The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Sad, Sad Day for Stovebolts!

Back in 19 and 69 I was driving my '68 VW down HW 101 (pre-95) and that dang #3 exhaust valve was obviously burning up again. I pulled into a small "filling" station in S.C. and started to explain my problem to the old-timer (Stovebolter?) who walked out. I took a look at the bug, the length of my hair, spit, and then said he didn't work on any of them ferin cars; didn't have the special tools. Hmm...

Although I learned most of my early mechanical skills helping my brother with his Allstate, Cushman Eagle, Honda Superhawk OMG, Sportsters, and later and bigger bikes, it was obvious that we needed some metric tools. Really didn't care much for them originally, but the whole concept is so simple (and since I never was good at cypering out them fractions)I came to like metric.

Now, before all of you start blowing a head gasket, I'll let you know that I worked on some very fine American Ships trading mostly in Japan and repaired in the Far East for the 23 years I was sailing on them. Those ferin bolts, threads, tube sizes, gauges, iron plate sizes, metric "o" rings, etc. drove us crazy. Our answer was almost always to order good ole fractional sizes from the USA at great cost, especially considering the shipping cost.

Now, as far as Jim Carter... I would hope that they will perhaps start disclosing the COO (Country of Origin)and more importantly that if the part is metric the ad will state so.

My '41 1/2 ton is finally coming together now, and due to this thread, I've learned why my clutch head screw drivers and screw heads don't seem to like one another very much.

Don