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Triumph TR6 - What is the deal with Whitworth wrenches?

Are the Whitworth wrenches really necessary to avoid messing up bolt heads? So far, my american ones seem to be doing okay on the few little things I have done.
JohnB

Here's a link to the best essay I've read on Whitworth Bolts etc.

http://www.team.net/sol/tech/whitworth-hist.html

Charlie
EC Smith

Most post-WW II British designs use unified standard hardware (thank you Lend Lease Program and export or die British government post war policies!) until the British went metric. In the case of your car, this means it is interchangable with SAE standard hardware. There are always some exceptions however. There was production change for the front calipers where they went metric, the inlet pipe was changed to metric thread and the holes in the mounting ears went to a metric size. It also changed the pad pin retainer size. How did Triumph deal with this? They used a metric on one end, unified on the other hard line to the caliper, used the same thereaded bolt with with a slightly larger shank diameter to mount the caliper and used different pads. Who knows, there may actually be something Whitworth on these cars, but I haven't run across it yet.

I believe that all replacement brake servos these days are metric threaded and my local Moss purveyor of British car parts says that the TR6 motor mounts he gets sometimes have metric studs instead of unified. For the most part, your good old everyday, old fashioned inch size knucklebusters will do the trick.
SteveP

AND, when you get the oddball (sorry) Whitworth that is just being a pain, you'll find that a 12 point will often make things more manageable.

Don't ask me how I know.

Jim
Jim Deatsch

Had my 74 completely apart and did not find a single fastener that American wrenches did not fit. Did'nt know about the threads though, assumed they were weird so just kept everything together or replaced as sets.
Peter 74 6
Peter Gooch

Hi All
There are no Whitworth bolts on the TR6, they are all UNF/UNC apart from the previous mentioned metric anomalies.
You need a set of AF spanners & sockets
Ron
R. Algie

John
After doing a full body off restore on my '71, I can tell you there is only one place that is metric and in the case of a '71 should not have been metric. It is, as mentioned above, the front brake calipers. I sent my imperial threaded calipers in for rebuild to a place that we refer to as "Crapy Tire" up here and received back the metric ones (exchange program???). I had to replace the short metal brake line.
Point of this story is, if you get your calipers rebuilt ( and you could very well be ready) then make sure you get back the set you give to the rebuilder.
Rick C
PS Ron as a side note to your post, I found that 99% ( the 1% for brain error) of the threads where/are UNF. (Front fender mounts excluded).
Rick Crawford

Hi Rick
Come to think of it the rear wing bolts on mine were these strange self tappers as well
Ron
R. Algie

...and the bolts that hold the steering wheel spokes to the steering wheel center hub are the only UNC bolts that I can think of right off hand.
SteveP

several gearbox casing bolts as well
R. Algie

This thread was discussed between 03/09/2003 and 05/09/2003

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