source of plastic rivets

Screwfix are pretty good for ordinary bolts, I use beal.co.uk for plastic clips, they have a good range and a very nice catalogue.

Halfords had them last time I looked. You can unscrew the centre bit to remove - but just push it in when fitting.

Called push rivets, several sizes available from beal

But UK supplied nuts and bolts tend to have the wrong head size. Jap 6mm

Many Japanese automotive nuts and bolts have the washer forged integral with the head. Some nuts have the washer loosely swagged on.

As for motorcycles, many outer casing bolts will be M6 but the head 8mm hex.

Many bolts used on a car can be specific for that job. The obvious one being cylinder head etc ones. For that sort of thing I'd get one from the maker, etc.

If it's just a GP nut and bolt - on say on an exhaust - anything that fits will likely do.

The old days of preferred head sizes have long gone. And it is annoying when just one of the bolts has a different head size, but few things need regular dismantling nowadays. When I ran a Japanese motorcycle shop I used to stock all the built in washer bolts and special nuts, they were really good sellers.

Everything is so visible on a bike that its either replace the 1 or 2 chewed up OEM bolts or do the whole lot with hex socket cap screws. Back when case screws were made from cross head cheese it was a no brainer.

The problem was not actually the screws themselves, we had no problem in the workshops, there was a trick to undoing them, which very few people, even in the trade, cottoned onto. You had to hit them first with a drift, then use a number three Philips (not pozi) Tee handled screwdriver. If they were previously untouched (ie not damaged), they always undid just fine.

Big snag with cross head screws - especially from abroad. Could never be sure which type they were. True Phillips is horrid - cams out too easily.

I try to always use 'anti-cam out' bits, the Snap on ones with ribs are really good, the diamond faced ones are next. There are wide variations in the actual dimensions and depths of the screw heads and bits and it is worthwhile trying several different makes of bit which are supposedly the same (ie pozi 2 for example) until you find the perfect fit for that screw.

Yes. If only there was one standard worldwide - in different sizes obviously.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

From my experiences, there are essentially three main types of cross-head.

1. European (?) Phillips. The flutes are tapered, and you must use the correct size of screwdriver. As you twist the screwdriver, it tends to get pushed out of the head.
2. American Phillips. The flutes are deeper and parallel-sided, and a wider range of screwdriver sizes fit fairly snugly. As you twist the screwdriver, it doesn't tend to get pushed out of the head.
3. Pozidriv/Superdriv. Very similar to the American Phillips, except that you have to use the correct size of screwdriver. It can be immediately distinguished from both the Phillips by the additional small marks that bisect the 90 degree angles of the flutes.

I think that the American Phillips is the oldest - and arguably the best. If it IS the oldest, heaven knows why the European Phillips was ever invented, as it is the worst of the three. I believe that the Pozidriv was invented as an improved version. The correct size of Pozidriv screwdriver (#2?) mates pretty well with American Phillips.

I'm sure that a bit of Googling will reveal the true facts.

You were in the right direction, but missed the Japanese standard:

Chris

Also ISO?