Imperial Sockets & Spanner Sizes

[NickRobinson]

nothing to beat a good selection of adjustable spanners like those below but note that some are left handed, some are metric and a least two are Imperial AF. The one extreme right is of course Whitworth

Don't tell the Gaffer you're rounding his nuts! In Spanish adjustables are called Llaves Inglesas (English Keys...)

 

[VicS]

without looking at the picture URL anyone know what special boaty use this 85° 5/16 BSF/ 1/4" Whitworth spanner has.

 

[DickieT]

Seagull?

 

[rotrax]

without looking at the picture URL anyone know what special boaty use this 85° 5/16 BSF/ 1/4" Whitworth spanner has.

It is just a handy spanner.

I could use one like that now and again on some of the antique motorbikes I mess about with-behind the primary chaincase on single cylinder Triumphs for example.

If there are 1/4 whitworth fastners on your boat it might come in handy.

Otherwise it is close in size to a 14mm.

 

[ffiill]

nothing to beat a good selection of adjustable spanners like those below but note that some are left handed, some are metric and a least two are Imperial AF. The one extreme right is of course Whitworth]

My dad a RAF trained mechanic always told me to use the right spanner for the right job.
Adjustables can be alright if precision made-I have several USAF ones my dad borrowed during the war but ones with sloppy jaws can at best be useless.

 

[VicS]

Seagull?

That's right. It's needed for one of the drive shaft tube to crankcase retaining nuts.

 

[DickieT]

Remembered it was something to do with the crankcase, but since my Seagull hibernating for the winter in it's attic nest I was not sure. Part of my Seagull collection, but never had to use it - yet !

 

[rotrax]

That sorts that then-the nut I would use it for on a pre-war single cylinder Triumph motorcycle is a crankcase nut.

I note it is a King Dick spanner.

Made pre first war in Abingdon by the AKD Motorcycle co. AKD-Abingdon King Dick. Manufacture of spanners continued up to the seventies IIRC, but not in Abingdon.

I was apprenticed with S.G. Smith Motors in London 1963 to 1968. They owned Guys Handtools-I still have one of their excellent " Guyloid " screwdrivers I bought on the drip during that time, plus some whitworth " Bedford " spanners.

Nice tools are a joy.........................

 

[TQA]

Well I won't be getting rid of my imperial stuff any time soon. I need them when fettling my Perkins 154 even though it is a Japanese made one.

 

[mil1194]

My first boat which was a nightmare and an absolute moneypit vs enjoyment had twin Volvo B20's. When taking them apart to resolve cooling/head gasket issues you needed all sorts of different sizes of spanners/sockets. After the 2nd attempt (on each engine!) then all nuts/bolts etc were replaced with the same size so that it would be easier the third time - which of course was never needed! When travelling as 2nd IC from Neyland to Bristol on a friends Princess 32 (which took 5days...) I of course brought the largest toolbox possible to include all possible tools/diagnostics and not one was needed.....(just as well really!)

 

[Spi D]

I've had surprisingly good help from a 'multi' socket set.

Comes in two sets for 1/2" or 3/8" drive, 10 year warranty and pretty inexpensive:

1/2" drive, 10 sockets, £13:

10 mm, 3/8", E12
11 mm, 7/16", E14
12 mm, 15/32"
13 mm, 1/2", E16
14 mm, 9/16", E18
15 mm, 19/32"
17 mm, 21/32"
19 mm, 3/4", E24
22 mm, 7/8", E28
24 mm, 15/16", E30

3/8" drive, 8 sockets, £8:

8 mm, 5/16", E10
10 mm, 3/8", E12
12 mm, 15/32"
13 mm, 1/2", E16
14 mm, 9/16", E18
16 mm, 5/8", E20
17 mm, 21/32"
19 mm, 3/4", E24

 

[GrahamM376]

In my experience Yanmar engine bolts are made of cheese and torqued up in the factory by a team of gorillas, so the likelihood of rounding a head is fairly high, so you need something to tackle those situations:

Impact driver single hex sockets are best, I tend to use them as standard these days.