Subject: [Mg-t] What's a Whit worth?

From: Scott Fisher <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 May 2013 21:06:55 -0700 (PDT)

Now that I'm back in the loving arms of the Sacred Octagon, I need something
more than the metric wrenches and sockets that have stood me in good stead
with the cars I've been working on since my last MGB went to its new owner
some 15 years ago.

I seem to recall that most of the work I did on the MGB
required 7/16", 1/2", and 9/16" wrenches, with a few odds and ends larger and
smaller. So of course, I'm planning to buy two each of those, in combination
and gear wrenches, as well as an assortment of sockets. 

But then there's
the Whitworth question. I never required Whitworth wrenches for the B or
Midget, but I'm wondering how much of the TD's hardware is held on with
something the SAE stuff won't fit. 

Moss sells a couple of Whitworth tool
packages. Have any of you purchased them, and how critical/useful have they
been? Or was the TD's connection with the "modern" Y-type chassis enough to
make the Whitworth tools a historical oddity? I really don't know.

Would love
any and all advice, including a Whitworth to SAE (or metric) conversion chart
on line -- c'mon, there HAS to be one, right?

Best,

--Scott Fisher
  1951 TD
  Tualatin, Oregon
______________________________________________

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Archive: http://www.team.net/archive

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From: Charles Hill <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 26 May 2013 23:59:27 -0500

Scott,
You are in for quite an education.

Almost everything on the TD should be British Standard Fine (BSF).  A 
lot of people call them Whitworth but Whitworth is a coarse thread while 
BSF is of course a fine thread.  The use the same set of wrenches but 
usually the BSF wrench is one size smaller than the Whitworth for the 
corresponding size bolt.  For example, a 1/4 Whitworth and a 5/16 BSF 
use the same size wrench as the wrenches are marked according to the 
size of the bolt, not the size of the bolt head.  To confuse you even 
more, the XPAG engine in the TD is a metric engine.  All the fasteners 
are metric - mostly 8 or 10mm but the heads are machined to fit British 
wrenches.

Here is the chart you are looking for: 
http://www.britishfasteners.com/images/nuts_bolts_key.pdf

British Fasteners also has a good selection of British tools and 
fasteners at reasonable prices and very good service.

Charles Hill

[email-masked]

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From: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 May 2013 11:51:29 GMT

Scott,
   To add to Charles Hill's notes:
    Don't try to use a mix of US and Metric wrenches. Yes, it can be done, but
the mess made of nuts and bolts will not offset the cost of the few wrenches
needed. A basic set of Whitworth 3/8 dive sockets and combination wrenches
will handle almost anything in the car except instruments and some electrical
component internals, which are BA.
   If your wheel nuts have a notch at the corner of each flat, they are
Unified size, which fits US wrenches, but earlier cars had Whitworth sizes.
   Last time I saw their catalogue, British Tool had a moderately priced line
of tools, Everest brand. King Dick brand is their premium line and is priced
like Snap On.  TD fasteners don't seem to be as strong as US grade 5, so avoid
yanking and cranking on them as might be done with newer fasteners.
Bob

---------- Original Message ----------
From: Scott Fisher <[email-masked]>
To: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Subject: [Mg-t] What's a Whit worth?
Date: Sun, 26 May 2013 21:06:55 -0700 (PDT)

But then there's

Would love

Best,

--Scott Fisher
  1951 TD
  Tualatin, Oregon

[email-masked]

[email-masked]

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From: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 28 May 2013 17:04:41 GMT

No, not a tractor engine at all. When developed, it was thought quite modern
and efficient, though it still had the long stroke/bore relationship that
resulted from the formula for calculating taxable horsepower. 10.97, if
someone asks you.
   Mr Morris bought, after the War, a factory set up by a French manufacturer
in the UK, when it was feared that his factories would be overrun by the
Huns.
   It would be interesting to have a cost accountant work out if using the
French tooling resulted in savings over the years.
Bob

---------- Original Message ----------
From: "Gable, Gerry" <[email-masked]>
To: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]"
<[email-masked]>
Cc: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Subject: RE: [Mg-t] What's a Whit worth?
Date: Tue, 28 May 2013 16:40:36 +0000

Please correct me in I am wrong, but my recollection is that the engine is a
tractor engine out of France and therefor is metric.
Thanks
Gerry

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]] On
Behalf Of [email-masked]
Sent: Monday, May 27, 2013 7:51 AM
To: [email-masked]
Cc: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: [Mg-t] What's a Whit worth?

Scott,

---------- Original Message ----------
From: Scott Fisher <[email-masked]>
To: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Subject: [Mg-t] What's a Whit worth?
Date: Sun, 26 May 2013 21:06:55 -0700 (PDT)

I seem to recall that most of the work I did on the MGB required 7/16", 1/2",
and 9/16" wrenches, with a few odds and ends larger and smaller. So of course,
I'm planning to buy two each of those, in combination and gear wrenches, as
well as an assortment of sockets.

But then there's

Would love

Best,

--Scott Fisher
  1951 TD
  Tualatin, Oregon

[email-masked]

[email-masked]

[email-masked]