Best rivet removal system

[Terakilla]

Okay when I was workin on my truck painting the under engine frame and all I noticed that just about everything is riveted to the frame, even the clutch deelio. Since my new Motors auto and I need a whole different cross member for the trans I will need to remove these to get them outa the way, plus I'd like to bolt everything in for later removal if wanted.
So what's the best way to remove these annoying rivets?

[jbristo67]

I used a cut off wheel on a grinder and cut the heads off and then knocked them out with an air chisel

[Tucknuts]

we just did like 20-30 of them tonight the easiest way was use a FLAP WHEEL DISC )search on ebay for picture. then we just pushed them through with a hammer and punch.

[Green Machine]

We used a grinding wheel attached to a drill to grind the heads off, no air chisel here, so we used a drill and 1/4 bit to remove some metal from the center and then knocked them out with a punch.

Personally, I would leave everything else riveted if possible, stronger than bolts, and after you remove the 10 rivets holding the manual crossmember and clutch bracket, you may find they are a real pain to remove.

And a tip - if you have access to a torch, after the rivets are out of the crossmember, use the torch to remove a 4-6 inch piece from the center of the crossmember, makes it much easier to remove.

[Terakilla]

Thanks guess I gotta go buy a grinding wheel, I got air tools but not much metal fab tools. I may just have to alter the stock cross member for the trans, the one from the car probly won't work, it's even a weird shape, not symerrical at all. I even had to bend the frame of the car with a pipe wrench to get it out. The rubber mount on the car trans just mounts with one bolt stickin down through and the actual mount bolts to trans were unreachable, but the bottoms flat so it should be easy to mount in the truck.

[Green Machine]

I would strongly suggest that you do not even try to fab up a cross member for that, used automatic trans crossmembers are easily available in the parts section on this board or most any junk yard. You will get the geometry right and it is a bolt in deal with no hassles at all.

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by Tucknuts

we just did like 20-30 of them tonight the easiest way was use a FLAP WHEEL DISC )search on ebay for picture. then we just pushed them through with a hammer and punch.

Don't get a grinding wheel, get a flap wheel like Tucknuts suggested.
Better yet, buy one grinding wheel and one flap disc. Do the first rivit with the grinding wheel and the next one with the flap wheel. I bet you never put the grinding wheel back on your grinder.

Another tip is to hold the punch with a vise grips. I tend to whack a punch a heck of a lot harder when my hand isn't near the impact zone.

[Jim_PA]

Originally Posted by mrein3

Don't get a grinding wheel, get a flap wheel like Tucknuts suggested.
Better yet, buy one grinding wheel and one flap disc. Do the first rivit with the grinding wheel and the next one with the flap wheel. I bet you never put the grinding wheel back on your grinder.

Another tip is to hold the punch with a vise grips. I tend to whack a punch a heck of a lot harder when my hand isn't near the impact zone.

Are you talking about a regular 40 grit flapper disc? Wouldn't they wear out kind of fast?

[big_al_71]

the way we did mine was a air grinder then punch them out with an air chisel..

[msgross]

since my air chisel isn't the strongest I used a cutoff wheel, made an "X" on the rivet head (like a phillips screw) then air chiseled the four little pieces off... might have to punch out the remaining piece with the air punch but it made quick work...

[chevy_mike]

Originally Posted by msgross

since my air chisel isn't the strongest I used a cutoff wheel, made an "X" on the rivet head (like a phillips screw) then air chiseled the four little pieces off... might have to punch out the remaining piece with the air punch but it made quick work...

Exactly what I did and it worked great.

[vegaschevy]

Damn, I am surprised no one has mentioned the fast method to doing rivets

An air hammer with a flat chisel blade on it. It takes about 10 seconds to get a rivet off and then punch it out with a punch bit on the same air hammer after you have sheered all the heads off the rivets.

I could do 100 of them in 30 minutes or less.

[ERASER5]

X2. Use ear plugs though. Air hammers are LOUD!

[ll____b0t____ll]

I didnt have access to any of those things or electricity , So I used a metal chisel and a BFH to remove my trans cross member.
Not the best way but ya use whats ya gots.

[vegaschevy]

Originally Posted by ll____b0t____ll

I didnt have access to any of those things or electricity , So I used a metal chisel and a BFH to remove my trans cross member.
Not the best way but ya use whats ya gots.

thats some work right there!!!

[jbristo67]

Originally Posted by vegaschevy

thats some work right there!!!

No kidding I think I would give up

[BAGNDRAGIT]

what do you guys say to an air hammer?

woops my bad, just read a few posts above!!

[Tucknuts]

LOL air hammer lets ask the cops that showed up tonight because we tried to use one.... its so loud that the neighbors all called to complain... not that this is the first time they have been out since the blazer got into the garage... actually the 4th..hahaha

[Terakilla]

This forum rules, guess ill go to ace my next paychek. Just got done usin a dremmel with cuttin wheel on the nuts holdin the bottom of the bumper on. I have had ZERO luck with these stinkin carriage bolts, I won't use them again from now on. At lead they were easier to get to than the ones holding the radiator support to the frame, those really sucked.

[msgross]

I like my large electric angle grinder (4.5") with a cutuff wheel, that's if you can get it close enough to the bolts...

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by vegaschevy

Damn, I am surprised no one has mentioned the fast method to doing rivets

An air hammer with a flat chisel blade on it. It takes about 10 seconds to get a rivet off and then punch it out with a punch bit on the same air hammer after you have sheered all the heads off the rivets.

I could do 100 of them in 30 minutes or less.

That's possible w/a high quality air hammer. But not all air hammers are created equal. Most 'retail' models seem to like the rivet being cross-cut & then shearing off the remaining material. Snap-On, Matco, etc are good units to own but are costly. The chisel quality makes a difference as well.

[ERASER5]

Originally Posted by Tucknuts

LOL air hammer lets ask the cops that showed up tonight because we tried to use one.... its so loud that the neighbors all called to complain... not that this is the first time they have been out since the blazer got into the garage... actually the 4th..hahaha

Timing. 8:00 pm-- good. Midnight-- bad

[msgross]

4AM = really bad... ask sourkrout about our all night roof removal!

[sjarrett71]

Originally Posted by Tucknuts

we just did like 20-30 of them tonight the easiest way was use a FLAP WHEEL DISC )search on ebay for picture. then we just pushed them through with a hammer and punch.

I got one of these to help remove rust from my frame. Man are they tough. I think I'll try the rivet removal thing. I have one left over from my spare tire mount crossmember that I removed.