and go usually have to spin the expander a bit and do it a second time to keep the pipe round because it will almost square it up if you stay in one place and expand a lot . even works on stainless pipe . the cheaper finger type are one step from useless and i have a few broken ones to prove that . if you are looking to remove clamp grooves snap on used to make a nice roller that works with a 1/2 hand ratchet they work great but haven't been available for years you can find them on ebay once in a while and fairly reasonable

 

[AndyA]

Does it use an off the shelf bearing, or something you gotta order from the manufacturer?

Off the shelf. Looks like a wheel bearing you might find on the non-driven wheel of a light car.

 

[Big Kev-O]

Off the shelf. Looks like a wheel bearing you might find on the non-driven wheel of a light car.

I know digging up an old post.Hold you fire! But the answer is yes, if the roller bearing fails it is the same as a ford pinto outer wheel bearing. The USA made timken bearing is a nice replacement.

 

[Kev442]

Thanks Big Kev. This is the kind of info that can save tons of hours searching and measuring.

 

[signcrafter]

Wow old thread of mine!

I picked up the astro 78835 expander and love it. I have a green lee hydraulic knock out set and the threads for the screws are the same. So instead of using an impact I use my hydraulic hand pump. Now I just buy 10' sticks of pipe in the sizes I need and cut and flare to whatever I want. Just did some exhaust work on the daughter's car this week and used the astro expander for a couple of pieces. It needed a new resonator and had to cut the old one off the tailpipe. New one needed a coupler to hook to the tailpipe. And on the other end of the resonator was a flange and the old flange it mates with was warped so I had to cut off both flanges and then make a coupler to hook them up.

 

[enrare]

I have the one with the bearing got it from snap on likely its rebranded lisle . I have abused it for many years and its great i lube up the bearing once in a while and never had an issue . you can expand a pipe by at least 1/2 inch just put a 1/2 impact to it and go usually have to spin the expander a bit and do it a second time to keep the pipe round because it will almost square it up if you stay in one place and expand a lot . even works on stainless pipe . the cheaper finger type are one step from useless and i have a few broken ones to prove that . if you are looking to remove clamp grooves snap on used to make a nice roller that works with a 1/2 hand ratchet they work great but haven't been available for years you can find them on ebay once in a while and fairly reasonable

I'm looking for something to remove the U-clamp grooves in 4" and 5" diesel exhaust pipe. Anyone know if this Snap-On roller tool would work or if the Lisle or Astro pipe expander kit would be a better option?