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rob1miles

Well-Known Member

• Mar 28, 2020

• #21

Moles for me, vice grips are foriegn and our borders are closed.
Mine have special bits on to remind me how many times I've managed to weld them to the job by mistake.

 

dag019

Well-Known Member

• Mar 28, 2020

• #22

rob1miles said:

Mine have special bits on to remind me how many times I've managed to weld them to the job by mistake.

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I have cheap ones for that but have the same welding scars on them! My good mole grips are only used for rounding off bolts making them truly impossible to remove.

 

Extreedoc

Well-Known Member

• Mar 29, 2020

• #23

bultacobob said:

Thanks for the input, I will get an old Royal Enfield to go with the socket set. Still a bit confused as to what I need to strip down the swivels to the axle and then back up. The sockets may have been sold as Imperial, which I thought was AF. The bolts aren't metric but seem to fit well in the 12 point sockets so will use them.

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You'll be disappointed if you buy a Royal Enfield to go with your AF sockets. Old British bikes were all BSW/BSF not UNF/UNC which is or was, known in the trade as 'AF' (across the flats), "pass me a 1/2" AF", or "pass me a 1/2" Yank", UN being an American standard and was common on most British cars during the sixties until they went Metric in the seventies. There were however some exceptions such as Land Rovers which as has already been stated, tended to a mixture of different standards, presumably until old stocks ran out... Morris 1000s also had BS fittings. Metric spanners are also measured and named for their 'across the flats' dimensions like UN.

 

Last edited: Mar 30, 2020

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rob1miles

Well-Known Member

• Mar 30, 2020

• #24

Harleys are mostly A/F, but then so are Cessnas if you have the licence (I don't)

 

Extreedoc

Well-Known Member

• Mar 30, 2020

• #25

rob1miles said:

Harleys are mostly A/F, but then so are Cessnas if you have the licence (I don't)

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Never was there a better excuse to buy a Harley...

 

Extreedoc

Well-Known Member

• Mar 30, 2020

• #26

Regarding Vice grips v Mole grips. Mine are all Vice grips and a good 40 years old, still going strong. I never got on with Moleys, the gripping surface used to come loose and drop off. Maybe things have got better? I have heard that newer Vice grips aren't as good as they used to be, if so I'm glad I bought mine in the 70s.

 

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rob1miles

Well-Known Member

• Mar 30, 2020

• #27

My Mole Grips have the grips brazed back on, so yes, this was a weak point.