Heater Box Rebuild - Rivets

[rapandi]

Hi team

 

I need some advice please. I am rebuilding my heater box and I am now going to put it back together. A lot of the fixtures were riveted originally to the plastic body. I don't know if I should rivet or if I should use bolts and nyloc nuts? 

 

I feel the rivets might stress the plastic plastic body and force it to crack???

 

Raj

 

[rapandi]

Ah crap....

 

i jusy realised i cant use bolts and nuts. There will be interference....

 

look at where my finger is.... 

 

 

[Simeon]

Raj,

 

you are correct not to use rivets,  not that I have done this yet but certainly read about lots of people using alternative fasteners. Nuts and bolts sound like a good idea though I seem to recall people using self tapping screws as well. Someone who has actually done it will drop by soon.

 

Simeon

[D.martijn]

May I ask how you got that plastic so nice and clean?

I used rivets on mine and didn't have any problems with cracking

Edited September 10, 2017 by D.martijn

[rapandi]

1 hour ago, D.martijn said:

May I ask how you got that plastic so nice and clean?

I used rivets on mine and didn't have any problems with cracking

I cleaned the plastic bodies with water first, then took some thinner on a rag and rubbed out all the old glue. Then washed with warm soapy water. Then cleaned with a damp thinner cloth to remove any possible greasy stains. 

 

Sprayed with a plastic primer and followed followed by black spray paint. 

 

Hope that helps 

[2002#3]

Brass screws, washers, and nuts work well.

 

[Stevenc22]

I use rivets but I like to put a washer on top and below the rivet to spread the stress as the rivet tightens.

[02Les]

I used same as 2002#2.

Will make it easier to disassemble when the next time comes around.

[jrhone]

I used rivers. No issues. 

[halboyles]

2 hours ago, Stevenc22 said:

I use rivets but I like to put a washer on top and below the rivet to spread the stress as the rivet tightens.

 

You can buy very thin washers designed to be used with rivets.  Since the front of the heater box has to mate with the trough wall, the more flush the surface the better.  Rivets even with washers lay flatter than any bolt or nut.

 

Besides, drilling out the rivets will probably be as quick and easy as removing rusted bolts and nuts if you live long enough to have to rebuild it.

[Son of Marty]

I always use rivets with the large area heads and aluminum stems with washers underneath never had a crack and yes just drill them out if you need to rebuild again. 

Edited September 10, 2017 by Son of Marty

[TobyB]

Quote

I used rivers. No issues. 

 

Wow- you must have used some good sealant!

heh.

 

I recall using brass hardware on Jenn's heater box- the early ones are so

brittle at this point, I was also worried about compression cracking.

I found pan- head screws, got them 'just tight enough' and then filed the heads down

where it had to seal.  If we ever have to go in there again, I'll just file a little more, and the

screw will be a fastener no more.

 

How I did it,

Viktor Fronkinstein.

[Gordon]

As others have said, go with bolts. I have had to pull my heater box a couple of times over the years and with bolts, it's getting into the heater box so much easier. Being 75" tall, getting under the dash to pull a heater box has got to be one of the suckiest joys of 02 ownership. I've got to pull my heater box because the heater valve is stripped. I set the arm in the closed position. Now that it's getting cooler out, time to get some heat in the cabin for the fall driving season.

 

G-Man

[pehlivanov_tii]

Raj,

I was so much after the original look, even on unvisible parts that i was searching for rivets with flat heads, like the originals. Unfortunately they have to be punched with much force. This would also stress the plastic body. I was searching for softer rivets, from different metal material, etc. After all i decided that i've invested too much time in such a thing and decided to move forward with nuts and bolts. The method of how the heater box work is not complicated and you shouldn't have problems after a good rebuild, but like other people said, it will be good if something goes wrong with the heater box to be able to part it out easily.

 

Good luck.

[thinksound_mike]

I used flat head screws and nylock nuts. I also shot the edge with black Flex Seal to seal it up.