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

[mgbob at juno.com]

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 <sfisher71 at yahoo.com>
To: "mg-t at autox.team.net" <mg-t at autox.team.net>
Subject: [Mg-t] What's a Whit worth?
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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