Triumphrat

loxx101

Does anyone know how to remove these little rivets without drilling? Do they have to be drilled out?

I want to get the casing powder coated and I would like to fit a new plate (which I have) with new rivets.

Can they just be twisted out? I can't seem to get any pliers on them...

leylandauto

I have removed slightly larger twist rivets before but not these yet. Maybe if you cut off the rounded edges on two side either with careful hacksaw or small rotary cutoff wheels so you can get some precise edged pliers on them?

Morris the Cat

Just peel away the corner of the (soft)aluminum plate with a small screwdriver (put some tape under the edge so as not to scratch)

This will give enough of the screw-nail showing to prise out with a small dike or whatever you have similar.

Safest way but you will ruin the patent plate.

dike = diagonal cutter
or equal

twist it out with a bit of pull- no problem.

Patent plates and screw nails are cheap.

__________________

Morris of Main Street

loxx101

Nice one Morris, cheers!

I did it that way but snapped two of the rivets out. I hardly even touched them, they were really brittle. Damn. Going to have to drill now. I'll have to stick them in the mill I reckon...

I assume you have to drill anyway for the new oversized ones?

Old Cafe Racer

You won't drill the rivets they are too hard.
Just drill new holes slightly to the side or above the old ones

Essy to remove the old ones is to peel the old plate completely off with a screwdriver and then grip under the rivet heads with a pair of small sharpened side cutters or pliers and simply twist them out.

loxx101

Okay, well I have filed the stubs flat so now you can't see where the old plate was. I'll drill new holes just below so all 3 holes are covered with the new plate.

Cheers

jimballard

I was told by a Triumph "guru", many years back, when I changed my patent plate, that the old rivets can be carefully driven in until they bottom and that the new ones can be ground down a bit, then tapped in over the old ones. I didn't have to do it, fortunately, but it might be worth a try. They should tap in fairly easily. The "guru" is still doing the classic Triumph scene and is very well respected.

Just the $.02 worth of the "village idiot": Jim

__________________
Jim Ballard

The older I get, the faster I was....until lately!! (Speed IS the fountain of youth)!

loxx101

Oh no! Well, I took all the engine parts in today for powder coating so I already filed them flat. Couldn't see where they were after I had done that so I'm going to have to re-drill.

Worth noting for future builds though!

jimballard

Best that you find the old rivets...............you just might hit one with the drill and mar the cover. Look a bit harder and see if you can find them.

The "village idiot" has years and years of such misadventures under his belt: Jim

__________________
Jim Ballard

The older I get, the faster I was....until lately!! (Speed IS the fountain of youth)!

treener

Take it from me..you can't drill the rivets. Like the guy said..they're too hard. I really buggered mine up. I finally got the rivet out, but then had to fill the crater with alumalloy. It worked out fine but what a pain. Be gentle with the dikes..Two rivets came out fine, but the third, I guess I basically cut off