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Nuts & Bolts Assortments Available?

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LanceLyon

Jedi Hopeful
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Every nut and bolt that I take off of my project is either partially or totally rusted. I clean everything up with a wire wheel before reassembling, but unless it gets painted I know it is only going to rust again.

What would really be handy is if there is a pre-assembled assortment of nuts, washers, and bolts that you are likely to encounter during a restoration. I hate to keep ordering things through Moss a couple of pieces at a time. There is probably some economy in volume.

Does anyone offer an assortment like this? Alternately, does anyone have a technique for "passifying" little pieces to prevent them from rusting. I am tempted to try soaking some things in "gun bluing" to see if that works. Of course the patina will be all wrong!
 
Most of the fasteners were originally zinc plated and you can have them zinc plated or CAD plated again by a vendor if they are still in decent shape. If you need to buy new fastners you can check with British Tools and Fasteners

https://www.mrcybermall.com/machine_tool_parts/

They also have DIY kits for plating (other sources include Eastwood and Caswell)
https://www.caswellplating.com/

Cheers,
John
 
While not original (most of my posts should begin with that disclaimer)...

Most all of the chassis hardware I replaced with L.9 grade fasteners. The bolt heads and nuts are thicker than original but they are (yellow cadmium plated). I have used L.9 locknuts most everywhere possible.

Components bolted together subjected to shear forces are fastened with airframe "grip length" bolts. The shanks pass through both halfs and there is only enough threaded length for a nut and a couple of shims. I have these on the driveshaft flanges and brake rotor to hub attachment points.

Somewhere, I have a list of the sizes (diameter x length & type) of the fasteners I have used in my application. I'll try to find and post it for future reference.

You'll be "bucks ahead" buying boxes of the sizes you'll frequently use if you purchase them through a machinery supply house (like MSC 800 645 7270; call them for an enormous catalog).

As for the rust solution; mix some light weight motor oil with WD-40 (a bit of a slurry) and keep your cleaned hardware in a can of that. It's a bit sloppy but will easily rinse clean with straight WD-40 when you're ready to use it.

I learned a long time ago not to clean old parts until I was ready to use them. The old grease and grime is good for something.
 
I don't know why, but I have only just found this string. I found it interesting, but Randy Forbes seems off track. This is the British Car Forum, so the chief interest is in BSF, BSW and (for more recent cars) metric threads. As far as I can see, MSC doesn't carry British threads at all, and I am sure I am not the only one in North America needing to obtain British threaded nuts and bolts. At present I know only of https://www.britishtoolsonline.com (who seem very helpful and responsive). Does anyone know other sources?

Ken G, 1925 Rover 16/50 (San Francisco)
 
Ken, 99% of my stuff is the same as Randy's, and uses UNF thread pitch. 1/4x28, etc.
I think the only BSW threads I may run into are on the lever shocks, and perhaps the carburetors.
Of course, none of my cars are older than 1958. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
Jeff
 
Re: Nuts & Bolts Assortments Available?

Bugeye58. It wouldn't be BSW that would present the problem, because for most purposes BSW (Whitworth) and American UNC (Unified coarse) are interchangeable (I know the thread profiles are different but when maximum possible strength is not important, they will fit); as you indicate, coarse threads were only used in special places, for instance, into soft metal such as aluminum. The problem is with BSF (British Standard Fine) which doesn't line up with UNF. I have no idea when British car manufacturers stopped using BSF and changed first to UNF and then to metric. I suppose it depended on the manufacturer and on the degree of American influence. My first car was a Mini (1968); it wasn't metric, but was it UNF? I really don't remember.

Ken G, 1925 Rover 16/50 (San Francisco)
 
Re: Nuts & Bolts Assortments Available?

Since 1908 this thread, in conjunction with BSW (British Standard Whitworth) has been the mainstay of British Engineering, and was used when finer pitches were required.
Many motorcar and motorcycle manufacturers commonly used a lot of BSF threads.
 
Re: Nuts & Bolts Assortments Available?

My 72 GT6 was full of BSF hardware. A few newer bits like the front brakes were metric, and a few fasteners were metric where some ham fisted mechanic had decided if the threads weren't UNC they must be metric. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
 
The messages that preceded and succeeded mine of last July were interesting, but to my surprise nobody anwered my question. Since I cannot believe there is in the US only one mail-order supplier of BSF threaded nuts and bolts, I ask again whether anyone knows of another than https://www.britishtoolsonline.com. I have found one place where I can buy over the counter (they restore old MGs) but it is 50 miles away, so it is expensive for one screw!

Ken G, 1925 Rover 16/50 (San Francisco)
 
Keep in mind, a lot of industrial machinery still uses british fasteners. So try looking in supply houses for heavy machinery. Our local trucking/machinery supply house was able to build me a British Standard fitted fuel line for a 54 Bently with fittings they had IN STOCK! I had the owner back on the road in a couple of hours.
 
Ken I just yesterday picked up complete fastener kits for all four fenders of my TR4a, nuts, bolts, washers, bevelled screws, special clips, all appear zinc or yellow cadmium plated and seperately tagged, bag A for fender to B post etc.
This came from a Toronto supplier but he must have sourced it from one of the big suppliers, or from UK.
I have also bought other common sizes by the dozen, and several dozen nyloc nuts, also a complete kit for mounting the body on the chassis, including spacers, special washers and rubber strips.
Simon. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/canpatriot.GIF
 
As I used to live in Toronto, I know they are well versed in British cars. One of the biggest British Car shows I know of is at Bronte Creek Prov. Park in September. There was well over 500 cars last year. Sorry...a little off topic.
 
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