C2 Power Brake booster bracket

[Robert T.]

I need some help/advice on attaching the power brake booster bracket that is riveted to the firewall.

The AIM shows the rivets being installed from the engine bay into the vent cavity below the winshield. If this is indeed correct, how do I hammer the rivet as the there isn't enough room in the vent cavity. I could turn the rivet around and hammer from the engine bay side, but that appears to be "wrong" according to the AIM.

So my questions are;

Is the AIM correct?
If so, any suggestions on how to smash over the rivet.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer

Bob

[William C.]

Re: C2 Power Brake booster bracket

AIM is correct, the bracket is installed prior to the assembly of the fiberglass pieces into the front end. A better question might be on a restoration forum, why add a power brake booster to what aparently was a standard brake car?

[Robert T.]

Re: C2 Power Brake booster bracket

Thanks for the response Bill. I figured that was the case. I'll have to see if I can come up with some method that will work.

Bob

[Wayne W.]

Re: C2 Power Brake booster bracket

Just install the rivets and dont peen them. Once you install the bolts for the booster, it will be held by the bolts.

[Robert T.]

Re: C2 Power Brake booster bracket

Thanks Wayne,

That's another option. To the "casual opserver" it will look correct without going through to much installation trouble. This won't be a judged car, but I want to make it as correct in appearance as I can, barring my engine mods. Thanks

Bob

[Harry Sadlock]

Re: C2 Power Brake booster bracket

Try a rivet gun with this type tip:

http://www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/flyer.aspx?PageNo=3

Harry

[John M.]

Re: C2 Power Brake booster bracket

Bob,

To correctly install rivets, you always drive on the head of the rivet with a rivet gun, and buck the tails of the rivets with a solid steel bucking bar.
The factory never drove the tails of the rivet. The guy on the tail of the rivet is passive with a bucking bar, and the guy on the head was always driving the rivet. Driving the tail of a rivet will usually result in a poor riveting job as the head of the rivet is being pushed away from the material.

There are two processes taking place during riveting, the clamping of the layers together, and the expanding of the rivet to fully fill the hole. Driving on the head of the rivet with more pressure than the buck, will clamp force the two layers together as the rivet expands to fill the hole. Once the exposed rivet tail expands to more than the hole I.D., then further driving will pull the layers together even more firmly.

This process holds true whether you are talking about dome-head rivets, or the flat head rivets used on most areas of a C2. The only difference is the set used to drive the rivet. The flat rivets use a smooth, flat mushroom head set, and the dome-head rivets use a convex shaped set that is specific to the rivet diameter and head style.

Regards, John McGraw

[Robert T.]

Re: C2 Power Brake booster bracket

Hello John,

Thanks for the great explanation. I learn something everyday. Doing it that way I should be able to get the end to smash. I was going to pound on the wrong end. Thanks for taking the time to post a response.

Bob

[Peter J.]

Re: C2 Power Brake booster bracket

John,
I'm with Bob on this. Having never seen a rivet set with an impact tool I would have pounded on the wrong end myself. Thanks for the description.
Pete

[John M.]

Re: C2 Power Brake booster bracket

Hey guys,

Try this link: http://www.yardstore.com/index.cfm?A...y&Category=107

These guys have everything you need for riveting at cheap used prices, if you shop a little. When I used to work for Boeing in Wichita, I used to be a regular customer, and I still buy stuff from them.

It is not necessary to buy a rivet gun to get a good job, as a cheap Home Depot air chisel will do an acceptable job if the air pressure is turned down sufficiently. Proper sets are an entirely different matter, you must have the proper set to properly drive any rivet. For most Corvette work, a long flush set, a 5/32" AN set and a 3/16 AN set will do quite nicely. A couple of multipurpose bucking bars and you are good to go! Always buy a long flush set as the rivets in several places on C2 cars will not work with a short set. The seatbelt reinforcements on the inner position on both sides is a perfect example. You have to drive around the studs on the reinforcements.

Regards, John McGraw