Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[peppiB]

Richard,

It was the major fastenings supplier not far from my home who quoted me as the stuff being available only in 10m lots. They are usually quite good, and inexpensive, but this time I had them stumped as they don't stock the M3 rod - other sizes yes, M3 no

[Bitumen Boy]

Metric threads seem to be like the old woodscrew gauges - all are available, but the odd numbers aren't commonly used. Look at anywhere that shifts large volumes of threaed parts, they tend to go M6-M8-M10-M12 etc in their catalogues. Perhaps it's because those most common threads are roughly equivalent to the old fractional sizes that many of us still think in?

[peppiB]

Rod didn't arrive so the old grey matter started turning. Clutching at straws, so to speak, I cut the broken bolt on the unthreaded bit. Then taking a couple of inches of a narrow straw (roughly the same diameter as the bolt) I filled it with Araldite and pushed the 2 halves of the bolt in, leaving half a centimetre gap between the pieces (the length of broken thread that was lost.) Fifteen minutes later and I had a solid bolt. Result. Motor reassembled but not tried yet as I am too knackered to lift the batteries back on

[goneps]