Dave:
Normally solid steel rivets are peened to flatten them after
they have been inserted into the opening. Peening requires:
1. Something solid to back the rivet, like a hand dolly of some
sort
2. Access to the rivet such that a hammer or press can be
applied to peen the shank.
Getting a hand dolly in between the A pillar and the door is
reasonable, but swinging a hammer under the console to peen the rivet
shank is not. A quick search on harbor freight showed no hand tools for
conventional rivets, but many for pop rivets.
McMaster Carr on the other hand, offers what you are probably
after. A hand powered squeeze tool for solid rivets. The head is shaped
like a C clamp to reach around the A pillar, then just give it a squeeze
and presto the rivet is flattened into place. Very slick. The only
reason you may not want do it this way is that the tool costs over $400.
Not a problem for an assembly line, but probably out of line for a
typical shade tree mechanic. Maybe not for you, but definitely out of
line for me.
"Honeeeey! I need a $400 tool to set two rivets on the TR6.
Where's the checkbook?" <insert sounds of outrage, followed by gunshots
and then dead silence>
I suppose you could rent one. It is called a "Rivet squeeze
tool" and here is a link to a picture on their web site:
http://www.mcmaster.com/ctlg/DisplCtlgPage.aspx?ReqTyp=CATALOG&CtlgPgNbr
=3203
I would say some steel pop rivets of the appropriate size would
be a better choice since they can be placed into blind openings and the
tool costs $20 at Lowes or a good hardware store. I am not certain how
durable they would be - but they are inexpensive and trivial to
replace. If they prove to be too ephemeral then you could try a barrel
nut & screw (the male/female screw combination I mentioned earlier. I
finally remembered the name...) Here is a picture of that little
doo-dad:
http://www.mcmaster.com/param/asp/psearch.asp?FAM=nuts&FT_153=115885&ses
sion=desc=Nuts;nuts;153=115885
Cheers,
Vance
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-6pack@Autox.Team.Net [mailto:owner-6pack@Autox.Team.Net] On
Behalf Of forzion@maine.rr.com
Sent: May 29, 2007 12:58 PM
To: 6-Pack
Subject: Re: RE: [6pack] Door catch strap question
Vance;
The rivets sold by TRF for the guide spring are a part number 556141.
These are solid steel rivets. Though there is no picture of them here,
a reference is at
http://www.zeni.net/trf/TR6-250GC/197.php
Does anyone know how to set solid rivets like these in such an awkward
location? Is there a special tool for this?
Dave Friedlander
'74 TR6
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