Linda,
What year roadster?
The '63-67 model are all SAE FINE THREAD (USA thread)
The '67.5 models are UNIQUE METRIC when it comes to small
4mm and 5mm screws on the carbs & alternators. From what
I have learned Hitachi used a FRENCH standard for those
small screw threads. Near impossible to find now (yes,
I even looked in France - it seems not ALL french OEMs
used the same metric threading standard).
The '68-'70 models are ISO Metric. On the small screws there
is a small dimple on the screw head to note "ISO" (International
Standards Organization. Those screws are much easier to find.
Odd thing about odd threads, most of the US standards really didn't
come into play until WW2. Up until that time every company used
their own threading standards. It was the AN (Army Navy) that started
to realize that was insane, as a 1/4" bolt could have something like
14 different threading to it!!! So they put their foot down, and
starting specifying you could basically use only one of THREE different
threads... which later went to "fine or course" thread. So a 1/4" bolt
would either have 20 tpi threading or 28 tpi threading. Made life much
easier for those service folks to keep everything going on the field.
Meanwhile, the ISO standards could never really agree on things.
So the German ISO group liked 13mm and 15mm bolt heads on 8 & 10 mm
bolts. While in Japan, they felt the 12 and 14mm bolt heads were
better suited for their use.
Threading standards are like the old joke of a perfect world:
English are the police, Germans the mechanics, and French the
cooks. In reality we get German police, French mechanics, and
English cooks!
Cheers,
Tom Walter
Austin, TX
L Jordan wrote:
> List,
> Losing a screw in the garage has never caused more trouble: specifically
> the long screws holding the stock alternator together, two got lost.
> Anyone have some to sell? They are 5mm x0.75mm according to the parts
> list. Checked at hardware,auto, Nissan and no luck. I did find a site
> called Maryland Metric mdmetric.com
> which seems to have everything, but thought I'd try the list first.
> Thanks
> Linda
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