L&VW
Well-Known Member
Strange how the factory's pop-rivets pull out, loosen, or even, turn up missing? 
While the aluminum trim(s) should be re-secured using aluminum rivets, I've been re-thinking the use of pop-rivets in general.
It was time to replace the sun-degraded inspection port on my '76 ex-racer Sunfish. The aluminum rivets drilled right out: however, I noted that half the holes had split the old port.
(White arrow).
The red arrow points to one of the four tabs on a "bayonet mount" inspection port. (Requires only a 45° turn to open).
This new "6-inch" port is marked "AAA", is made in China, is cheap in construction, is larger than the old 6-inch port, and very flexible while pretending to be watertight with a white O-ring.
I'm waiting for a quality bayonet mount, as the old Holt & Allen® port isn't offered anywhere. You'll notice that I've used stainless-steel screws—snugged-up—instead of pop rivets, which would have also split this port.
To make it less flexible, an old port from a "parts box" backs up this installation, but this is one installation that should have been built-up flat with 3M 4200®.
Incidentally, to shield against UV rays, I'd spray-painted the new port with a "Rustoleum For Plastic®" product. Even before the installation, only one rainy drizzle caused the paint to peel away! 
'Still holding to the opinion that, "I'd still not "pop" the rivet fully, but file it 'flatter'", as I wrote here, earlier:
Received Intensity order
IMHO, stainless steel pop-rivets are overkill, and I suggest aluminum pop-rivets for trim(s), but use the "snug-it-up-and-cut-it-off" pop-rivet
technique. (Don't let it "pop").
Bottom line: I would NOT use pop-rivets to secure plastic hardware.
.
While the aluminum trim(s) should be re-secured using aluminum rivets, I've been re-thinking the use of pop-rivets in general.
It was time to replace the sun-degraded inspection port on my '76 ex-racer Sunfish. The aluminum rivets drilled right out: however, I noted that half the holes had split the old port.
(White arrow). The red arrow points to one of the four tabs on a "bayonet mount" inspection port. (Requires only a 45° turn to open).
This new "6-inch" port is marked "AAA", is made in China, is cheap in construction, is larger than the old 6-inch port, and very flexible while pretending to be watertight with a white O-ring.
I'm waiting for a quality bayonet mount, as the old Holt & Allen® port isn't offered anywhere. You'll notice that I've used stainless-steel screws—snugged-up—instead of pop rivets, which would have also split this port. To make it less flexible, an old port from a "parts box" backs up this installation, but this is one installation that should have been built-up flat with 3M 4200®.
Incidentally, to shield against UV rays, I'd spray-painted the new port with a "Rustoleum For Plastic®" product. Even before the installation, only one rainy drizzle caused the paint to peel away! 'Still holding to the opinion that, "I'd still not "pop" the rivet fully, but file it 'flatter'", as I wrote here, earlier:
Received Intensity order
IMHO, stainless steel pop-rivets are overkill, and I suggest aluminum pop-rivets for trim(s), but use the "snug-it-up-and-cut-it-off" pop-rivet
technique. (Don't let it "pop").
Bottom line: I would NOT use pop-rivets to secure plastic hardware.
.
