FYI FORD MustangSteve's Ford Mustang Forum / Most old(er) guys will agree wid 'dis....

**Posted by 6sally6** 12/20/2024 1:48 PM

....which is US !!!!

Last edited by 6sally6 (12/20/2024 1:49 PM)

**Posted by MS** 12/20/2024 11:12 PM

10mm socket and a nut driver handle is great for pressing those plastic wiring harness retainer studs into the holes in the inner fenders, assuming you still have inner fenders

**Posted by BobE** 12/21/2024 6:43 AM

Always liked that Merc smoking the tires the whole way down the track.

**Posted by RTM** 12/21/2024 7:24 AM

Well growing up in the North where they salted the roads it was no unusual to pound a metric socket on a rusted bolt to get it loose. So I still use metric tools on old cars and trucks.

**Posted by TKOPerformance** 12/21/2024 7:46 AM

If you want to avoid metric tools you are relegating yourself to vehicles built in the '70s. Even by the '80s they were half and half. Today basically everything is metric. I'm now genuinely surprised when a standard socket fits better. Though, in fairness there is a reasonable amount of crossover. 5/16 and 8mm, 9/16 and 14mm, and 3/4 and 19mm are generally considered the same size.

**Posted by Greg B** 12/21/2024 12:57 PM

**Posted by John Ha** 12/21/2024 4:41 PM

I remember my neighbor was working on his daughter's car. He was trying to get the caliper bolts off and whined about the bolt not being 12mm or 13mm. I said, "12-1/2 mm is 1/2 inch".

He groaned ... unfortunately he'd already rounded the head so much that no fixed-size wrench would grab it.

Actually, a lot of guys really appreciate the change to metric. It's an opportunity to buy a bunch of new tools.

Last edited by John Ha (12/22/2024 5:34 AM)

**Posted by TKOPerformance** 12/22/2024 7:03 AM

Depending on the manufacturer, metric can be a load easier. My WRX for example uses only 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, and 18mm fasteners. The only exceptions are the half shafts and the transaxle drain plug. With a handful of sockets, one pin punch, and a Philips head screwdriver you can work on anything on that car.

The worst vehicles are the half and halfs. "Well its not a 9/16, and its not a 5/8, ugh! 15mm!" Meanwhile the bolt right next to it is 1/2".

**Posted by Rufus68** 12/22/2024 9:47 AM

Having a sense of distance between metric values and our standard values is not difficult for me since 1.6 km is 1 mile. This makes estimating conversions fairly easy and quick. The system I struggle with is having a sense of temperature when seeing values in celsius. The conversion from celsius to fahrenheit is not as easy to estimate in the head. (Formula to convert C to F: (Celsuis * 9/5 + 32)

Example -- If I hear that today is going to be 75 deg F, I will know how it is going to feel. But if I were to hear that it is going to be 24 deg C today, I would not have a clue as to how it is going to feel.

**Posted by BobE** 12/22/2024 10:33 AM

Rufus68 wrote:
Having a sense of distance between metric values and our standard values is not difficult for me since 1.6 km is 1 mile. This makes estimating conversions fairly easy and quick. The system I struggle with is having a sense of temperature when seeing values in celsius. The conversion from celsius to fahrenheit is not as easy to estimate in the head. (Formula to convert C to F: (Celsuis * 9/5 + 32)

Example -- If I hear that today is going to be 75 deg F, I will know how it is going to feel. But if I were to hear that it is going to be 24 deg C today, I would not have a clue as to how it is going to feel.

Ahh, Fahrenheit to Celius temperature conversion. The formula is difficult to do in your head, here is something I learned along the way that may help.
If you are dealing with temps only above freezing; for every 10 degrees C, F rises 18 degrees. So:

C= 0 degrees, F = 32 degrees
C=10, F=50
C=20, F=68
C=30, F=86
C=40, F=104
C=50, F=122
And so on.

Had to deal with many electrical components where temperature ratings often come in degrees C.

Hope this helps.

**Posted by Rudi** 12/22/2024 10:34 AM

For me c x 2 , + 32 gets me close enough.
Example; 10 c x 2 = 20 , +32 = 52 f.
The actual is 50 f but what’s a couple degrees amongst friends.

**Posted by BobE** 12/22/2024 10:54 AM

Rudi wrote:
For me c x 2 , + 32 gets me close enough.
Example; 10 c x 2 = 20 , +32 = 52 f.
The actual is 50 f but what’s a couple degrees amongst friends.

Whatever works!

**Posted by rpm** 12/22/2024 3:18 PM

If metric is so cool, why do you still buy beer by the pint in the UK, and where is the metric clock? Huh?

**Posted by 6sally6** 12/22/2024 4:20 PM

UHHHHHHHH GUYZ....you're missing the point of my post !
Think HUMOR....not tool size.
(Although some 'tool-size' is humorous....now I'M doing IT !!!!!!)
Like Roseanna-roseanna-danna.....never mind !
6sally6

**Posted by Rufus68** 12/22/2024 5:25 PM

Blame it on being indoors during winter. It started with humor but morphed into units of measure as a bonus topic.

**Posted by rpm** 12/22/2024 9:03 PM

C'mon Sal, you're a veteran of car forums and know they occasionally go sideways.

**Posted by Texas!** 12/23/2024 7:31 AM

Rudi wrote:
For me c x 2 , + 32 gets me close enough.
Example; 10 c x 2 = 20 , +32 = 52 f.
The actual is 50 f but what’s a couple degrees amongst friends.

2C-10%+32=F
In your example: 10 x 2 = 20, -2 = 18, + 32 = 50