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Author Topic: Spanner sizes/ type  (Read 1283 times)

Offline Devlin

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Spanner sizes/ type
« on: 24.05. 2019 10:34 »
I have been having a look around my A7 as a prelude to having the engine out and I assumed I would be investing in a set of AF tools but not so can anyone guide me in the right direction before I head of to various auto jumbles on a treasure hunt
Devlin
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Isle of Arran 49 A7 LS

Online Rex

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Re: Spanner sizes/ type
« Reply #1 on: 24.05. 2019 10:53 »
AF tools (more correctly, Unified or SAE) won't fit. You need a set of Imperial spanners which are commonly called "Whitworth" and usually marked  "BS" or "BSF".
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Offline Butch (cb)

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Re: Spanner sizes/ type
« Reply #2 on: 24.05. 2019 11:05 »
Yes WW/BSF (and they are the same set) will be the ones that you most use. On mine I have some heads that defy anything in the tool box and I have the aforementioned WW/BSF and Imperial AF and Metric and BA.
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Offline Swarfcut

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Re: Spanner sizes/ type
« Reply #3 on: 24.05. 2019 11:33 »
Devlin  Original threads on your bike will be CEI, Cycle Engineers' Institute for the standard nuts and bolts. Threads into alloy are generally Whitworth. You will find that only rarely does any fastener fit from your existing vast stock of " it will come in useful one day so I'll keep it" stuff. Same with the spanners, as mentioned. Get an accessible original bolt or nut off with an adjustable spanner, take it with you when you go prospecting.

 To identify the engine type, have a look at the bottom of the timing cover. Straight and level, bolt in each corner, it is a Pre '49 Longstroke. Straight, but  with a dimple in the middle of the bottom edge, 3 bolts ( with one retaining bolt in the dimple), a '49 Longstroke.  Standard A7/A10 cover, this is the later engine type.  Early Longstroke engine has a two rocker box set up and four valve inspection caps. Few of the parts for this Longstroke type interchange with the later engine.

Welcome to the forum, post us some nice pix.

 Swarfy.
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Offline morris

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Re: Spanner sizes/ type
« Reply #4 on: 24.05. 2019 11:52 »
The standard set of 4 open ended King Dick spanners will get you a (very) long way
http://www.ar-sheldon.com/acatalog/Open-Ended-Spanner-Sets.html
That plus a set of sockets the same sizes is about all you need to get started
I find the King Dick tools a real pleasure to work with and of outstanding quality.
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Offline RichardL

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Re: Spanner sizes/ type
« Reply #5 on: 24.05. 2019 12:05 »
In life, as an owner of a BSA awaiting any level of restoration, you really need all three major spanner types (at least in the US).  It is almost certain that, on the long road to now, many nuts and bolts not dedicated to threads in the engine, gearbox,  frame or wheels (and maybe even some of those) have been replaced with metric or SAE. I am guilty of it, but not ashamed, because my A10 was never going to make a rivet counter happy (mad?)

Richard L.
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