Jim:
Grade 5 would probably work just fine. Personally, I would use
Grade 8, available at my local hardware store.
Don't be too hard on Moss. They have to buy them from Fastenal,
just like you do, then bag them up in small quantities, list them in
their catalog, pay taxes on them, pay someone to bag them, etc. I just
don't bother if it is something I can pick up at the hardware store
though.
Now, if we want to get into rants, I bought head stud WASHERS
from Vicky Brit, and they sent me SAE washers. Just one little problem;
I ordered them from Vicky Brit in the first place because SAE washers
don't fit (too large). So I paid through the nose for parts that don't
fit. Grrr! The head stud washers are really shims, and have a very small
outside diameter, barely larger than the stud nuts. If you try to use
SAE flat washers, you don't have clearance between the stud and the
rocker arm pedestals.
After being completely frustrated by this, I finally rummaged
around and discovered that machinist shims are available in a size that
will work, and are stocked at my local hardware store. So I make darn
sure that nuts, bolts, washers, etc are not available locally before
ordering from the big 3, then I pray that they fit before they arrive.
I used grade 8 bolts for my main bearing caps, stainless bolts
in a few places where I was concerned about rust (water pump bolts) etc.
Much nicer and cheaper to pick them up locally.
I feel your pain,
Vance
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-6pack@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-6pack@autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of Jim Davis
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 5:02 PM
To: 6 List; Triumph list
Cc: TRFMAIL@AOL.COM; parts@mossmotors.com
Subject: TR6 head stud nuts TRF & Moss rant
Anyone know of a source of quality or NOS TR6 head stud nuts? Are grade
5 nuts acceptable for this application?
I bought some from TRF & Moss and they both sent grade 5 nuts that were
IDENTICAL, right down to the manufacturer's marks to the nuts I found at
Fastenal. The only difference was I was able to purchase 100 at Fastenal
($8.94) for only slightly more than the SHIPPING costs for 14 from Moss
@ $1.20 ea. or TRF @ $1.10 ea. Now I'm all for TR suppliers making a
reasonable profit, maybe even an unreasonable profit on specialty items
like quality head stud nuts, but passing hardware store nuts off as
quality engine components and charging outrageously for them is just
wrong to me.
Jim Davis
Fortson, GA
CF38690UO
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