If a mechanic has ever tool needed (standard and specialty) to service every car then he’s going to need a warehouse to stock them in and an employee whose full time job will be to pull and restock those tools as needed.
The problem with interchanging metric and standard tools is that even though they may actually work the size is different enough to cause problems in many cases.
An 11/16 is slightly bigger than a 17 MM and on a nut or bolt that is pretty tight using the former on the latter can often round the head off.
Some of the 80s era GM cars used 2 bolts to mount the alternator; a standard on one side and a metric on the other. Stupid.
A long time ago on the SAAB ignition switches that were located between the seats SAAB used 3-sided nuts to hold the switch/gear lever housing in place. Not only were the nuts 3-sided the sides were concave to boot and countersunk. Yet another special tool…
Just recently saw a sale at Ace ( I seldom go there) The price was good for 3/8 drive sockets, 10-18mm and ratchet, but it’s irritating that they include an 11,16, and 18mm- what a waste of metal…just give us the 19 already. Another thing would make our lives easier would be bolts that are in difficult spots to have a non threaded(perhaps there is a name for this) "starter area at the beginning of the bolt, especially the smaller ones. I’ll leave the very fine soft metal threads on the high power steering hose connection with the tension of the stiff metal hose affection the feel(verry easy to cross thread)…Mike…how’s the music going? saw the Yardbirds in Honolulu last month. Lead singer, Andy and lead guitar, Ben King were excellent.
I’ll never have enough tools. Heck, even oil filter wrenches seem to keep shrinking every few years and I have to buy a new filter wrench! Pretty soon the filters will be the size of peanuts!
