door weatherstrip rivets
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
From: 1987- L98, auto OH
door weatherstrip rivets
I'm replacing the outer door weatherstrip on my 1987 coupe. With the kind assistance of the folks here, I finally have the door panel off! Yeah!
I have drilled out the heads of the rivets holding the weatherstrip on and have it off the car.
Now I am faced with the fact that the rest of the rivet is still in the door. These suckers are not aluminum as I had hoped. These puppies are steel and don't want to slide through the hole and come out. I have tried to lightly tap them... won't move. I've tried to drill out the center... no luck. These things have expanded out against the hole in a fashion I have never seen for a pop rivet!
Anyone have a suggestion as to what to do? I could just sit forever with my Dremel tool and grind it down flush with the metal, but I'm not sure if this is the right way to do it or not. Should I try to run a drill of the same diameter right through it? Some of the heads came off with a slight angle on the rivet that is left, so getting it straight down the center is going to be very difficult.
Any suggestions? Thanks!
Brad
I have drilled out the heads of the rivets holding the weatherstrip on and have it off the car.
Now I am faced with the fact that the rest of the rivet is still in the door. These suckers are not aluminum as I had hoped. These puppies are steel and don't want to slide through the hole and come out. I have tried to lightly tap them... won't move. I've tried to drill out the center... no luck. These things have expanded out against the hole in a fashion I have never seen for a pop rivet!
Anyone have a suggestion as to what to do? I could just sit forever with my Dremel tool and grind it down flush with the metal, but I'm not sure if this is the right way to do it or not. Should I try to run a drill of the same diameter right through it? Some of the heads came off with a slight angle on the rivet that is left, so getting it straight down the center is going to be very difficult.
Any suggestions? Thanks!
Brad
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,793
Likes: 9
From: VA
I use a big drill bit, 3/8 or so, and drill off the heads. The bodies then mostly fall out. Any that don't I pop out with a screwdriver and mallet.
Sounds like you're beyond the point of doing that, so I'd grind the head off with the Dremel. Drilling all the way through is too risky, unless you have a depth-stop you can attach to the drill bit.
[edit]
Another thought - make a depth stop with a piece of wood. Just drill all the way through a piece of wood that is a little shorter than the drill bit.
[/edit]
Sounds like you're beyond the point of doing that, so I'd grind the head off with the Dremel. Drilling all the way through is too risky, unless you have a depth-stop you can attach to the drill bit.
[edit]
Another thought - make a depth stop with a piece of wood. Just drill all the way through a piece of wood that is a little shorter than the drill bit.
[/edit]
Last edited by VenkmanP; May 26, 2005 at 01:03 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,818
Likes: 2
From: Alive and well in Burlington NC
Originally Posted by steve9899
[edit]
Another thought - make a depth stop with a piece of wood. Just drill all the way through a piece of wood that is a little shorter than the drill bit.
[/edit]
Another thought - make a depth stop with a piece of wood. Just drill all the way through a piece of wood that is a little shorter than the drill bit.
[/edit]
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
From: 1987- L98, auto OH
Thanks guys. I used a combo of your ideas and used some vacume tubing as a stop for the drill bit. I ended up having to take the drill and actually drill the rivets out. I went a bit too large on one (wrong bit!) but the new rivet still too hold. Wish they had used aluminum on these things from the factory, it would have been much easier. Thanks again! Brad
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,384
Likes: 124
From: Reno/Sparks Nevada
Originally Posted by 1987C4
Thanks guys. I used a combo of your ideas and used some vacume tubing as a stop for the drill bit. I ended up having to take the drill and actually drill the rivets out. I went a bit too large on one (wrong bit!) but the new rivet still too hold. Wish they had used aluminum on these things from the factory, it would have been much easier. Thanks again! Brad
Art
