13/16-20 UNEF Thread Dimensions and Tap Drill

13/16-20 UNEF is the Unified extra fine thread for the 13/16 in (20.64 mm) diameter: 20 threads per inch, a pitch of 0.05000 in (1.270 mm), on a 60° profile. ASME B1.1 lists it in the UNEF series as a secondary size.

Thread profile

major Ø0.812 in10 threads = 0.500 in
13/16-20 UNEF drawn to scale: 37 threads in 1.86 in of length.
60°Nut (internal thread)Bolt (external thread)P = 0.0500 inmajor Ø d0.8125 inpitch Ø d20.7800 inminor Ø D10.7584 in5H/8 = 0.0271 inthread axis
Basic profile with the 13/16-20 UNEF dimensions. The nut and bolt share the same pitch diameter.

13/16-20 UNEF basic dimensions

Dimensioninmm
Major diameter d = D0.812520.637
Pitch P0.050001.270
Pitch diameter d2 = D20.780019.813
Minor diameter, internal thread D10.758419.263
Minor diameter, external UNR thread d30.753019.125
Height of fundamental triangle H0.04331.100
Thread height, internal (5H/8)0.02710.687
Thread height, external (11H/16)0.02980.756
Crest flat of external thread (P/8)0.00630.159
Crest flat of internal thread (P/4)0.01250.318
PropertyValue
Threads per inch20
Flank angle60° (30° each side)
Lead angle at the pitch diameter1.17°
Tensile stress area As0.458 in² (295 mm²)

Basic (nominal) sizes per ASME B1.1, before tolerances. A UN external thread with a flat root has the same basic minor diameter as the nut (D1); d3 applies to the rounded UNR root.

13/16-20 UNEF limits of size (class 2A bolt, 2B nut)

Classes 2A and 2B are the general-purpose fits for commercial bolts, screws and nuts. The 2A external thread has an allowance of 0.0013 in, so its maximum size is that much below basic; the 2B nut starts at the basic size.

External thread 2AMax (in)Min (in)Tolerance (in)
Major diameter0.81120.80310.0081
Pitch diameter0.77870.77430.0044
Internal thread 2BMax (in)Min (in)Tolerance (in)
Minor diameter0.7700.7580.0120
Pitch diameter0.78580.78000.0058

Limits of size from ASME B1.1 Table 2.

13/16-20 UNEF tap drill size

Tap drill for 13/16-20 UNEF: 49/64" (0.7656 in, 19.45 mm)

This leaves about 72% thread in the tapped hole.

49/64" is the drill listed for 13/16-20 UNEF in standard tap drill charts. It is 0.0469 in under the 0.8125 in major diameter.

The 2B minor diameter of the finished nut thread must lie between 0.758 and 0.770 in. The recommended drill falls inside that band.

Other drills that work for 13/16-20 UNEF

A larger drill cuts less thread and taps more easily; a smaller one gives a fuller thread but loads the tap harder.

Drillmmin% threadWithin 2B limitsThread engagement
49/64"recommended19.450.765672%yes
19.5 mm19.500.767769%yes

% thread = (major diameter − drill diameter) ÷ (1.299 × pitch). See the tap drill chart for how to choose a percentage.

Clearance hole for 13/16 in

ASME B18.2.8 does not list the 13/16 in size, so there is no standard clearance hole for the 13/16 in size. Size the hole from the fit the joint needs.

13/16-20 UNEF proof and breaking loads

Loads for steel bolts by SAE grade, from the tensile stress area of 0.458 in². The proof load is the highest load the bolt must carry without permanent set.

SAE gradeProof stress (psi)Min tensile strength (psi)Proof load (lbf)Min breaking load (lbf)Proof load (kN)
Grade 233,00060,00015,10027,50067.2
Grade 585,000120,00038,90055,000173
Grade 8120,000150,00055,00068,700244

Strengths from SAE J429 for this diameter; stress area from ASME B1.1. Loads rounded to three significant figures.

Closest metric thread

No metric thread is interchangeable with 13/16-20 UNEF. The nearest is M20×1.5, which is 0.64 mm smaller in diameter with a pitch of 1.500 mm against 1.270 mm. A nut may start on the wrong thread and then bind or strip, so identify by both diameter and pitch.

ThreadMajor Ø (mm)Pitch (mm)TPIØ difference (mm)
13/16-20 UNEF (this thread)20.6371.27020.00—
M20×1.520.0001.50016.93-0.637
M20×120.0001.00025.40-0.637
M20×220.0002.00012.70-0.637

Identify a thread from measurements

How the 13/16-20 UNEF dimensions are calculated

Every basic dimension follows from the major diameter and the pitch:

  • P = 0.05000 in = 1 ÷ 20 threads per inch
  • H = 0.866025 × P = 0.0433 in
  • d2 = d − 0.649519 × P = 0.8125 − 0.0325 = 0.7800 in
  • D1 = d − 1.082532 × P = 0.8125 − 0.0541 = 0.7584 in
  • d3 = d − 1.190785 × P = 0.8125 − 0.0595 = 0.7530 in (external root, 11H/16 deep)
  • As = 0.7854 × (d − 0.9743 × P)² = 0.7854 × 0.7638² = 0.45818 in²
  • Lead angle = arctan(P ÷ (π × d2)) = 1.17°

Related sizes and tools

Sources: ASME B1.1 (profile, series, limits of size and stress area), ASME B18.2.8 (clearance holes), SAE J429 (mechanical properties) and the tap drill tables of Machinery’s Handbook. How this site checks its data. Last reviewed 29 September 2026.