SAE Wrenches - Where Used?
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BQuicksilver
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It's not a $$ thing, just a toolbox room issue. I'd prefer to fill my box with tools I use.
There isn't an SAE I'm confusing with metric...hehe. Of course if it was a size that both fit it really wouldn't justify buying SAE anyway, right?
GM doesn't mix and match SAE and Metric like that. Certainly not on anything since 2000. Only SAE item on the car is a 5/8" spark plug...which of course you wouldn't use a combo wrench on.
There isn't an SAE I'm confusing with metric...hehe. Of course if it was a size that both fit it really wouldn't justify buying SAE anyway, right?
GM doesn't mix and match SAE and Metric like that. Certainly not on anything since 2000. Only SAE item on the car is a 5/8" spark plug...which of course you wouldn't use a combo wrench on.
Hmmm, the last few things I used my SAE wrenches on were air couplings, garage door hardware and a trailer hitch ball.
I'm too old to conceive of not needing SAE wrenches as almost everything I wrench on is older, from the vintage cars to the back up air compressor I fixed up last winter. That compressor used about every SAE wrench I own!
I'm too old to conceive of not needing SAE wrenches as almost everything I wrench on is older, from the vintage cars to the back up air compressor I fixed up last winter. That compressor used about every SAE wrench I own!
MrMark
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It's not a $$ thing, just a toolbox room issue. I'd prefer to fill my box with tools I use.
There isn't an SAE I'm confusing with metric...hehe. Of course if it was a size that both fit it really wouldn't justify buying SAE anyway, right?
GM doesn't mix and match SAE and Metric like that. Certainly not on anything since 2000. Only SAE item on the car is a 5/8" spark plug...which of course you wouldn't use a combo wrench on.
GM absolutely does mix and match like that and did at least through 2002 on my car, I know that for a fact. What I don't know for a fact is how long they continued after 2002. The two closest sizes don't both really fit unless you are happy with sloppy fits. If you are happy with sloppy fits then just use metric on SAE fasteners. Suit yourself. Many do it, I just won't.
It all seems rather foolish to be worried about saving the space of a set of SAE wrenches in a tool box when so many things - even if you have a german car - are SAE.
RbrtAWhyt
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Harley-Davidson motorcyles and Polaris products. I also hear that the aviation industry is pretty much all SAE. Perhaps one of the A&E techs can chime in on that...
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NY Old Guy
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On my 1970 Triumph motorcycle there are lots of SAE nuts and bolts, 5/16 all the way up 1 & 5/16. It also has Whitworth and British Standard nuts and bolts. I've bought angle wrenches, offset box end, combination, flex head combination, stubby combination, open end, socket sets, and now I'm thinking about getting flare nuts. All in SAE. Now I have to start in on Whitworth but I do have a combination set in Whitworth. I have almost nothing in metric, just some combination wrenches and sockets. So then I have to start in on metric. And I can't help but buy quality made in the USA hardware, so it's seeming to add up to mucho dineros. This whole tool buying mania is becoming a bit of an expensive addiction. Is there a tool buyers anomymous self help network or something?
My 1973 Onan Diesel Generator is SAE, as is the lawnmower. Odds are, my next job will require SAE tools as well. My truck (Ford Ranger) and the Saturn are both metric. So I have both sizes handy. At work, our refueling trucks and their associated pipe fittings are SAE.
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BQuicksilver
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Aviation is SAE. I'm building a plane with my father. Of course that project is at his place with a different tool set.
MrMark, yes I agree a sloppy fit isn't good. Hence why I'm certain I'm using the correct (metric) tools.
What year were your 3 corvettes? Older than 1997 I assume. I didn't work on my C4 enough to speak to that car, but I'm really speaking about newer US cars anyways.
MrMark, yes I agree a sloppy fit isn't good. Hence why I'm certain I'm using the correct (metric) tools.
What year were your 3 corvettes? Older than 1997 I assume. I didn't work on my C4 enough to speak to that car, but I'm really speaking about newer US cars anyways.
That's got to be tough to do in Whitworth
I thought this was it? Or did you want somewhere that helps you <i>not</i> buy more tools???
Anyhow, on the debate... I was surprised to find the chair I put together a few days ago used metric, but even now there's still plenty of it that uses SAE. I expect we are reaching the point acceptance of metric is reaching a tipping point where we'll see it across a wider cross-section of industry, but I can't imagine not having a set of both, even if just for household use.
A 7/16" or 3/4" might be virtually identical (within a few thou) of 11mm or 19mm, and I wouldn't have any issues with substituting, but I find it's easier to have both so you don't have to jump between sets for the right tool. If it's loose fit you might get away with substituting metric/SAE, but it's probably not a good idea...
SAE is going by the wayside. Even tractors and farm machinery are converting to metric. But...I have a couple older tractors, almost as old as I am (stop laughing) and I gotta have SAE for that stuff. Now that I think about it, I have a LOT of old ****! Wait..."vintage". 
Oh? See my earlier post regarding my 2002 Chev Astro.
2000-something Dodge Dakota: No SAE fasteners at all
E30-era BMW 3-series: No SAE fasteners at all
GC/GD/GR-era Subaru Impreza: No SAE fasteners at all
Those are just the cars I've had to take apart enough to be completely sure that there's no SAE fasteners in them.
I inherited a set of SAE tools from my grandfather when he passed. The first time I had to use them was to put together some stuff from Harbor Freight
granitestater
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I have a 2004 Husqvarna tractor and 2003 Husqvarna snowblower. Both were made in North Carolina even though the name is Sweedish. Both are ALL SAE fasteners. I need 1/2 inch drive to replace the blades on the mower deck they are torqued to I think 70 foot pounds. My friend's International dump truck (about 1990 cant remember exact year) is SAE as well.
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BQuicksilver
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You found 4 bolts. I'm referring more to the suggestion by mrmark that you have to check every bolt b/c you don't know what to expect. I'm not refuting that you may find an odd SAE bolt (though I've never once ran into one on a newer us car).
******* matches aside, this thread has been good to understand where an SAE set is useful. I'll admit I'm still not convinced an SAE wrench set is important for modern auto work based upon a rare SAE fastener finding. (assuming you have a small SAE socket assortment)
Radio Flyer
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technology in fire sevice has not really changed that much over the years, neither has the fasteners. I use 90% SAE all day. My metrics have dust. If I need to buy a SAE wrench from the tool truck, I need to order it. They stock no SAE on the truck.
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BQuicksilver
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Seems like SAE is still quite common outside the auto industry.
It sure would make our lives simpler to deal with one system..of course torx/allen/square/triple square don't seem to be going anywhere either.
It sure would make our lives simpler to deal with one system..of course torx/allen/square/triple square don't seem to be going anywhere either.
I'm curious, now, if this is true in countries that have adopted the metric system overall. Are, say, Spanish tractors all in SAE? Are Hungarian diswashers SAE?
abstamaria
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BQuicksilver, if you have never found a use for them and will always be working with new cars, then you don't need SAE (inch) wrenches and sockets.
If you have to work on an older American or English car, or, if by chance you are able to buy a genuine GT40 (my dream car, but at a $1M+, it will remain a dream), you will need them. Apparently also if you work on aircraft, maybe space vehicles also, which leads me to my query:
Are all AN fasteners SAE (inches)? If the racing industry still uses these "super" bolts, screws, and nuts, then are SAE wrenches then still much in use in racing? I note the racing parts store Pegasus sells these high-strength, fine-tolerance fasteners only in SAE.
I actually wish everyone agreed to use one standard from Day 1, and in that regard metric has a lot going for it (no fractions, for one). However, they didn't, so, since I work on old English and European cars, I have to have both SAE and metric tools, And since I have a 1948 MG TC also, I have to have Whitworth as well!
If you have to work on an older American or English car, or, if by chance you are able to buy a genuine GT40 (my dream car, but at a $1M+, it will remain a dream), you will need them. Apparently also if you work on aircraft, maybe space vehicles also, which leads me to my query:
Are all AN fasteners SAE (inches)? If the racing industry still uses these "super" bolts, screws, and nuts, then are SAE wrenches then still much in use in racing? I note the racing parts store Pegasus sells these high-strength, fine-tolerance fasteners only in SAE.
I actually wish everyone agreed to use one standard from Day 1, and in that regard metric has a lot going for it (no fractions, for one). However, they didn't, so, since I work on old English and European cars, I have to have both SAE and metric tools, And since I have a 1948 MG TC also, I have to have Whitworth as well!
Yes, they still mix metric and S.A.E. bolts.
GM and other American car companies use metric on all new bolt applications. However, they still use S.A.E. bolts on components that have not been updated since the 1990s (usually in the drive-train). For example, the latest LS engines (LS3 and LS7) still have a few S.A.E. bolts.
EDIT: BTW, every Corvette has some S.A.E. bolts including the C6.
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crewchief888
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every AN fitting ive ever removed is sae, along with their JIC counterparts.
some of the larger sizes of hyd fitting and hoses get into a non-traditional sizes, 1 3/16" and 1 5/16" wrench sizes come to mind.
i have seen some european & japanese hyd fittings that are metric, european and japanese fuel line fittings are metric.
seems like US hose & fitting manufacturers have in the past few years been increasing wrench sizes on a lot of their fittings.
sizes that were traditionally 11/16", 7/8" or 1" are now 3/4", 15/16", and 1 1/16" respectively.
afazz
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Most of the high quality fasteners and plumbing in the racing industry are derived from US Military or aviation standards, both of which are entirely SAE. Some of the things are being made in metric sizes, but generally these are just standard aircraft parts that the racing industry has adopted. I think all AN fittings are SAE-only, I've never seen any different.
I use SAE all the time. Plumbing, AN/JIC/SAE fittings, english brake lines, adjusting machine tools, aerospace fasteners. Sometimes I use SAE when working on metric stuff if I need a wrench slightly looser or tighter than the metric size. For example, if I'm working on a rusty 16mm bolt I'll use a 5/8" (.005" smaller) for tighter fit. Not every time, but sometimes you need to find the best fit.
Simplespeed
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Used a 3/8 line wrench on some 98 ford caliper bleeder screws a couple days ago.
Wrenches of Death
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I was wrenching at a Pontiac/GMC dealership in the late 1970's when I discovered metric fasteners on US built automobiles. I still have the four different Snap-on metric socket sets I bought at the time. Shallow and deep 1/4" and 3/8". They were a hell of a lot cheaper then than they are now.
GM started sneaking metric in maybe 1978 or so. The first ones I remember were for fender, grill, hood, etc. attachments. I don't remember the name of the exact style of bolts but they were very pointy on the end with threads all the way to the tip of the point. These made them very easy to start. Ususally they were coated with a green or blue finish to identify them as metric.
Torx has been around for a very long time with GM too. Door strikers first, followed by seatbelt anchor bolts.
I think that it was Nixon the signed the "Metric Act".
WoD
MrMark
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Fisher body started using metric in 1977. So you are right on there. The bodies were metric but the engines and drivelines remained SAE, and some SAE remains on driveline components to this day as posted above. Body metric, engine SAE, is the way I always remembered it.
still need SAE imo
Back in the day, 25 years ago, My vehicles were exclusively SAE but I still kept metric socket and wrench sets stashed away just in case. Every few months they would get used. Either in the house, a friends car, installing an aftermarket accessory, whatever. Wasting time by not having the right tool or ruining a fastener with pliers is not worth the aggravation.
Back in the day, 25 years ago, My vehicles were exclusively SAE but I still kept metric socket and wrench sets stashed away just in case. Every few months they would get used. Either in the house, a friends car, installing an aftermarket accessory, whatever. Wasting time by not having the right tool or ruining a fastener with pliers is not worth the aggravation.
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BQuicksilver
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abstamaria
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BQuicksilver, frankly, I don't think you need SAE wrenches. You've never needed them and, as you're not into vintage automobiles, will most likely never need them. And, when you do, you can just buy a set of wrenches and sockets.
SlimChance
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I'm a mechanic at a real big plant. I only use SAE. I don't even have a metric set at work.
Don't understand me too fast, BQ. No ******* match intended. I was surprised to find any non-MM fasteners on the vehicle. Did the same job on my '04 Sierra a year or so ago and the same four bolts were 15mm. That's what I expected to find on the '02 van. Everything I had to move to get at the water pump was MM.
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4x4gearhead
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I think its funny how hard it was for me to find a 9/32 and 11/32 combination wrenches when I had a once and awhile need for them couple years ago.
Name one in an LS engine. Heck, name one OEM bolt in a C6 that is SAE. Back up those claims since there are supposedly a few...
Id be happy to eat my words, but I sure cant think of one. Rod Bolts are M9.
After reading all of your comments, why should I bother to post the information? Just keep believing what you "know" to be fact and be happy.
DARKSCOPE001
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im sure it has been talked about and coverd before I could get here but on aircraft of course. I thought it was kinda cool I only had to buy one half of the tools the auto guys did. All aircraft (as far as I know of) are 100% sae
Thanks
Sean Scott
Thanks
Sean Scott
Chris_PT
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I use SAE wrenches on all my -AN fittings on my car. Aftermarket, of course.
plinker
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At work I use my inch tools 90% of the time.
The Mack trucks ('10 model included) are about 50/50 plus some 12pt bolts, trailers are inch, loaders are also inch along with the hydro hoses & clamps, ete....
The only metric stuff is on the Dodge work trucks & Case skid-steer (maybe some of the newer John Deere equipment too, not sure).
The logging equip. (Ponsse), is a differnt story. All metric w/ British pipe threads on the hydro lines. Thats not my department though.
Even at home I dont use metric tools on much of anything other then vehicles. Everything else is inch pattern. It aint going anywhere for a while.
The Mack trucks ('10 model included) are about 50/50 plus some 12pt bolts, trailers are inch, loaders are also inch along with the hydro hoses & clamps, ete....
The only metric stuff is on the Dodge work trucks & Case skid-steer (maybe some of the newer John Deere equipment too, not sure).
The logging equip. (Ponsse), is a differnt story. All metric w/ British pipe threads on the hydro lines. Thats not my department though.
Even at home I dont use metric tools on much of anything other then vehicles. Everything else is inch pattern. It aint going anywhere for a while.
nissan_crawler
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I can claim 4. Fasteners, not planes. a 6mm allen bolt on some hyd pumps, and a 10/13/15mm on an old r12 air conditioning setup. Why they would do that, god only knows.
An excellent point that I was going to bring up.
Every one that I know of, uses SAE.
kc-steve
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It's not a $$ thing, just a toolbox room issue. I'd prefer to fill my box with tools I use.
There isn't an SAE I'm confusing with metric...hehe. Of course if it was a size that both fit it really wouldn't justify buying SAE anyway, right?
GM doesn't mix and match SAE and Metric like that. Certainly not on anything since 2000. Only SAE item on the car is a 5/8" spark plug...which of course you wouldn't use a combo wrench on.
Actually, I think $$$'s does have SOMETHING to do with SAE still being around. Most of the guys have been talking about cars, but when I go to the hardware store to buy nuts and bolts to build something at home, the SAE stuff is much cheaper than metric. Expanding on that point, I doubt manufacturers will turn away from SAE because of possible cost reductions.
And yes, I think my 2002 Buick does mix SAE and metric. But I could be wrong.
Steve