How to use this rivet

Chris_Top_Her

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San Antonio, Texas
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'15 CX-5 Miata AWD
I removed 4 of these rivets when I changed my horns out (as opposed to taking the bumper off). I was gonna just leave them off since not having them did not affect integrity of the cowl, but I was at the stealership the other day and grabbed some while I was there. The consensus seemed to be put it in and cut the metal rod but, that dopes nothing to expand the bottom and actually make it grip. Has anyone seen this type of rivet before? it's for the left hole.


 
LOL, you need a rivet gun Chris. Harbor frieght tools has them cheap with assorted rivets.
 
Pop rivets are made for metal. Looks like hole is in plastic. Pop rivet would crack plastic.
 
Ah, I figured it would need some type of gun. For $5 I'll get the gun. I was afraid it would be some expensive ass tool lol (the holes would have stayed empty). Otherwise, Ill just leave it. Thanks for the input. I'm assuming this is the type of tool
image_17259.jpg
http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/hand-riveters/hand-riveter-set-38353.html
 
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Pop rivets usually are a pain to remove, drilling them out is often the answer, cheap quick and nasty, I'm surprised at Mazda.
 
go to autozone. they loan tools. ask nicely, and they may just do it for you while you wait.
 
I recently had to change a blown speaker in my GTI. The damn thing was riveted into the plastic door panel. I wound up melting them out accidentally with the drill. I reinstalled the new speaker with hollow wall anchors. I hate rivets.
 
I recently had to change a blown speaker in my GTI. The damn thing was riveted into the plastic door panel. I wound up melting them out accidentally with the drill. I reinstalled the new speaker with hollow wall anchors. I hate rivets.

Yea, it's odd because I have not encountered these rivets on any other part of the vehicle. Maybe they did want plastic pins over the radiator, but I have never felt it like that even after opening the hood to tinker after driving.
 
OK, let me chime in here, since I BTDT when I added the second horn :)

All the above answers are correct, in that it's a pop-rivet and you need the gun. HOWEVER, it won't work in this situation. The reason is that the metal bracket that you are riveting the top plastic part to, has large holes in it that those 'normal' pop-rivets will not anchor in to (they'll just pull out). The original factory rivets were the wide-expansion type, which yours are not.

The better solution is to get the 'christmas tree' plastic pins, or better still, these (Dorman/Rivet-Tite #47958) from your local auotparts store, and use them instead:

47958-007.jpg


You'll have to drill out the top plastic flat piece (1/4") for the pins to go through, but they'll fit through the wider metal bracket holes underneath just fine, and hold it all together well. Plus, you can remove them easily if you ever need to get back in there.
 
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I like RedBaron's idea on the reusable expanding fastener, but I would disagree that the pop-rivet shown would not work. It appears to me to be the wide expanding variety. It clearly is quite long and the barrel is slotted to allow the barrel to fold out into "wings" upon installation
 
It appears to me to be the wide expanding variety. It clearly is quite long and the barrel is slotted to allow the barrel to fold out into "wings" upon installation
Ahh yes, you may well be right. I didn't notice the slits.
 
I put the oem rivet back in they fit very tight. I bought 3 instead of four and messed one up before I knew about the tool. Two rivets that came with the gun worked well. Not as tight, but tight enough to not pull out.Really about as tight as a new plastic fastener.
 
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