So if the seat post is 31.6 that means I would need a 34.9 front derailleur is that right and if seat post is 27m I would need a 31.8 fd with a shim in it cheers
31.6 seat-post would most certainly mean oversized 34.9. A 27.00 - 27.2 post will indeed be very likely to be a 31.8mm FD clamp on a MTB but I would double check with a vernier especially if it is a steel frame. I have a Reynolds 520 road frame with a 27.2mm seat-post but it requires surprisingly a 28.6mm FD.