C3 Rivets and Insulation Fasteners
Today I had a couple of things to do on my '75 that I have been dreading, but they actually went very well, and I wanted to share the what and the how:
I had 2 "wire holders" on the firewall that needed to be re-riveted, and I have heard horror stories on using the correct aluminum rivets....
I took an air chisel tip, cut it off square, and drilled a "dimple" (3/16 bit, approx 1/8" deep) in the end. I had a buddy "buck" the inside with a mall head. 30 seconds later, both were done, with a perfect dome, and very tight. I imagine you could play with the rivet length to change results depending on what you were joining, but the 5/8" rivets from CC worked perfectly on these straps.
Next, I had to install 3 of the rubber plugs in the firewall (the ones that hold the insulation). Again, I have read how difficult this was, and even with the "proper" tool, holes got poked in the plugs...
I soaked the plugs in warm water, shot some WD 40 on the tips, and used a 3/16 drift punch to push them in. I swear that they went in so easily, I thought that I broke them....(the punch made the difference, because on the last one, I grabbed a similar tapered punch by accident, and it would absolutely not go in).
It's a happy day in "Monster Garage" !
I had 2 "wire holders" on the firewall that needed to be re-riveted, and I have heard horror stories on using the correct aluminum rivets....
I took an air chisel tip, cut it off square, and drilled a "dimple" (3/16 bit, approx 1/8" deep) in the end. I had a buddy "buck" the inside with a mall head. 30 seconds later, both were done, with a perfect dome, and very tight. I imagine you could play with the rivet length to change results depending on what you were joining, but the 5/8" rivets from CC worked perfectly on these straps.
Next, I had to install 3 of the rubber plugs in the firewall (the ones that hold the insulation). Again, I have read how difficult this was, and even with the "proper" tool, holes got poked in the plugs...
I soaked the plugs in warm water, shot some WD 40 on the tips, and used a 3/16 drift punch to push them in. I swear that they went in so easily, I thought that I broke them....(the punch made the difference, because on the last one, I grabbed a similar tapered punch by accident, and it would absolutely not go in).
It's a happy day in "Monster Garage" !
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