> In trying to replace damaged or missing small nuts and bolts > on a Simplex rod-operated front derailleur, I find that the > threading is neither SAE or Metric. Is there a source for > this small hardware? David,
This might be little comfort for your predicament, but the Simplex fasteners do have metric theading. They just don't use the same thread dimentions you're accustomed to finding on other bike parts. For example, rather than using the typical 5mm x .8mm bolts, some French parts use .75mm per thread for 5mm bolts. So those fasteners have finer threads than what's expected. But Simplex took the opposite approach. That is, some of their fasteners are 1.25mm/thread (or perhaps larger?) in cases where 1mm/thread is typical.
I think you can get some of pieces you need by finding plastic Simplex front derailleurs and shift lever sets, and "borrowing" the fasteners from them.
Best regards,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)