removing rivets

Super Sled

Super Sled

TY Off Trail Expert
Joined
Dec 5, 2008
Messages
692
Location
Duluth, MN
Hello everybody. I have been working for 2 days on my Mnt. Viper trying to remove some rivets. Those things are tough to remove!!!! Anybody have any tips for drilling/prying them out????

I've drilled a whole through a few of them, but even if you remove the whole center the two pieces still stay connected! I'm just dumfounded. I've also tried prying on them, but I think I'm risking doing damage to the old tunnel!

Any helpful pointers could save me!

Mike
 
use a larger drill bit and drill the head from the outside. Be careful because when the head separates from the center the drill may wander and scratch the tunnel. Once the head is off, punch out the center to remove the rivet. If the rivet spins while drilling, grab it from the inside with pliers to keep it from spinning.
 
Drill out the centers, use a punch and pound them out.


Drill out the centers, take a chisel or screwdriver and put in flush with the tunnel. And tap the head off.
 
GOT AIR CHISEL? Seriously, I used a cheapo Harbor Freight air chisel when I put the Expert in my Attak. Had a fairly sharp chisel and a needle point. Hit the head or the clinched end with the chisel. After you have vew done, switch to the needle and pop the remainder out. Took me 1 hour to do the first bracket the old way and 30 minutes to do the rest with the chisel !!
 
mntvipermn said:
Hello everybody. I have been working for 2 days on my Mnt. Viper trying to remove some rivets. Those things are tough to remove!!!! Anybody have any tips for drilling/prying them out????

I've drilled a whole through a few of them, but even if you remove the whole center the two pieces still stay connected! I'm just dumfounded. I've also tried prying on them, but I think I'm risking doing damage to the old tunnel!

Any helpful pointers could save me!

Mike
Click to expand...

A steel rivet requires a little different approach than an aluminum. The steel shank will be harder to drill through than an aluminum shanked. I use a small punch to drive the shank through before taking the drill to it. Removing the steel shank also helps to keep the bit centered.

Use the same size drill as the rivet you're removing (i.e. 3/16"). You may find the rivet will turn in some cases which will require either holding the back side with some pliers and/or also rotating the drill motor as you would if you were trying to hog out a hole bigger than the drill you're using.

The drilled out rivet head also makes a good backer.

Using the next size bigger drill bit can help in drilling through the head of the rivet but you the risk of drilling your hole too big.
 
Some good advice above . . .

The little piece in the middle that resembles a finish nail is called the mandrel. Drive this out with a punch that a little smaller than the hole this mandrel is in from the head side if possible. This will save your drill bit and make the job a lot easier. Then using the same size drill as the rivet (many are 3/16") drill the head off. Don't try to cut too fast as it will just spin the rivet, and then you will have to hold the bulb side with pliers or vise grips. Then take a punch slightly smaller than the rivet and rap it sharply with a hammer. It should pop right out. After a few hundred of these you will get the hang of it. There will always be one or two rivets that take more time than all of the others combined. You will need patience for these.
 
Ding said:
Some good advice above . . .

The little piece in the middle that resembles a finish nail is called the mandrel. Drive this out with a punch that a little smaller than the hole this mandrel is in from the head side if possible. This will save your drill bit and make the job a lot easier. Then using the same size drill as the rivet (many are 3/16") drill the head off. Don't try to cut too fast as it will just spin the rivet, and then you will have to hold the bulb side with pliers or vise grips. Then take a punch slightly smaller than the rivet and rap it sharply with a hammer. It should pop right out. After a few hundred of these you will get the hang of it. There will always be one or two rivets that take more time than all of the others combined. You will need patience for these.
Click to expand...

You are correct sir, Thanks Ding.
 
after a few hundred you will get the hang of it -ding that made me laugh yea patience is required -for sure
 
Job completed. After removing a few you kind of get a system down. But they are a PITA to remove! Thanks all for the advice. Only broke 3 drill bits.
 
Ding said:
There will always be one or two rivets that take more time than all of the others combined.
Click to expand...

After splitting an Apex in half and riveting it back together this past week, this made me laugh. Definitely a true statement!
 
Well guys, I just splurged on a new air compressor and rivet gun from Sears.com -- no more hand vice riveting for me!!!!!!!

They had 10% off all tools and the time was right. I got a big enough air compressor for for using ratchet guns, etc. I am psyched!!!!
 
I just pulled the sled off the trailer and realized my tunnel has the same issue....

What rivets did you use to put it together....?
 
Mr. Nicko!!!!

We do need to test out our Mnt. Vipers in some powder up the north shore this winter....

In terms of rivets, I went to Fastenal and bought both some 3/16 and 1/4 inch rivets, but the expanding (blind rivets maybe????) kind that really fill the hole. They were stainless steel and they pulled very, very hard. I could never have pulled/installed them by hand, but remember I'm a desk jockey at work so I'm probably more of a wimp than you. The air riveter works slick though. Hell, you can rivet with that thing with a Captain and Coke in your other hand!!!!!!! Not that I ever did that or anything, of course.........

My air riveter had a hard time crimping some of the rivets up tight enough, so I ended up having to drill a few of them out when replacing the 4 loose rivets. But I eventually got them all replaced, so they are all tight. No more movement when lifting the tunnel extension now!

I've heard you can also buy genuine Yamaha rivets, but they are like a buck a piece. Forget that! Fastenal sells them for .10 or .15 cents a piece. Other people had lots of other ideas also on what to use. I almost just screwed in 4 ny-lock bolts into the holes to hold the extension on, as that was what the Fastenal guy recommended. It may have actually just worked. Who knows? But I opted for rivets though.

Good luck. If you have the sled up here in Duluth anytime soon, just come on over and I'll rivet those things in there free of charge.... I've got a few extra lying around just for your sled!
 
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or sure we will get together this winter.....but you are going to be the guide, since I have never ridden the north shore, we where thinking to go for the holidays with the wife and kid...Will see.....We spend a weekend a few weeks back at Blue Fin Bay and felt in love with the place, we want to go to the north shore for winter fun also, you might have to recomend somewhere to go since you are local there...

I was planning to use bolts and nuts to do the tunnel, will see how it goes...I need to work on my 600 suspention before the snow flies.....Most likely I will do the rivets.....

Later

Nick
 
Guys for most rivets on a Yamaha sled you can use the Stavex line. While a non-structural rivet they have very good tensile and shear strengths. This is what Yamaha uses for many of the rivets at the factory. You can get them for a fraction of what you likely paid at Fastenal from BetheViper on here. If Scott is out of the type you need, I likely have them so just pm me.

Most Fastenal stores use the Marsen product line. Their multi-grip rivet is not nearly as strong as the Stavex (Avdel) even though they pull hard. The Stavex is the best hole filling, largest grip range, and strongest of any multi-grip rivet that I have ever used. I imagine that is why Yamaha uses them. Interestingly if you go the the manufacture website and select the Stavex product info pages, a Yamaha sled is shown.

for what it's worth, Avdel is owned by the same company that owns Cherry and several other fastener manufacturers. I forget the name, but it might be Textron. If you go to the Avdel page you will see the company.
 
Ding said:
Guys for most rivets on a Yamaha sled you can use the Stavex line. While a non-structural rivet they have very good tensile and shear strengths. This is what Yamaha uses for many of the rivets at the factory. You can get them for a fraction of what you likely paid at Fastenal from BetheViper on here. If Scott is out of the type you need, I likely have them so just pm me.

Most Fastenal stores use the Marsen product line. Their multi-grip rivet is not nearly as strong as the Stavex (Avdel) even though they pull hard. The Stavex is the best hole filling, largest grip range, and strongest of any multi-grip rivet that I have ever used. I imagine that is why Yamaha uses them. Interestingly if you go the the manufacture website and select the Stavex product info pages, a Yamaha sled is shown.

for what it's worth, Avdel is owned by the same company that owns Cherry and several other fastener manufacturers. I forget the name, but it might be Textron. If you go to the Avdel page you will see the company.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. -- very helpful!

I did try to PM BeTheViper (Scott) 2x earlier this summer, but once his box was full and other time no response. So plan B it was!!!!!

But finding Avdel rivets shouldn't be too hard..... Great info.!



So Ding, when are you gonna post some pics on TY of that Viper Mnt "XTX"???????

It sounds cool.......

Mike
 
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