Loose Rivnut, how to remove?

[Daston]

Hey guys,

I have a rivnut that is attached through the sill of my Mazda, it has become loose in the hole and now spins when you try and screw a bolt into it.

Whats the best way to remove it so that I can fit a new one? Is it a case of just cutting it out with a dremil or is it a hacksaw job?

[buzzer]

Daston said:

Hey guys,

I have a rivnut that is attached through the sill of my Mazda, it has become loose in the hole and now spins when you try and screw a bolt into it.

Whats the best way to remove it so that I can fit a new one? Is it a case of just cutting it out with a dremil or is it a hacksaw job?

They are a real pain at times... it the bolt is out, you might be lucky... if you dribble some loctite machinery adhesive around the edge, wipe off the excess, and leave it for a few days you might be able to screw the rivinut tool in and squeeze it up a bit more.

Alloy rivinuts drill out easy if you can stop them spinning, steel ones are a pain, stainless steel ones are almost impossible to drill out!

I have in the past ground them off with the angle grinder, and knocked the remainder in, and replaced them with Stainless Steel ones, and stainless bolts, along with some anti seize.

My mate has a lot of experience with Rivinuts... he repairs machinery in sewage plants where Rivinuts are used extensively on some of the cabinets... his method for dealing with them is not to try to loosen them off as they "always" spin... he tightens them and snaps the bolt heads off! that way they are easier to and quicker to deal with.

[Daston]

Cheers Buzzer, the bolt is out so its only started spinning when I went to do it back up again. Will try the adhesive first before going to crazy.

[buzzer]

Daston said:

Cheers Buzzer, the bolt is out so its only started spinning when I went to do it back up again. Will try the adhesive first before going to crazy.

OK, the adhesive is only so you can get a tool in pull the rivinut in a bit more... the loctite works as its an anaerobic, I.E. it cures where there is no air, so as its pulled into the gap around the rivinut by capillary action, it goes off. that's why I said to wipe off the excess.

If you dont have a rivinut tool (good ones are expensive) for a one off you can use the bolt method...

here is a picture. By holding the bolt, and turning the nut, it pulls in the rivinut a bit more. worked for me many times.

[normalbloke]

A powerfile takes the heads off without touching the bodywork around it. Make sure you replace it with a decent rivnut (splined) and I always add araldite to the things.

[E-bmw]

Araldite?

I am sorry, but plasticine would be better.

Loctite is the only thing I have ever had work on these!

[normalbloke]

E-bmw said:

Araldite?

I am sorry, but plasticine would be better.

Loctite is the only thing I have ever had work on these!

To each their own! I've had a couple of Caterhams, where I've had to repair and replace various rivnuts, and it's worked very well for me to date.