Hi all, Figured I'd ask the experts. How do you remove the rivets in engine lid louvers? I heard someone say they used a 1/8" drill. Do you need a special rivet tool and can teh same rivets be re-used again when I'm putting the louvers back on? Many thanks, Mike.
Drilling out is the standard way to remove rivets. You need a drill bit that is a size larger than the diameter of the rivet shank, whatever that is. Usually you can see the shank in the center of the rivet head you will be drilling so you can determine the diameter you need. Frankly, any size larger than the shank and smaller than the diameter of the head itself will work but the smaller it is, the faster the work will be done. You just need to drill to the point where the head will pop off the shank and ride up the drill bit. The rivets will be destroyed so you will need new ones. You will need a pop rivet tool and some pop rivets to reinstall whatever you are working on. You can buy these in any hardware store but you should get one of decent quality. You also need to determine if you need Aluminum or steel rivets - I'd use whatever was in there originally. Some people use nuts/bolts after removing rivets rather than reinstalling rivets. Depends on what you are doing and whether it's important to have easier access.
I'd have to go out and look at my car but the previous post assumes you are talking pop rivets? Pop rivets are "blind" rivets that can be installed only having access to one side using a pop rivet gun. A standard rivet involves some type of press or hammer on one side and a bucking bar on the other side and the rivet is mashed either by hammering or some type of press. Finding the center of a standard rivet can be tough compared to a pop rivet.
QUite right - I assumed they were pop rivets. Not sure I've ever seen "real" rivets on a car but maybe Ferrari's have them! Real rivets are, as KK noted, a MUCH different proposition to deal with though the general idea is the same. They few times I ever dealt with them (not on a car) we used a cold chisel to shear off the head. (In all these years I have yet to figure out why it's called a "cold" chisel. I have never seen or heard of a "hot chisel")
Guys, I believe that I am refering to a pop rivet. These rivets hold the Aluminum Engine Louvers in place in the engine lid on my 308. I'm going to refinish these Louvers back to factory color, so I'm just learning how to do thi sproperly. Also, I am assuming now that I don't necessairly need a high end air rivet gun then. I saw some other ones at what appeared to be decent quality for about $50.
There's a bit of a knack to pop riveting. The force built up as the rivet pulls through its head jumps the tool in your hand. Its very easy to scratch the surface around your rivet. I'd advise giving yourself some practice on a piece of scrap aluminum. Black pop rivets are easy to find but other colours can be difficult if you're matching your louvers.
+1 Safety tip: do not hold the tool against your chest using your shoulder for extra force. I watched my buddy snap his right nipple off doing that. EeeOuch! dave
Just a note that there are different sized rivets, but be careful not to use a drill bit bigger than the original hole. Step up in small increments if you have to. The rivets that you will put in its place require the hole size to be fairly accurate. If you use 1/8" pop rivets the hole must be 1/8", not the next size up. Otherwise the won't "pop". The you have what looks like a "poop" rivet. Also you might want to hold the back side of the rivet with pliers to keep it from spinning if you can get to it. If the rivet spins while drilling it out it can damage the surface it is in and sometimes (fiberglass or plastic especially) the hole.
I also had to reinstall the louvers on my 308 GTB some years ago after a paint job. NOT EVERY pop rivet gun works. The space between the louvers is very tight. My own tool was much too thick and I had to borrow an expensive professional workshop rivet gun ( air driven ). Best Regards from Germany Martin
I plan to do the same thing to my louver, have it reanodize. Speaking of rivets, where can I buy BLACK rivets?
"A chisel that has been "cold" forged...." Ahhh! Thanks!! "If you use 1/8" pop rivets the hole must be 1/8", not the next size up. Otherwise the won't "pop". The you have what looks like a "poop" rivet." I completely agree that the correct size bit is best but my experience has been that this is not that critical, assuming you don't go crazy on oversizing the bit. The rivet head will ride up the drill bit before the drill will engage the sides of the original hole. So if you stop as soon as that occurs, no change to the hole will result. True, if you kept the pressure on after the head comes up, then you would start drilling out the hole itself. ANd hey, if you do oversize the hole, they make bigger rivets!
as far as I know, this only works on mild steel and similar. But those rivets are aluminium. It also doesn't work on stainless steel. The chemical process needs the ' ability to corrode ' of the substrate. I have something like ' gun-metal blue ' in bigger bins and at least my nasty fluids work like that. Best Regards Martin
I think a nice black powder coat finish may even be better as it is easier to clean and it may look smoother on a old piece of aluminum which they all are by now. Helmut
harbor freight has a nice air rivet gun. it worked fine for me. as mentioned earlier a regular gun will be very difficult as the clearance is very tight. black anodised pop rivets are readily available. body shop supply houses have two headed bits for drilling out rivets. one side gets dull or breaks just flip it over. very convenient.
They used all aluminum rivets. It's sounds like a minor thing but there is a difference from aluminum to steel rivets. Everything was about weight when they raced. They are a lot softer and have a tendency to work better with less damage to whatever you are riveting together. In fact they just about riveted the entire car together. And yes, the rear deck grills are a ***** to get riveted without creating new rivet areas. Tim
Mike, last June I podwer coated my rear deck louvers flat black. Looks exactly (99.99%) stock. Check it out next time we drive.
Man I didnt even think about powder coating the rear deck louvers I think I might need to do that one of these days. Got any photos of yours Id like to see them.
