2022 Cougar -Forward Cooler Lid Sheared Off

[tdobb]

In my experience with drilling out rivets, I have always started out just slightly larger than the mandrel on my drill bit diameter, and run that thru.  If its a 1/16″ mandrel, I run a 3/32″ drill bit thru.  1/8″ mandrel, I will run a 3/16″ drill bit thru.  Typically this is enough to weaken the body of the rivet and once you get thru it will separate the back side of the body from the head.  If you run thru and don’t break the rivet, go up to an 1/8″ drill on the 1/16″ mandrels, and go to a 7/32″ bit on the 1/8″ mandrels.  Doing it in steps like this will allow you to replace the rivets with the same size as you will break the rivet without ever touching the glass with the drill bit.

If when you get them drilled out you find that a few holes have enlarged due to accidental damage or some other reason, you can always upsize to the next rivet, but if you don’t have any damaged holes, you will be able to reuse the same size rivets.

The unknown factor in this scenario at least from my side is what is behind the wall you are drilling.  If the cavity is filled with insulation, getting the back side of the rivet off the drill could be problematic as you don’t really have a good way to pop the body off the drill bit.  If it is open behind the wall, you have a better chance of pulling and getting the body free from the drill bit.  If the rivets go thru a wall and into the next compartment, you are golden cause you can grab the body with a pliers and peel it off the drill bit tip.

[mars.indy]

Thanks for that info…very new to boats in general and fiberglass specifically, haven’t even looked in the compartment on the other side of that step, so I’ll need to do a little more digging.   Just sort of ticked that this must have happened back in November and I’m just now finding it.  Grrr.   🙂

[apdriver]

It’s pretty common for these rivets to fail so probably would have failed without your son’s input. These are stainless steel rivets the factory uses and you probably should go back with them. An aluminum rivet will fail much quicker. Give parts a call and they’ll fix you up with the correct replacements. Get your big boy pants on when using the rivet gun to install those.

[tdobb]

Instead of using a standard hand operated rivet gun, if you have a compressor, just go ahead and skip the hand rivet gun in lieu of pneumatic. The pneumatic rivet gun was one of my absolute best tool purchases, and really not much more expensive than a quality hand rivet gun.

[mars.indy]

Thanks again and yes, I wondered if a pneumatic one would be better or battery operated.  Using a hand-operated one at those angles didn’t look promising.  🙂

[Bass Cat Boats]

Either will do a fine job. We use pneumatic, though we have battery in house also. The inexpensive air power pneumatics work just great for short work.

 

But, usually those rivets don’t shear, they come loose due to material behind them being compromised, or they are pulled out by stepping on, or over rearwards flexing of the lids. Just be sure of what you’re dealing with. We have had to carve out behind the upper panels when they are flexed out, to allow rear mounting of a nut and washer. In that case we suggest a small plate being used behind the panel as the materials will be thinner with the hollowing behind those panels.

Good luck and have a dealer help if this task is more than your comfortable managing. Most bass anglers are pretty handy on do-it-yourself tasks.

[Author]

Posts