Where do Fasteners get used? – Matt

As stated in my previous article I’m new to the fastener world. I couldn’t even imagine all the different uses fasteners have. I used to think, very naively, that nuts and bolts weren’t used that frequently. Now, I understand nuts and bolts are everywhere. Thinking back about my previous job, I’ve realized how many nuts and bolts we used to use without even thinking about it, and that was working in retail. So, if you’re interested in the weird and wonderful areas our fasteners get used you’ve come to the right place.

Construction

Right let’s get the obvious out of the way. Fasteners are used in construction. Here at Thomas Smith Fasteners in Hindley Green our outside wall is lined with steel attached by Fasteners. It’s taken me three weeks to notice it but once you start seeing Fasteners you see them everywhere. It’s the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, once you see or hear something for the first time you see it everywhere. Now when I’m out and about I feel like all I see is fasteners. Walking down the street and see a road sign, how’s it secured? With a fastener, above it there’s a team working on scaffolding, how’s it held together? Fasteners. I’ve started to realize how much work our products do and it’s amazing.

Classic Cars

Okay, we’ve spoken about construction now lets have some fun. Be it a Bentley or Beamer, a Rolls Royce or a Rover, they’re absolutely filled to the brim with Fasteners. All the fancy upholstery is held together with fasteners, the engine is held together by fasteners, fly wheel bolts without them you’re in trouble and yet again they’re made with fasteners. Using fasteners from Thomas Smith Fasteners, our director Tim restored a Classic Ferrari 365-GTC4 and plenty of other Classic Car enthusiasts continue do the same. To illustrate this point I have linked a YouTube video below by Powernation whereby they built a car with a drill, pop rivets and black spray paint. Fasteners helping Lewis Hamilton to 7 formula one titles and helping me to pass my MOT.

Powernation – Drill, Pop Rivets and Paint
Ferrari Restoration

Heritage Rail

So as a child my favourite toys were part of my train set, probably until being around 4 years old. I was obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine as a little kid and Thomas used to fly round those tracks but how did he do it?

You guessed it, Fasteners. Fasteners are a key component in Heritage Rail keeping our steam engines going in the modern day. Each summer a massive tourist attraction for the family can be found on Britain’s railways. And here at Thomas Smith Fasteners we provide the specials that keep those trains going. Whether their used to reattach a buffer or a smokebox, fasteners hold them together. Thomas gets his restoration from Thomas Smith Fasteners, I suppose that’s how he looks younger in 2023 than he did in the 80’s.

Thomas’s New Look

Aerospace

Do you feel the need, the need for speed? Well your going to need plenty of fasteners if you want to beat Goose in a race. Yes, fasteners yet again help get your aircrafts into the sky. Next time you get a flight have a look down the wing of the plane it’s fasteners galore. They basically hold the entire aircraft together, from doors to wings, without your fasteners your flight to Alicante won’t be going very far. Without the fasteners holding everything together it’d all just be parts, like a guitar without strings. You’ve got your bolts, nuts, screws and rivets that are responsible for your safety and also to make sure you can enjoy your holidays. What’s the alternative take a boat?

Highway to the Fastener Zone

Maritime

You think you don’t need fasteners on a boat, think again. Boats are held together by Fasteners as well. From the port to the starboard, your fasteners keep you afloat as you sail the seven seas. You tend to find a lot of stainless steel fasteners are use in the Maritime industry due to their corrosion resistance. As seen previously on our blog we recently helped to renovate the anti-aircraft mount on the HMS Belfast, using 1/2 BSW x 3/4 Slot Raised. Now permanently docked on the Thames as part of the Imperial War Museum, our fasteners have given the HMS Belfast a new lease of life, and stopped it’s anti-aircraft mount from falling off. This also only scratches the surface of the fasteners that can be found on all 9 floors of the HMS Belfast.

HMS Belfast Restoration

Conclusion

So what have we learned today? Well, fasteners are absolutely everywhere and I’ve not even scratched the surface here. We’ve covered almost every mode of transport aside from Shanks’s pony and found they all use fasteners in some way, shape or form. And the best bit of all, here at Thomas Smith Fasteners we have the capability to make specials meaning if you’re struggling to find an imperial bolt we’ve more chance of finding it than most high-street options. So if you’re looking to give your classic car a new lease of life or going away on a long-haul flight, you can thank your fasteners and shop at Thomas Smith Fasteners.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Classic Ferrari 365-GTC4 Restoration – Part 13

Ferrari Gearbox

The 5 speed gearbox on the 365 GTC/4 was built by Ferrari and was not a bought in unit. Each box has its own unique number:

Having rebuilt the engine, it seemed sensible to have the gearbox stripped and inspected, especially as 2ndgear was sometimes difficult to engage. Not knowing who to approach, I spoke with various contacts in the classic car field but without a great deal of success. 

One day I was driving to work on the M6 and decided to call at my engine rebuilder, Headshop UK in Warrington, and ask John if he could recommend a gearbox specialist. John told me that I needed to contact Young Paul at Selector Gearbox Center in Liverpool, John further added that Young Paul has been involved in the industry all his life and was trained by his father Old Paul who still owns and works in the business.  A meeting was arranged at Selector’s facility in Speke, Liverpool. The gearbox workshop area is small but is a hive of specialist activity. A Miura gearbox was being completed and I was pleased to have found a local workshop that ticked my boxes. 

The gearbox was duly delivered to Speke with the only condition that any fasteners required needed to be supplied by www.thomassmithfasteners.com   

Unlike most classic rebuild activities, Selector was able to start within a month which was a bonus.

The next visit was to view the stripped-down box and Young Paul produced a list of parts that are needed, see below, but this was not detailed enough. 

It was explained that more detail was needed to purchase the parts and that the 365 GTC 4 parts manual was required as it details all the unique part numbers that were used in the build process in 1971

TAV 23 details the parts used on the second gear shaft.

Some gears showed excessive wear and had to be replaced .

The identification process was not difficult but many of the original Ferrari part numbers have been superseded and it was challenging to detect the new numbers.

Once all the parts were sourced, the gearbox was rebuilt and is now stored waiting to be fitted into the car.

Classic Ferrari 365-GTC4 Restoration – Part 12

Much work has taken place on the engine at Headshop UK (https://www.head-shop-uk.co.uk/car-engine-reconditioning-services

The main assembly has continued smoothly.

All fasteners required were provided by https://www.thomassmithfasteners.com/

with the specials and non-standards made within the group at our onsite workshop who re-engineered the studs and bolts to the specification required. 

The flywheel bolts produced by our factory are visible in the picture below

The fly wheel bolts seen above were all manufactured in our factory.

The image below shows John, the boss, at Headshop UK working on the oil/water pump which is in a combined casting on this F 101 AC 001 Ferrari engine. 

It was the failure of this pump which prompted the re-build when the oil and water was found to be mixed in the sump. Restoration experts claimed that it could be a cracked block or at the best a failed head gasket. John has proved his worth by finding the problem and arranging a cost-effective solution to fix this pump. The repair required a good clean, along with new bearings as the originals had disintegrated, and a replacement gasket and seal set.

The engine rebuild continued without too many issues apart from a challenge posed by the distributor. Ferrari engine specialists wanted a lot of money and local distributor experts were not prepared to face the challenges that a V12 distributor might throw at them.

John and his team were not fazed, and proceeded to ultrasonic clean and replace parts with the standard dizzy kit and a new rotor arm and cap. The distributor was calibrated in house with their Sun machine.

Soon after the engine rebuild was complete and it is time for testing the engine on Headshop UK’s dyno:

The engine is now in storage waiting for the rest of the car. 

BSF Classic Car Kits added to Online Shop

Many of our valued customers are classic car enthusiasts. After listening to customer requests, we have added BSF assorted fastener kits for classic car restoration to our online shop.

These are useful mixed packs of BSF Zinc Plated bolts, nuts and washers that are commonly used in classic car restoration for many manufacturers / models, including:

  • Morgan 4/4, F Series
  • Alvis 12/40, 12/50
  • Austin A30-A35
  • Triumph

Our assorted fastener packs come in a handy case and the range can be viewed here.

We are always updating and adding to our range. We listen to our customers – if there’s anything you’d like added, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!

Classic Ferrari 365-GTC4 Restoration – Part 9

ferrari gtc4 engine restoration

Following a couple of quiet years the restoration project is now back on track. The engine is now being re-assembled by the technicians at Headshop UK in Warrington.

classic ferrari v12 engine restoration

The bottom of the engine is finished and some more seals and chains need to be sourced to enable the work to continue. The Flywheel bolts will be from our own factory at Thomas Smith Fasteners in Greater Manchester.

Oil / Water Pump Ferrari Restoration

The combined Oil/Water pump was initially thought to be a challenge but it looks a lot simpler with everything cleaned up.

No more hold ups are envisaged with the engine rebuild. More on the progress in the coming months, keep checking out the Thomas Smith Fasteners news blog!

Classic Ferrari 365-GTC4 Restoration – Part 8

This classic car restoration project is proving to be slower and more challenging than anticipated! Our last report hoped that work would start in early 2014, but at last in summer 2015 the engine restoration is starting to gather pace.

The image below shows the engine block with the original Ferrari identification numbers – F101 AC 001 number 00174.

365-gtc4-engine-number-00174

A new set of pistons were received from JE Pistons in the USA and replacement valves also arrived in Autumn 2014.

v12 engine pistons for classic car restoration

The engine has been thoroughly examined and cleaned, the piston liners machined and little other damage was found.

ferrari v12 pistons

ferrari crankshaft v12

A few of the engine studs showed thread damage, and as Thomas Smith Fasteners is a leading manufacturer and supplier of both metric and imperial fastenings to the classic and historic car industry, we were easily able to manufacture the replacements in Grade 10.9 material (with M8 x 1mm pitch one end and M8 x 1.25mm pitch the other) on our CNC machining centre.

v12 engine studs cnc machined grade 10.9

ferrari v12 engine studs 10.9 classic car

The studs have recently been delivered to John at Headshop (UK) in nearby Warrington. These studs will be used in the rebuilding of the short engine using the gaskets that have been supplied by Maranello classic parts.

v12 engine gasket set

Here are links to previous posts in this series:

Part 7 – Engine stripped down, diagnosis

Part 6 -Bodywork, oil & water issues

Part 5 – Replacement door sills and exhaust

Part 4 – Alternator, driving on the roads

Part 3 – Engine, front wing, braking system, MOT

Part 2 – Car history

Part 1 – Introduction

Classic Ferrari 365 GTC/4 Restoration part 6

ferrari 365 gtc/4 restoration

The plan for 2013 was to replace the boot lid and start to make good the bodywork. Contact was made with HMG paints in Manchester who analysed some of the paint from the car in their laboratory and mixed an exact copy mix which they supplied in both a touch up canister and in a tin suitable for spraying.

The summer of 2013 turned into a nightmare. The car started to use water and soon it was noticed that the oil and water were getting mixed.

ferrari 365 restoration oil & water mix

Little compression on the cylinders, the future looked bleak. The mechanic said that it must be the head gaskets but wouldn’t predict which bank was involved. Other sages said that it could be the combined oil/water pump or the head gaskets or a cracked block.

Ferrari-Oil-Water-Mix

A decision was taken to take out the engine, rebuild as required and fit a new clutch at the same time. My mechanic was already committed for the following year but he kindly put me in the direction of a Ferrari and race preparation garage in Holmes Chapel who directed me to a specialist classic repair place nearby. When first visiting there, they were finishing off a full restoration on a 365 2+2.

 

Here are links to the articles in this series:

 

Part 6 -Bodywork, oil & water issues

Part 5 – Replacement door sills and exhaust

Part 4 – Alternator, driving on the roads

Part 3 – Engine, front wing, braking system, MOT

Part 2 – Car history

Part 1 – Introduction

Classic Ferrari 365 GTC/4 Restoration part 5

2012 started in an optimistic way. The rotten off side door sill was cut out and replaced with heavy gauge material.

ferrari 365 gtc/4 replacement door sill

The exhaust system had been modified in the 80’s when it developed holes in the silencers. To shorten the pipework and the cost, the steel outlet pipes were re-sited to exit beneath the doors.

ferrari 365 gtc/4 side exhaust

They worked well but left a gaping hole to the rear which looked odd as the bodywork was designed to accept the double banks of twin pipes from the V12.

ferrari 365 gtc/4 restoration

Contact was made with another owner of a RHD 365 GTC/4 at the tremendous Silverstone Classic event where he was showing his excellent condition blue car on the Ferrari owners stand. He told me that he had a stainless steel exhaust which was surplus to requirements which fitted easily onto my car. Although the previous design was quirky and unique it was not as Ferrari intended!!

ferrari 365 gtc/4 stainless steel exhaust

The new system is great!

Here are links to the articles in this series:

Part 6 – Bodywork, oil & water issues

Part 5 – Replacement door sills and exhaust

Part 4 – Alternator, driving on the roads

Part 3 – Engine, front wing, braking system, MOT

Part 2 – Car history

Part 1 – Introduction

Classic Ferrari 365 GTC/4 Restoration part 4

ferrari 365 on road

Driving was limited to local runs during the summer of 2010. The car was initially fairly easy to start from cold especially if the battery had been charged but needed to cool down once hot before it would restart.

Electrical investigation diagnosed a faulty alternator and a rewire was all that was needed to ensure an efficient charge which kept the battery healthy. This helped with the initial start from cold but once hot the start problem persisted.

Overall 2010 was a good year having passed the MOT and being able to drive on the roads.

ferrari 365 restoration

2011 trips became longer, up to 60 miles round trip, and up to to the legal maximum speed of 70mph.

Here are links to the articles in this series:

Part 6 -Bodywork, oil & water issues

Part 5 – Replacement door sills and exhaust

Part 4 – Alternator, driving on the roads

Part 3 – Engine, front wing, braking system, MOT

Part 2 – Car history

Part 1 – Introduction

Classic Ferrari 365 GTC/4 Restoration part 3

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

In the summer of 2009, the car was moved by trailer from the barn to a local garage as efforts to start the engine failed. A direct petrol feed was even tried because we assumed that the tank and fuel lines would be contaminated and blocked. Previously, the engine had been turned over by hand and the pistons moved freely.

At the garage, the fuel tank was removed and cleaned, new pipes and Bendix filters fitted and with the help of a new battery and a large battery booster plus a new set of plugs it was time to try to start the engine in anger. The V12 engine fired into life, sound was beautiful!!

engine2

Some work needed to be carried out before presenting for an M.O.T and driving on the road. A front wing was perished and a new wing was hand formed to size and welded in place.

The braking system was seized and needed renewing. The calipers were rebuilt and the pipes renewed, the handbrake needed freeing as it was seized and a replacement cable was fitted. A new tyre was needed but the other Pirelli’s were more than fit for purpose. All that was now needed was a small amount of electrical work and a headlight bulb for one of the pop up headlights.
Before presenting for the MOT test,a horn was required and a small one was acquired which was quite inappropriate for this majestic car.

On 3 February 2010, PMX 310K – Ferrari GTC/4 passed it’s MOT and returned home.

Here are links to the articles in this series:

Part 6 -Bodywork, oil & water issues

Part 5– Replacement door sills and exhaust

Part 4 – Alternator, driving on the roads

Part 3 – Engine, front wing, braking system, MOT

Part 2 – Car history

Part 1 – Introduction