spinning rivnut?

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Aladinsaneuk · #1 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:38 pm

While I am doing a little bit of work on the bike, I want to fix a couple of rivnuts that are not locking

they are on the inside of my mille swingarm - so ... any solutions?

I have considered chemical metal welding - any thoughts on likely success doing that?

or is there a way of retightening the riv nuts?

or - a long shot - does anyone have a rivnut gun etc i can borrow - I assume i would have to drill the old ones out?

cheers for any advice

BikerGran · #2 Post by **BikerGran** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 7:47 pm

No advice here, I'd just like to know what a rivnut is (showing my age here?)

back_marker · #3 Post by **back_marker** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:12 pm

When i have used rivnuts before it was a case of drilling a specific sized hole which was an interference fit for the insert. Therefore the rivnut was held in place by the splines on it's outer edge. If it is now spinning, this suggests to me that the bolt has been overtigthend at some point and the hole is now enlarged. So the only solution that i could see would be to either find a slightly bigger insert, or to try and glue the original insert in place.

However, I don't understand how the one you are on about is still fixed, requiring it to be drilled out, the ones I have seen in the past have a countersunk head on them which would just allow it to be pulled out.

Another alternative would be to get hold of a Time-Sert kit - like a cross between a rivnut and a helicoil, but that would depend on the amount of material you had to play with.

http://www.timesert.com/

back_marker · #4 Post by **back_marker** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:52 am

Have done a little more research since that last post - I am guessing that Time-serts would not work as there isnot enough material to tap into. If you wanted to have a go at retightening the inserts a tool is available on evilbay for around 13 squid.

If that doesn't work then yes, I think you would have to drill it out but that would leave a small piece of metal rattling around in the bottom of the swingarm and i think you would have to get the insert out without enlarging the hole anymore than necessary.

Aladinsaneuk · #5 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:14 am

I think I am going to try chemical weld first - will pop into maplins if i can later today and pick a tube up

any pointers as to surface prep folks?

D-Rider · #6 Post by **D-Rider** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:35 am

Aladinsaneuk wrote:I think I am going to try chemical weld first - will pop into maplins if i can later today and pick a tube up

any pointers as to surface prep folks?

Usual stuff - grease free and slightly roughen the surface.

Willopotomas · #7 Post by **Willopotomas** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:57 am

Ally oxidises really quickly, so prep then weld/fix straight away.

D-Rider · #8 Post by **D-Rider** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:04 pm

and when you're done, you can get on and form the folk band you've often dreamed of ..... the name's already there ......

I present ...... The Spinning Rivnuts