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Re: [Healeys] hardtop fasteners - the sequel

To: Mirek Sharp <m.g.sharp@sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] hardtop fasteners - the sequel
From: "E.A. Driver" <edriver@sasktel.net>
Date: Thu, 07 May 2009 21:32:06 -0600
Hi Mirek

If you write, or in your case phone Spaenaur and request their catalogue 
most items that you
may require in the way of fasteners can be found it their catalogue.  It 
is truly a great
reference source.

Kind regards
Ed
Saskatoon
53 BN1  65 Bj8

Mirek Sharp wrote:
> Hey all,
>
> You may recall a few weeks ago I posted a plea for information on 8-36 machine
> screws in stainless, Phillips drive, oval head, for attaching the toggle
> clamps on the front corners of factory hardtops.  I have no idea if the
> specification changed over time, but I have a very original hardtop dated
> 1960, and the threads are definitely 8-36.
>
> Many thanks to all who sent leads, but it turns out these seem to be
> unavailable.  I had one offer from a fastener manufacturer in the UK to make
> them, but it was a minimum 250 quid, and I figured it may be a while before I
> could recoup this, selling 4 screws at a time to those of you out there with a
> hardtop restoration in your future.  Peter Svilans and I checked out a few
> examples and it turns out that the toggle clamps are often fastened with
> self-tapping screws.  I am sure this is not right - who would use a
> self-tapping screw to fasten something to a block of aluminum?  My opinion is
> that when the original 8-36 machine screws loosened and fell out, or were
> removed and lost, owners also found replacements were unobtainable and used
> the self-tappers.  On my top, one side had machine crews and the other had
> self-tapping screws.
>
> I had given up on the 8-36 screws and was over at Peter's discussing a
> solution.  I figured I would try taking the nearest, larger thread I could
> find, and re-thread them with a die.  Peter and I checked through some metric
> sizes and lo and behold discovered that an M4 with a 0.7 pitch is, for all
> intents, an exact match for an 8-36.  Moreover, it is available in Phillips
> drive, oval head and stainless.  So there we have it - I bought 4 and my
> toggle clamps are re-installed - the metric screws went in perfectly.  I am
> sure the thread form is different, but guess what, once installed you can't
> tell - I tried and you really can't see them (and if any concours judge
> reading this ever removes one of these screws with a thread gauge in hand, I
> will break his Phillips drive).  I have no idea how common this particular
> metric machine screw is, but Spaenaur carry them and the part number for a 16
> mm length is 425-008.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Mirek
> 60 BT7
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