Hi there. I have recently acquired a 1970 S1 that is going to need a fair amount of work. Most of which I will attempt myself thanks to pages and pages of information and videos created by many like yourselves.
I have a pretty extensive assortment of metric sockets and spanner sets. Standard open end, long combo, racheting, off set boxed, various odds and sods, standard sockets, deep sockets, shallow sockets, the only thing I'm missing is stubby and crows feet but with enough odds and sods and an angle grinder you have all the stubbies you need.
Here's my problem. I have one set of standard AF sockets.
Rather than spend heaps on more than I'll need, spend less and get lots of crap I won't need, I'd rather spend in the middle and get only what I need and get quality.
What AF sizes are used on the SI?

 

No metric stuff on S1, SAE mostly....

 

I know, that's my point. This is the first non japanese or modern Australian car I've owned and I don't have SAE tools.
I'd rather have the tools that fit before I need them, but why buy a 2+13/1'6 inch if I don't need it? I was asking what sizes I will need.

 

I was a little confused when you referred to "AF" tools, but your post #3 tells me you are talking about "SAE" sizes. I have an S3 and was surprised at the number of SAE bolts/nut, with a metric or two randomly thrown in to confound me. I would suggest a good 3/8" drive ratchet and two sets of 3/8" drive sockets; one set standard length and one set deep length. Typically both sets will span sizes 3/8 to 3/4. I would also suggest a set of SAE combo wrenches, again a set is typically 3/8 to 3/4. This will get you through a lot of repairs and then you can add the bigger sizes as you need them. If you are going to do much work in the passenger compartment or the engine bay (lots of stuff bolted to the wings), I would consider a set of 1/4" drive sockets. Good luck.
Dave

 

"AF" means "Across the Flats", or in other words the size of the actual bolt head or nut across the hexagon. The old Whitworth and BSF bolts were sized according to the shank of the actual bolt; confusing !

On the S1 Jags you'll find UNF and UNC threads in various sizes, but the spanners will be for the hexagon size so nothing to worry about except when you want to replace some. It always helps to have a thread gauge and table of threads, and a caliper gauge to measure the shanks. As an example a 5/16" UNF bolt will have a 1/2 hexagon. Where there are electrical parts you will find BA (British Association) fasteners. I can't think of any metric stuff, but the same principle is followed with UNF and UNC in that the spanners are for the size of the hexagon. I don't think there are any Whitworth or BSF fasteners in the car, but I may be wrong. I have got spanners of all these standards in my tool drawer, as I started off my motoring with motorbikes mostly old ones, and these used Whitworth, BSF, and Cycle fasteners ! Then it was British cars, so had to get the UNF/UNC spanners and finally I needed metric ones for a Japanese motorcycle.

 

When I determined to do major surgery on my 83, I decided my odd lot sockets and drives might be OK, but a bit clumsy. Most were and still are 1/2 drive rachet, extension, bar, etc.

I had a couple of of 3/8 drive rachets, extensions and a bar. So, at Pep boys, a local auto parts place, I found exactly what I wanted. A stick of tall 3/8 sockets. One SAE and the other metric.

I've a decent span of "spanners" in SAE and metric. I prefer the combo's. ring on one end, open on the other. Ring use whe ever feasible. Less knuckle skinning.

The 3/8 soket drive and SAE did alomost all of the work!!

But, that 9/16" bolt and nut at the cowl required a 1/2 drive to crack it. Clumsy. Ring under for one hand and rachet in the other for the top....

Special nuts on the drive shaft were Whitworth!!! As luck would have it, I have two. never used before, but one fit!!!!

A lot of Pozi . Phillips will do, but just barely….

Bought much later, but enjoyed were a set of racheting ring wrenches.... Really slick...
I chose SAE.

I bought a pair for son one Xmas. He was puzzled as to why two. Easy, one SAE and the other metric !!!

Then a set of 1/4 sockets in metric and SAE. A few drive tools.

There is enough on the one hand and yet on the other, never enough .

Three slot drive screws on the car. Battery hold down. Great dislike of them by me . got rid of one, the other two defy a replacement....

In the cabin, I've tossed some of the teeny ones in favor of Allen heads...

Carl

 

I think the firewall studs for the +battery/alternator wires are 5/16 BS?
I don't remember too many odd bolts but I have not worked on a series I in decades.

bob

 

The others have covered everything well. My go to tool is a small pair of vice grips. If something is really stuck I use my sockets. With the vice grips (they are about 6" long) I always have the right size for the bolt/nut at hand. Another indispensable jaguar tool is a set of Pozidrive bits with a socket to hold them. They keep dropping out at inconvenient times so I use electrical tape to hold the bit in the socket. And positively get a thread guage and chart. You can then pretty much tell the nominal diameter by the thread count. Finally, get a cheap set of SAE taps and dies. Not to cut threads but to clean rust and gunk out of the threads of your old bolts and nuts.

And, of course my trusty 12v test light and multimeter. Those two, the vice grips and some screwdrivers are always in the boot of all my old cars right beside the fire extinguisher!

Jeff

 

I am removing the gas tanks from my S3 and have just discovered a nut that only a "crescent wrench" could love. High on the inside of boot side panel, the breather(?) tube is a ferrule fitting. 1/2 & 13mm are a little too small and 9/16 & 14mm are too big. I measured across the flats and got 17/32 which I've never seen in a spanner. Not enough room to get a crescent on the nut while in the car so a bit of gentile bending was needed. Is this a size that was routinely used in British cars?
Dave

 

Thanks everyone. You've all given me the information I was after and confirmed my suspicion that I have to go and do my fifth favourite thing. Buy tools.
Really appreciate the advice, especially the die and taps as thread chasers, and the posidrive bits.
The girl needs a fair amount of work so this will be invaluable.

 

Welcome to the forums JAG069, I have added you to the NZ Roll Call thread.

When time allows please post an intro in the new member area. Link below.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/n...-intro-must-5/

 

Sounds like 1/4 inch Whitworth (0.525 AF) but it seems strange that Whitworth would be on a S3 in that location (the harmonic balancer bolt is 3/4 Whitworth, for example).