How to fix the threads

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mopower440 said:
well, theres several types so i have no clue. They have aluminum, steel, etc..Then they have some with splines, some dont, some are called blind nut rivets..so i have no clue what i need here. Also, am i wanting some that fit right in the current holes or do i want some slightly bigger that i need to drill the holes out for or what? This is new to me, never knew these existed..
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I have used these to mount mag locks on steel door frames for access control systems. Very strong holding power.

The splined ones work good. You can also put a star washer on the rivet first then crimp it down for some extra bite. Steel seems the best choice but aluminum should be ok. Hole size depends on the size of rivet choosen.
 
1969383S said:
I have used these to mount mag locks on steel door frames for access control systems. Very strong holding power.

The splined ones work good. You can also put a star washer on the rivet first then crimp it down for some extra bite. Steel seems the best choice but aluminum should be ok. Hole size depends on the size of rivet choosen.
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Well, I dont want to drill out the factory holes any bigger than i have to, thats why im wondering..? Doe the 5/16-18 sound right to you?
 
mopower440 said:
Well, I dont want to drill out the factory holes any bigger than i have to, thats why im wondering..? Doe the 5/16-18 sound right to you?
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1/4-20 is where I would start.
 
I have used rivet nuts from Harbor Freight on sheet metal several times and they hold great. If one does turn then "reset" it with the tool and it should tighten up nicely. If grounding isn't an issue (like mirror mounts) they also make rubber inserts that have a molded brass threaded insert that work great. When you tighten the bold into the insert, the rubber part expands sealing the hole it is setting in. I am a retired heavy equipment mechanic and have used the afore mentioned items many times with little problems.

Mopar to ya.
 
thumbuster said:
I have used rivet nuts from Harbor Freight on sheet metal several times and they hold great. If one does turn then "reset" it with the tool and it should tighten up nicely. If grounding isn't an issue (like mirror mounts) they also make rubber inserts that have a molded brass threaded insert that work great. When you tighten the bold into the insert, the rubber part expands sealing the hole it is setting in. I am a retired heavy equipment mechanic and have used the afore mentioned items many times with little problems.

Mopar to ya.
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well the rivet nuts were a COMPLETE FAILURE!! Now i got a mess from hell. Dont see how they are of any use. I installed the damn things and went to tighten the bolts up when mounting the ECU and the stupid rivet nuts turned! They refuse to grip the sheet metal enough to tighten much at all. I had to grab them with a pair of dykes and rip them out of the firewall. Now i am screwed.
 
I'd just move the box over 1in to the left and drill new holes, then just stick a plug in the left open hole
 
I bet some of yall make breathin hard. Just pop rivet the thing on. you can drill them out real easy and use the same holes when you need to replace it.
 
A couple small sheet metal screws would also do it. Keep it located where it is and drill new holes in the flanges. You could glue the old bolts in place and paint the heads of the new fasteners to blend in if concerned about appearance.
If you are really set on keeping original appearance... Far from easy, but the fresh air hole under the cowl comes up behind there. Just getting nuts on it would solve the immediate problem, but would be a PITA if you need to change the module in the future. Any welding to the cowl will require paint touch-up. Maybe you could tack a nut to a washer and epoxy it to the inside.
 
mopower440 said:
well the rivet nuts were a COMPLETE FAILURE!! Now i got a mess from hell. Dont see how they are of any use. I installed the damn things and went to tighten the bolts up when mounting the ECU and the stupid rivet nuts turned! They refuse to grip the sheet metal enough to tighten much at all. I had to grab them with a pair of dykes and rip them out of the firewall. Now i am screwed.
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How did you install the new fastener into the Rivet nut, with air tools/power tools? Was it the correct thread size? Did you put a star washer over the the rivet before clenching it?

If it was installed correctly I have a hard time believing it spun when installing the new bolt. Did the new bolt thread into the rivet nut prior to installation?
 
1969383S said:
How did you install the new fastener into the Rivet nut, with air tools/power tools? Was it the correct thread size? Did you put a star washer over the the rivet before clenching it?

If it was installed correctly I have a hard time believing it spun when installing the new bolt. Did the new bolt thread into the rivet nut prior to installation?
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I just used an open end wrench. Before i even put the ECU up there i just installed the bolt by itself because i didnt trust it and sure enough, when it started to snug up i felt it slip, so i tried to back out the bolt and sure enough, the damn rivet nut was spinning..
 
mopower440 said:
I just used an open end wrench. Before i even put the ECU up there i just installed the bolt by itself because i didnt trust it and sure enough, when it started to snug up i felt it slip, so i tried to back out the bolt and sure enough, the damn rivet nut was spinning..
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Do not have an answer.

These are used by lots of motor sports teams that regularly remove and install components and body panels. Was the hex on the blind side of the rivet to start with? From your pic it looked like there was acceptable collapse on the rivet body. Was your bolt fully threaded or did it have a partial shoulder near the end?
 
thumbuster said:
I have used rivet nuts from Harbor Freight on sheet metal several times and they hold great. If one does turn then "reset" it with the tool and it should tighten up nicely. If grounding isn't an issue (like mirror mounts) they also make rubber inserts that have a molded brass threaded insert that work great. When you tighten the bold into the insert, the rubber part expands sealing the hole it is setting in. I am a retired heavy equipment mechanic and have used the afore mentioned items many times with little problems.

Mopar to ya.
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If using aluminum rivet nuts in the firewall, will grounding be an issue because of the aluminum?
 
Fixed! Thank God! I got the round rivet nuts with the splines around them and they worked awesome! Something was not right about those hex shaped rivet nuts, they didnt even feel like the round ones when pulling them.
 
mopower440 said:
Fixed! Thank God! I got the round rivet nuts with the splines around them and they worked awesome! Something was not right about those hex shaped rivet nuts, they didnt even feel like the round ones when pulling them.
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Thought so!

You were not answering all the questions! The hex on the back had me perplexed.

Glad you got it and are happy!!!
 
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