Morris Minor Owners Club

Simple, and probably silly, question, but does anyone know the size of the bolts that hang the doors onto the pillars? I'm having one heck of a job getting them removed, and having the correct sized spanniard would undoubtedly help. (My metric sockets which I can usually wangle onto most things, wont touch them and all my other motley colection of non-metric spanniards aren't the correct size either).

If they won't shift with a spaniard, anyone had any luck with those gimos that have kind of reverse teeth in them that bite into the head of rounded bolts?

Thanks in anticipation.
Dave

They measure up at 13.5mm, so a 14mm is too big and so is a 9/16" (14.28mm).17/32" equates to 13.49mm and considering tolerances would seem to be right. I haven't got one or I would have tried it for you. You may need an impact to shift them.
Hope it helps
Declan

They're Whitworth. I can't remember what size they are but I'd recommend you get a set of Whitworth sockets

One of mine has sheared and others are close to stripping so they really need tapping to a slightly larger size and the bolts replacing to suit. You might end up in the same position by the sound of it.

1/4 and 5/16 Whitworth will remove many nuts and bolts, plus 7/16 and 3/8. Spanners and sockets in those sizes are essential tools on a Minor. Put your metric tools away before you round off any more nuts and bolts.
A comprehensive collection of A/F tools is also necessary.

Just for kicks, Mike...what's A/F mean?

You'd be shocked at the lack of Whitworth sets (or people who've even heard of such a standard) in America... I've been using metric and US standards, and haven't had a terrible lot of problems, but yes the door bolts are horrific without the proper-size sockets. (So are lugnuts/bolts.) Am going to ship in a nice Whitworth set here soon.

Fingolfin wrote:Just for kicks, Mike...what's A/F mean?

You'd be shocked at the lack of Whitworth sets (or people who've even heard of such a standard) in America... I've been using metric and US standards, and haven't had a terrible lot of problems, but yes the door bolts are horrific without the proper-size sockets. (So are lugnuts/bolts.) Am going to ship in a nice Whitworth set here soon.

AF = across flats ie the distance betweenthe faces of the spanner/opposite sides of nut several AF coincide with whitworth sizes.

Hope that has enlightened you

Google probably will give more info if it's that important. Barrie

davew1949 wrote:Simple, and probably silly, question, but does anyone know the size of the bolts that hang the doors onto the pillars? I'm having one heck of a job getting them removed, and having the correct sized spanniard would undoubtedly help. (My metric sockets which I can usually wangle onto most things, wont touch them and all my other motley colection of non-metric spanniards aren't the correct size either).

If they won't shift with a spaniard, anyone had any luck with those gimos that have kind of reverse teeth in them that bite into the head of rounded bolts?

Thanks in anticipation.
Dave

PLEASE! Don't use metric sockets and spanners (not spanniard!) on the Morris Minor!!!! You will end up rounding the flats off / skinning knuckles and the fixing will never undo.

The nuts and bolts on the body are mostly BSF thread with Whitworth heads. ESM do a rail of whitworth sockets, or at this time of year with the classic car shows you can get 2nd hand but good quality whitworth sockets and spanners at autojumbles at classic car shows fairly cheaply.

Ditto AF sockets and spanners for the Minor's UNF fixings (mostly found on the engine/ engine bay). Some tool suppliers still sell AF socket sets and spanners.

The door hinge bolts are special 5/16bsf bolts with 1/4 whitworth heads. No metric or AF socket will fit these properly.

Please use the proper tools!

Many thanks to all those who replied with info. Guess I will just have to invest a little more in a whitworth set of spanners.

Just a thought - will metric go on if you bang them hard enough with a big hammer? .....Only joking

Dave