Installing a Rivnut -- ORDEAL
 

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This weekend I was attending a HPDE and when I was prepping my car for the first session, I notice a bit hanging off of my External Oil Cooler Lines. Thinking it was a bit of road debris, I went to remove it only to find that it was the line clamp trying to fall off. I removed the clamp and related screw and tried to reinstall it to find that the hole had been enlarged and the screw would not bite into the metal. I took it off.

When I got home, I realized that to reinstall the clamp, I would need to either use a sheet metal screw or install a Rivnut and use the M6 bolt. I decided to use a rivnut.

Not ever using one before, I went on YouTube and watched several videos showing how to install a Rivnut without the dedicated setting tool.

The homemade tool consisted of a long bolt, several washers and several oversized nuts. You put the Rivnut in a properly sized hole, use a wrench on one of the nuts between two washers to press it on to the metal and turn the bolt. The Rivnut deforms and locks itself in place. Easy Peasy!

The demonstrations on YouTube show them on a work bench, pressing down with tons of space. Took just a few minutes. Seemed easy enough.

Armed with this information, I proceeded.

I drilled out the hole between the two oil lines to accept the Rivnut.

I made the tool.

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Working on my back and pushing the tool upwards I pressed the Rivnut in the hole and started tightening the bolt. The effort to hold it and turn it at the same time was hard. I kept going, pressing up and turning the nut. It seemed to be working better but did not feel right. When I released the tool, it all fell out with a wiggle and I discovered I had deformed the Rivnut.

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I got another Rivnut, made the tool longer by getting a longer bolt and used another nut as a spacer. This gave me a better way to hold it. Instead of using a hand wrench to tighten, I used my pneumatic ratchet. This time it went much better and the Rivnut was set.

It only took me three hours and two trips to the hardware store!

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So a $20 HF rivnut tool would have been a better route? Rivnuts have tons of uses, so I would invest in the proper setting tool

I bought the tool with a bunch of sized adaptors on Amazon for $27. It’s very easy to use. Well worth the money.

Thats about my experience with them. I dont like them I threw mine in the scrap bin. Now i just drill it out and weld a nut in the hole.

This one? https://www.harborfreight.com/45-piece-threaded-insert-riveter-kit-1210.html

Does not do Metric Threads.

This one does. https://www.amazon.com/Nut-Installation-Plus-16-18-Tool-6pcs/dp/B0D9NK52JC/ref=sr_1_11_sspa?crid=1OA4Y380MAWDX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMS J9.T8WB7tK0LHO2Ay7E8vSHwBM19nOWObAJLsy15VWM4yyZTVq oSrzqGXkx0DjbhlA119anGfCTRaWNZeE4wd72xH-0izWVCmQcQFbD7l1KJvmsokp6mCdjDxC_SDBIIVOc-RQYmizroJWtXNpVDIqNOoEzRp2CTqXVHPLK3XcYydeqbkck3qx gFIhJLhhTClLeXtYHCWs0zGdsQEsLmKZzCapXGQzMtOXDoutxd J3nw2fLgrv5XQ9ndmIBkQHFC0i-jkOLRA68t4xCo5Yq7KaZIo3v2tHO-RPSy9p8rYuaNRM.HhotcGXIIQLy-BV26EKZfRVyvDyrAu1qru2tg8l6J8s&dib_tag=se&keywords =rivnut%2Btool&qid=1727212840&sprefix=rivnut%2B%2C aps%2C178&sr=8-11-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&th=1

Maybe next time....

Lot of the el cheapo rivnut tools are garbage. Riv-Nuts in general are frustrating as can be until you've done like 100 or more of them. Good on the OP for getting it the 2nd go around.

Are you sure you have the right grip range for your sheet thickness? That thing looks big. At a certain thickness to diameter ratio these things are likely tough to install without more rigid tooling.

Dunno. The hardware shop had only one M6 Rivnut so, by definition, it was the correct one.

The application is not critical. Should be good enuf'.