<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: HIGHOCTANE

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: mtnhiker19



Thats OPT!







Well, i guess the next question is why does a "so called " american made machine have a metric allen bolt on it? and yes i realize that other than Great britian, Burma and Liberia we are the last holdouts waiting to fully change over to the world standard of the metric system.....</end quote></div>



6mm and 1/4 wrenchs are pretty much interchangeable....with that said I can't swear to that with a allen head. I think 1/4 is a tad bit larger so it may not fit so being the wrenches od is what is important.

Also 5/16 and 8mm, 7/16 and 11mm,9/16 and 14mm, 11/16 and 17mm, 3/4 and 19mm are all real close and in most instances either wil work...

Disclaimer..if the wrench has too much slop get the proper size so as not to strip the bolt/nut..but in experienced hands these sizes interchange in a pinch.</end quote></div>

As a gun nut I know right offhand that a .25 caliber, 1/4", is 6.35mm, and a .50 caliber, 1/2" is 12.7mm. Gun sizes and hardware sizes are't the same but it's close enough. Some of the sizes you list are close enough to usually work just like you said, on nuts and bolts but not allen head socket screws. It's a lot like using a 13/16" lug wrench on a 3/4" nut. Sure you can do it, but you really shouldn't if you have a choice.

 

The washer on mine is copper. Three oil changes and I've always reused it.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: jumbofrank
It's a lot like using a 13/16" lug wrench on a 3/4" nut. Sure you can do it, but you really shouldn't if you have a choice.</end quote></div>
Frank I've turned wrenches for 25+ years the difference is no where near that drastic. 95% of people would never even notice the difference in between the metric and SAE conversions I listed above if given a wrench and a nut/bolt without knowing which size it is.

 

Unfortunately one of the most common sizes on atv & sleds a 10mm has no cross.

 

Very true..lol That is a very common size on alot of machines, ATVs.sleds, autos....pretty much every thing.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: HIGHOCTANE

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: jumbofrank

It's a lot like using a 13/16" lug wrench on a 3/4" nut. Sure you can do it, but you really shouldn't if you have a choice.</end quote></div>

Frank I've turned wrenches for 25+ years the difference is no where near that drastic. 95% of people would never even notice the difference in between the metric and SAE conversions I listed above if given a wrench and a nut/bolt without knowing which size it is.</end quote></div>

It depends on the wrenches too. Some that are the same size really aren't the same. There are times I try a wrench and it won't even fit on a nut or bolt and I pull another one <u>the same size</u> out of one of my toolboxes and it fits. Or one fits nice and the other slops around but they're the same size. The smaller sizes have to fit better than the big ones to not round off the corners too. Not as much room for error on small ones, especially with allen wrenches. Sometimes I can use a Torx wrench on an Allen screw or vice versa. I'm sure you've done that too. I've had wrenches that look like they're working fine until I put the final torque on. There's a lot of stuff you can get away with some of the time but not all the time.