Replacement of rear mudflaps, 90

[Ollie]

How do you get the nuts and bolts out of the rear crossmember to replace the mudflap :?:
To me, it appears that it's impossible to get a spanner into the small hole How did they manage it?

Cheers.
Ollie.

[davidlandy]

Ollie

u dont! they are riv-nuts(?). they are pressed into the Xmember.  I have just done one myself.  

I just tapped em in with a hammer, and tightened em up so that they expanded without having to use the special tool.

i have some left if u want them?

regards  Dave

[Ollie]

Ollie

u dont! they are riv-nuts(?). they are pressed into the Xmember.  I have just done one myself.  

Dave,
Did you replace the bracket as well as the mud-flap? On Lucille, there are three 'nuts' that go through the x-member and are bolted on the other side? Is yours something different?

Ollie :?

[davidlandy]

no, replaced just the the flap.

Dave

[Frankie-Boy]

I've got a Riv-nut tool if you need to use one.

[Porny]

So Have I....

Not that really helps, your a bit far from me..

Does upto M10 - which is rather handy!



Ian

[nzrover]

I've got a Riv-nut tool if you need to use one.

Make one - all you need is a hardened steel spacer with a handle off the side and a hole thru the middle and a grade 10 capscrew, screw on the rivnut, insert into the panel, and then tighten the capscrew with an allen key to crush the rivnut.  Very rough picture below of how it goes together.  Just make the spacer, then heat it with the gas set and oil quench it to harden.  I've made plenty of the for friends who only need to do a few (cheap & quick and it means that I don't have to lend out my rivnut tool).
                       

_O_  <--- head of capscrew
|__| <---  hardened spacer
..I <----- capscrew thread
..I

[Ollie]

I've got a Riv-nut tool if you need to use one.

Cheers guys for the offer. But the new mudflap from L/R came already attached to the bracket. So, it's the old bracket I need to remove from the x-member. :?

Cheers
Ollie

[Porny]

Ollie,

The mud flaps are usually riveted to the bracket....

The riv-nuts are the bits in the crossmember that have an internal thread, which you screw the bolts that hold the mud flap bracket into (???)

See attached picture.


If the riv-nut turns when you undo the mounting bracket bolts, then you're in for a bit more fun.  

The easiest way IMHO, would be to grind the head of the bolts off, and knock the remains into the chassis - fish them out with a magnet through the end of the crossmember - you would then need to drill the cross member to enlarge the hole to next size of riv-nut.
Thus you would then need to fit new riv-nuts.

The other way.... though more of a brute force bodge....
Would be to try and lever the old fitting bracket away from the cross member, hopefully pulling the old riv-nuts out of the cross member at the same time.
You would again need to enlarge the holes in the crossmember to the next size riv-nut

- I hope this makes sense

(Additional note: riv-nuts are used usually on a blind space within sheet metal - i.e. within a box section where if a nut and bolt was used, due to the nature of the box, you would be unable to get a spanner onto the nut... they are generally only used in sheet metal to due the thickness of the sheet being to thin to take a tapped thread)




Regards

Ian

[Ollie]

Ian,
Many thanks for taking the time to help me out :D
Great website BTW, looking to do a Master cylinder replacement for the first time in a day or two, great help your site :D

Ollie

[Porny]

Ollie,

Not a problem....

Thanks for the comments about the website - though I really must get round to finishing it!.

If you need any help with the clutch master cylinder just give us a shout.

Also, if you need a few riv-nuts (and want to improvise with a tool) I can send you a few in the post if you tell me what size you want.


regards

Ian