Oversized brass fittings

[John D.]

Go to your local auto store today for a replacement fitting for your Corvette and you most likely will not be pleased with what you find.
A lot of the fittings today are "fat" fittings.
Say I wanted to buy a fuel inlet fitting for a 57, or 63 to 65 Corvette with FI. I would be quite unhappy to use such a monster as #1 it's not very pretty and #2 I would not have a socket to fit the hex fitting.

Typical replacement "fat" fitting today may not metric be like we think they are.
To install these you need a crescent wrench or you can do the job 1st class by using a Whitworth wrench.
Whitworth wrenchs are English/British wrenches. Available in socket sets or comination wrenches.
Set of 8 combo Whitworth cost 54.95.
Set of 8 reall neat sockets also cost 54.95.
Available from Triple-C accessories 888-854-4081.
So if you are building a nice driver or bubba mobile and want the right tool go for it.

[Tom P.]

Re: Oversized brass fittings

John,
You are correct!
I have also noticed that many of the replacement brass fittings (ie, Weatherhead, Edelman, etc) that I've purchased in the past from sources such as NAPA, O'Reilly, etc, seem to require a metric socket, or metric end wrench (such as for a 45 or 90deg fitting) instead of the original 3/8, 1/2, 9/16in wrench. BUMMER!

[Gary C.]

Re: Oversized brass fittings

John, Triple-C website URL for Whitworth spanners. Gary....

http://www.triple-c.com/Products_and_Accessories.cfm?pn=WHITWORTH&pID=711

[John D.]

Re: Oversized brass fittings

Gary, Thats the website where I stole the info twice. In the process I learned that old English bicycles, etc were assembled using the hardware that requires the Whitworth tools.

Tom, One fitting that can give a lot of trouble on the 57 to 62 FI's is the 1/8" X 1/4" adapter that screws into the back bottom side of the air meters. NAPA, etc has this fat fitting that I have used on several units. You don't remember all the good jobs you do but you do remember the ones you messed up by using bubba fittings.
Luckily I found about a dozen of the original style fittingsat Carlisle that will hold me for a while. Old FI's were loaded with steel fittings you know. Judges may miss that.

Some of those fittings that have oversized OD on them are metric while others require the Whitworth wrenches. Go figure.
Meanwhile that's what old auto stores and flea markets are for. Finding old fittings.

[Gary C.]

Re: Oversized brass fittings

John, IIRC Whitworth were the factory tool kits in classic BMC cars and they're good tools. Best, Gary....

[John D.]

Re: Oversized brass fittings

Gary, I am sure what you said is absolutely true. But meanwhile what possesses brass fitting manufacturers to make a fitting that requires Whitworth wrenches for proper installation? JD

[Gary C.]

Re: Oversized brass fittings

JD, haven't figured that out. Guess for the same reasons shoes/shirts etc. made off shore are different sizes. Gary....

[Clem Z.]

Re: Oversized brass fittings

Gary, I am sure what you said is absolutely true. But meanwhile what possesses brass fitting manufacturers to make a fitting that requires Whitworth wrenches for proper installation? JD

a lot of those fittings are made from extruded stock,the outside dimension is not machined, and i bet the stock is made over seas and is metric or whitworth in size

[Dick W.]

Re: Oversized brass fittings

ChePhart, my guess is that they are metric as Whitworth sizing has not been used for many years. It is probably just an accident that Whitworth wrenches fit. Do your Whitworth wrench's leak oil? Anything British from that era leaked.