Path: utzoo!utgpu!alliant.com!UUCP Reply-To: british-cars@alliant.com Errors-To: british-cars-request@alliant.com Sender: british-cars-request@alliant.com Return-Path: From: phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov (Philip J Ethier) Message-ID: <9002281414.AA15272@pwcs.StPaul.GOV> Subject: Re: British Cars going Metric? To: british-cars@alliant.com Date: Wed, 28 Feb 90 08:14:40 EST References: <9002272043.AA06289@m2ejd>; from "iris.brown.edu!ejd" at Feb 27, 90 3:43 pm X-Mailer: Elm [version 2.1 PL1] Newsgroups: list.british-cars Distribution: ut Approved: devnull@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu > > > Larry Gillam writes: > I was visiting my local parts house for some stuff for my > '72 TR6 and was again explaining....No, my English car does > NOT have any metric fastners. This has happened several > times and I'd like to clear this up with some facts concerning > SAE vs. METRIC as it relates to the British automotive industry. > > > Any comments? > >>end citation<< > > Next time, just go on in there and keep muttering 'Whitworth' over and over > again. This will at least cause them to remember that your car isn't metric. > > But seriouly, it isn't really SAE either, is it? Anybody have a short disourse > about fasteners? > > I know someone must. After all, this is a *British* car group, and the Britissh > > about esoterica. > > ed (sorry for the garbled text. bloody Macintosh) > OK, I think I got it: SAE are fine threads the same as NF (National Fine in USA) and UF (Unified Fine in UK). Coarse threads are NC in USA and UC in the United Kingdom. I believe UF and SAE and NF are interchangable and that UC and NC are interchangable. Whitworth is not related to any of the above. The good news is that I don't think I have seen much Whitworth. In my previous incarnation as a SAAB two-stroke and V4 freak, I was exposed to a lot of metric and inch threads on the same car. Example of inch standards: 1/4 NC = 1/4 UC = 1/4-20 1/4 NF = 1/4 UF = 1/4-24 = 1/4 SAE I don't have my copy of Machinery's Handbook (the machinist's bible) here, so if I have erred, let me know. -- Login name: phile In real life: Philip J Ethier Phone: 298-5324