M36 x 3.0 tap drill size
Drill 33.0 mm for an M36 x 3.0 fine thread: the 36 mm major diameter minus the 3.0 mm pitch, giving about 77% thread.
| Drill | mm | inch | Thread % | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32.5 mm | 32.5 | 1.2795 | 89.8% | Tight: high tapping torque, tap breakage risk |
| 1-19/64" (inch drill) | 32.94 | 1.2969 | 78.5% | General purpose |
| 33.0 mm (ISO 2306) | 33.0 | 1.2992 | 77.0% | General purpose |
| 33.5 mm | 33.5 | 1.3189 | 64.2% | Hard or tough material, deep or blind holes |
| Thread | Tap drill | Tap drill (in) | Clearance (ISO 273 medium) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M22 x 1.5 | 20.5 mm | 0.8071 in | 24.0 mm |
| M24 x 2.0 | 22.0 mm | 0.8661 in | 26.0 mm |
| M27 x 2.0 | 25.0 mm | 0.9843 in | 30.0 mm |
| M30 x 2.0 | 28.0 mm | 1.1024 in | 33.0 mm |
| M36 x 3.0 (this page) | 33.0 mm | 1.2992 in | 39.0 mm |
Practical notes
Drilling 33.0 mm in one pass puts a lot of load on the spindle and workholding. Pilot-drill first, then open up to size; an undersize hole is the most common cause of a seized or broken tap at this size.
Tapping torque rises steeply with diameter. On a machine use a tapping head or rigid tapping; for one-off or high-value parts, thread milling avoids the risk of a broken tap and lets you adjust the fit. Threads in tubes or bosses this size are often single-point cut on a lathe instead.
Typical engagement lengths: about 1 × diameter in steel, 1.5 × in cast iron or brass and 2 × in aluminium. In softer materials a longer engagement does more for strength than a tighter tap drill.
Large fine-pitch threads such as M36 x 3.0 are typical on shafts, bearing locknuts and thin-walled housings, where a coarse thread would cut too deep into the wall. The shallower thread makes drill size more critical: a 0.1 mm change shifts engagement by about 3 percentage points.
Clearance holes come from ISO 273: fine (close) 37.0 mm, medium (normal) 39.0 mm, coarse (loose) 42.0 mm. Use fine for location, medium as the default and coarse when hole positions vary.
FAQ
What size drill for an M36 x 3.0 tap?
Use a 33.0 mm drill (1.2992 in) for a cut M36 x 3.0 tap, per ISO 2306 (major diameter minus pitch). It gives about 77% thread.
What clearance hole for an M36 bolt?
ISO 273 gives 37.0 mm (fine/close), 39.0 mm (medium/normal) and 42.0 mm (coarse/loose) for M36, whatever the pitch. Medium is the usual default.
What inch drill can I use for an M36 x 3.0 tap?
The closest inch drill is 1-19/64" (1.2969 in, 32.94 mm), which gives about 79% thread on M36 x 3.0.
How is M36 x 3.0 different from other M36 pitches?
Same 36 mm major diameter, different pitch, so a different tap drill: M36 x 4.0 (32.0 mm drill). The taps and bolts are not interchangeable with M36 x 3.0 (33.0 mm drill).
Sources: ISO 261 — ISO general purpose metric screw threads, general plan (pitches) · ISO 724 — basic dimensions (minor diameter D1 = D − 1.0825 P) · ISO 2306 — drills for use prior to tapping (tap drill = D − P) · ISO 273 — clearance holes for bolts and screws · Machinery's Handbook — percentage-of-thread formula
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