The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Why Is It Called a Stove Bolt?

I understand the Chevrolet inline six is nicknamed stovebolt because some aspects of its construction supposedly resemble certain features of a particular stove.

I want to know:

1. Which bolts on the engine are stove bolts?
2. What stove used similar bolts to hold it together?
3. Can anyone post a picture of the stove?
4. When did the engine acquire this nickname?

Inquiring minds want to know!

We've had this asked frequently. THIS FAQ doesn't answer all your questions, but it's some insight for you. Some are good-fun. Others Bolters can help with their input.

Just Google "Stove Bolt" and you will do the work yourself.

This might answer a few of your questions?

Here is a little more information.

I cannot find a "historical progression" if the appearance of the sheet-metal "stove bolts" used on various stovebolt six engines.

Maybe someone will post a link to better information?

Tim's first link has a lot of info on the Stovebolt Engine.

If you only search "Stovebolt" in Wikipedia, it's only three lines (but each with a link of its own ... one going to the engine). There's a picture of the bolt in the first link in that page.



The terminology and the slang usage of Stovebolt refers to three different things:

A bolt (fastener) with a slotted head, used in the assembly of wood-burning stoves constructed from sheet metal.
The Chevrolet Stovebolt engine, so called because the valve cover, lifter cover and timing cover, utilizes a fastener that resembles a stovebolt.
A nickname for the Chevrolet Advance Design pickup trucks.



Many many years ago [when Bill LePage (RIP) was still with us], the Stovebolt Page was actually listed in the Wikipedia page, along with some of the crazy terms John had in the FAQ page. It was fun ... while it lasted. Should have printed that out.

"Stove Bolts" are round head machine screws with square nuts, used to assemble wood or coal burning cast iron heating stoves. When Chevy started producing inline sixes, they chose to use these commonly available hardware items to hold the sheet metal parts on such as oil pans, valve covers, pushrod covers, etc. Later, they went to a screw with a flattened head (pan head), but with the same 1/4-20 standard thread. Using standard hardware items instead of producing a dedicated bolt was in line with Chevy's "baby chicken" approach to producing the engines- - - -"Cheep- - - -Cheep- - - -Cheep!"
Jerry

Some of my 50s magazines (Hot Rod, Hop Up, Honk!/Car Craft, Rod & Custom, Speed Mechanics, and others) refer to Chevrolet cars as Stovebolts. Now I'm curious to look and see what the earliest mention is out of my magazines, as well as any old Floyd Clymer books, and the California Bill and Roger Huntington Chevy hop up books. There's also a site that has the table of contents of all the Rod & Custom magazines listed- That can be looked over quickly to see if Stovebolt was used as part of the title of a feature.

One THIS WEBSITE I found this:

Frequently Asked Questions
Apr 9, 2022
What is a Stovebolt?
A stovebolt is a type of bolt that is commonly found on a wood burning stove that has a slotted head and uses a square nut on the back, it is very similar to a standard screw but it has significantly coarser threads. Chevrolet's inline 6 cylinder engine is nicknamed the stovebolt because the valve covers, timing cover, and lifter cover all have a bolt on them that looks like the classic stovebolt that you would find in a stove.

This name was introduced by mechanics that were working on them as a way of differentiating them from the other engines of the era. Nowadays they are known to be a strong and reliable engine having been around and in development for nearly 90 years with many different generations. It is a good engine to get if you are looking to get a classic vehicle and most mechanics will know them by name.

This website has linked the "Stovebolt" nickname to trucks, but before this website the nickname only referred to the engine. I'd have to dig through some of my old books, but I'm pretty sure the term was used back in the early 1930's (the first Chevrolet Stovebolt 6 cylinder was produced in 1929).

Mike B

To your point, Mike, and others above ... Way back when as I was wrapping up the initial layout of the site in November, 1995, I needed a catchy title ... In my research (Tom Brownell's book, I think) is where I first learned that Henry Ford, on seeing the side cover screws and the acorn nuts atop the valve cover of his competition's first I-6, first used the term "Stovebolt" as a pejorative. But the joke is now certainly on him, ja?

To Otto's original questions ... I don't think the original 6 actually used stove bolts ... they just *looked* like stove bolts. Slotted screw heads and square nuts were the industry standard 100 years ago, having carried over from horsedrawn equipment and industrial applications prevalent at the dawn and early and middle stages of the Industrial Revolution. Look at any piece of machinery built prior to the Great Depression, especially horse drawn -- nothing but square nuts and slotted screws. My '27 practically has nothing *but* square nuts holding it together.

Chevy wasn't NASA, the development of the affordable inline "Valve in head" six wasn't the race to the Moon (where keeping R&D costs to a profitable minimum wasn't a consideration) ..... Chevy didn't have to invent everything and develop all new engineering, tools and facilities, nor were they even resourced to do so. It makes sense (to me, anyway ... ), that while square nuts and slotted screw heads may seem quaint and archaic to *us* (and to ole Hank Ford, apparently), it didn't to *them* -- They danced with the one who brung 'em, technology wise, I suppose.

And OBTW .... just checked my 5 year old Vermont Castings "Encore" -- not a single stove bolt in it ...

Here’s a pic

What is a Vermont castings encore?

Otto,

Vermont Castings "Encore"

EDIT: Back to the original topic...

Funny. I was thinking it was some sort of aftermarket replacement engine or head.

👍

I've also read that the slotted stove bolts were used on the oil pan, valve cover and other sheet metal items due to the fact that it is harder to over tighten them (compared to a hex head), thereby getting a better seal with what was usually a cork gasket.

That’s a very insightful post.

Makes me think about how that same….”why change what works?”……approach to development really persisted as part of GM’s company culture (particularly in the Chevrolet brand) for many decades to follow. Think about how little the small block V8 changed from 1955 into the 1990s? Even things like brake systems have huge cross compatibility across many models and many years.

I have become more closely acquainted with FJord’s view on parts/ product standardization. My son purchased a vintage Mustang recently. Let’s just say Fjord wasn’t afraid to “try new things” from model year to model year. Not that it’s bad…..just very different and has been/still is quite an adjustment for me. Nearly all of my previous experience with old cars/trucks was on the GM side.