Bolt size? Sae or metric.

[zeebees]

Okay maybe I'm nitpicking here but which bolts are metric in your Engine Compartment? Is it only the ones with florescent orange marking? I was using my new kit (SAE only) and realized that some of the bolts weren't SAE...which is kind of random if you ask me.

[CuriousGeorge]

o.0 everything i've ever found in my engine bay was metric.

[crazybrew609]

zee.. every bolt in your engine bay is metric.. any and all SAE tools are completely worthless on this car.. if you keep using them your bound to strip something

[Sp00ner]

Originally Posted by crazybrew609

zee.. every bolt in your engine bay is metric.. any and all SAE tools are completely worthless on this car.. if you keep using them your bound to strip something

There's a couple of sizes that match up, but yes. All Metric!

[zeebees]

Originally Posted by Sp00ner

There's a couple of sizes that match up, but yes. All Metric!

I'm dumbfounded...metric? I've never matched a metric bolt inside this compartment!

The strut tower bolts were SAE; as well were most of the bolts I was fucking around with in the EC. Are you guys sure?

[Sp00ner]

Originally Posted by zeebees

I'm dumbfounded...metric? I've never matched a metric bolt inside this compartment!

The strut tower bolts were SAE; as well were most of the bolts I was fucking around with in the EC. Are you guys sure?

The strut tower bolts are also 18mm... I use nothing but metric sockets on the car... the intercooler filler neck is 10mm (possibly 11mm), the intercooler heat exchanger bleeder is 12 or 13 mm, 18mm on most of the suspension components... you get the idea.

[zeebees]

Originally Posted by Sp00ner

The strut tower bolts are also 18mm... I use nothing but metric sockets on the car... the intercooler filler neck is 10mm (possibly 11mm), the intercooler heat exchanger bleeder is 12 or 13 mm, 18mm on most of the suspension components... you get the idea.

Ok...I swear that I'm using SAE sizes on bolts...maybe the bolts are matching... I know metric is in mm and sae are in crazy inch sizes like 3/16s and what not.

I know I can say stupid things but...I'm not kidding on this one...let me take another look. I have a05 by the way and I don't think they'd change the bolt sizes from year to year.

[clevelander2002]

Most gm vehicles use metric.

[Sp00ner]

Originally Posted by zeebees

Ok...I swear that I'm using SAE sizes on bolts...maybe the bolts are matching... I know metric is in mm and sae are in crazy inch sizes like 3/16s and what not.

I know I can say stupid things but...I'm not kidding on this one...let me take another look. I have a05 by the way and I don't think they'd change the bolt sizes from year to year.

There's plenty that match up, and there's alot that match up close enough to work on all but the tightest bolts. 18mm is like 9/16"(?) I think a 15mm is like a 1/2", most of the common automotive sizes have a match. Particuarly if you have an SAE set that has all the intermediate sizes, like all the x/8", x/16", and x/32" sockets and wrenches.

Until you get to things that are really on there solid, you can use anythign that's close...

[crazybrew609]

Originally Posted by Sp00ner

There's plenty that match up, and there's alot that match up close enough to work on all but the tightest bolts. 18mm is like 9/16"(?) I think a 15mm is like a 1/2", most of the common automotive sizes have a match. Particuarly if you have an SAE set that has all the intermediate sizes, like all the x/8", x/16", and x/32" sockets and wrenches.

Until you get to things that are really on there solid, you can use anythign that's close...

exaclty.

heres a chart for conversions from fraction to metric.. this shows why SAE can work.. sorta.. on the bolts

Fraction (in)
Decimal (in)
Metric (mm)

1/64
0.015625
0.39688

1/32
0.03125
0.79375

3/64
0.046875
1.19062

1/16
0.0625
1.5875

5/64
0.078125
1.98437

3/32
0.09375
2.38125

7/64
0.109375
2.77812

1/8
0.125
3.175

9/64
0.140625
3.57187

5/32
0.15625
3.96875

11/64
0.171875
4.36562

3/16
0.1875
4.7625

13/64
0.203125
5.15937

7/32
0.21875
5.55625

15/64
0.234375
5.95312

1/4
0.25
6.35

17/64
0.265625
6.74687

9/32
0.28125
7.14375

19/64
0.296875
7.54062

5/16
0.3125
7.9375

21/64
0.328125
8.33437

11/32
0.34375
8.73125

23/64
0.359375
9.12812

3/8
0.375
9.525

25/64
0.390625
9.92187

13/32
0.40625
10.31875

27/64
0.421875
10.71562

7/16
0.4375
11.1125

29/64
0.453125
11.50937

15/32
0.46875
11.90625

31/64
0.484375
12.30312

1/2
0.5
12.7

33/64
0.515625
13.09687

17/32
0.53125
13.49375

35/64
0.546875
13.89062

9/16
0.5625
14.2875

37/64
0.578125
14.68437

19/32
0.59375
15.08125

39/64
0.609375
15.47812

5/8
0.625
15.875

41/64
0.640625
16.27187

21/32
0.65625
16.66875

43/64
0.671875
17.06562

11/16
0.6875
17.4625

45/64
0.703125
17.85937

23/32
0.71875
18.25625

47/64
0.734375
18.65312

3/4
0.75
19.05

49/64
0.765625
19.44687

25/32
0.78125
19.84375

51/64
0.796875
20.24062

13/16
0.8125
20.6375

53/64
0.828125
21.03437

27/32
0.84375
21.43125

55/64
0.859375
21.82812

7/8
0.875
22.225

57/64
0.890625
22.62187

29/32
0.90625
23.01875

59/64
0.921875
23.41562

15/16
0.9375
23.8125

61/64
0.953125
24.20937

31/32
0.96875
24.60625

63/64
0.984375
25.00312

1
1.0
25.4