Same here!

And if you peruse enough threads in this forum, you'll find that the majority of the members do the same when explaining a procedure involving bolt removal...mostly because we are primarily concerned with removing and reinstalling fasteners in order to repair an offending part...not replacement of the fasteners themselves.

Egad
 

The Jaguar that I completed today has thirty two 14mm bolts, with three thread pitches, fine, coarse and machine thread.
Some cars have more some have less.

This is why I have so blasted many tools, designers and engineers stick fasteners in some of the strangest places, and then expect a mechanic to do the impossible to fix it.

Because
 

The mechanic fixing your car does not want to spend $23,000.00
USD, just to buy the same tools again with a metric shank.
You may not be aware:
There are fewer automotive mechanics every year because.
#1. Rotten pay.
#2. Filthy dangerous job.
#3. Tool cost.
#4. Steep learning curve and training cost.
#5. Can make more money elsewhere.
#6. Beginners get the rotten jobs.

So...whunter....

1. You don't know what a smiley face and wink is ;-)

I'll forget about the 3/8" & 1/2" drives and just stick with my 9.525 and 12.7 mm metric drives then.


2. Sounds like you hate your profession too.

Anyway, you missed the humor and I hope you have a nice weekend.

Oops, yep, missed the humor.
 

I love my profession; but I know it in has bad warts.
You have a wonderful easter weekend.

whunter

So does the 13mm have a larger X between the 13mm and the 8 because it is used more often on mercedes than a 10mm or 14mm? (Check your earlier post)

10mm x 8 x 1.25
13mm X 8 x 1.25
14mm x 8 x 1.25

Sorry, couldn't resist! Just stirring it up.

Haasman

Posted by manny:

Just a little nit-picking.
Seems like everytime somebody refers to a bolt, they call it 10 mm, 14 mm, 17 mm,... whatever.
What they actually MEAN is the size of the bolthead.
I believe the only people dealing in these " Industrial - strength " bolts, are heavy equipment mechanics.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey manny, looks like you forgot to take your meds :eek: . Your mood is "out of wack" :p

Just kidding..... :D

Well, our '83 Chevy m'home has the best of both! Most of the drivetrain fasteners are metric, most chassis ones are SAE, and the coach body is all SAE. I carry complete sets of both enroute.

Steve

The US gov't DID pass legislation to go all metric... thus the '83 Chevy (& others) w/ mixed fasteners.

Then, they chickened out. Idiots.

remember to use the same hardness bolt when replacing a fastener!!

I like the sae system of slashes rather than
printed numbers.

PMS !!!!
Poor mechanics syndrome. :D

I'll forget about the 3/8" & 1/2" drives and just stick with my 9.525 and 12.7 mm metric drives then.

Drives..?? I prefer the word "Spanner".

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm,, Was it Shakespear who said "much adoo about nothing"?

whunter, I know your pain -
 

I have a set of metric, a set of imperial (U.S. for those lurking who haven't heard the term) and a set of Whitworth. I'm stuck with the whitworth because the Austin-Healey 4-cylinder engine and a few suspension parts used those fasteners. In spite of that, I use metric to adjust the A-H valves and there is one metric bolt on the front of the muffler (sigh). I still have to watch for Whitworth versus British Standard Fine. (My open-end wrenches have both stamped on them.)

Obviously, the Tacoma and both MBs use metric.

Having to do a lot of engineering work in metric in my past life, I am one of those who wished the whole world was metric. Moving decimal places is a lot easier than inches, feet, yards, furlongs and miles....


my $.02,

Wes

Wes: it will come.....eventually all countries will be on the metric system.
There are only three 3rd world countries to convince.
Liberia, Burma....and the United States who are the the only countries that have not adopted the metric system yet.