Elevator weights

[Devin]

Hello all.  I have a 67 M20F and have to change out my elevator weights.  I've had a couple mechanics say getting the rivets and old weights out won't be a problem but putting the new weights and rivets in will be.  The new rivets that come with the weights are iron rivets and mechanics are not sure as to how to crush the iron rivets.  Has anyone crushed iron rivets before or have any suggestions?  Thank you in advance. 

[EricJ]

Just hammer them.   They're the same kind of rivets that were used to hold wooden shovel handles on the shovels, so they're not made to be hard to use.

I signed off an installation that I supervised for a mooneyspace member that did it themselves and they'd done a very nice job with the rivets.   They didn't indicate that it was difficult at all, but I'd suggested that they should practice on something else first, which I think they did.

The rivets are cheap and you can often get them at hardware stores, etc.   It's not difficult or expensive to get some and just practice first, maybe on a block of wood or something.   You do want to get where you can do it confidently without damaging your elevator.

 

[Fly Boomer]

12 hours ago, Devin said:

Hello all.  I have a 67 M20F and have to change out my elevator weights.  I've had a couple mechanics say getting the rivets and old weights out won't be a problem but putting the new weights and rivets in will be.  The new rivets that come with the weights are iron rivets and mechanics are not sure as to how to crush the iron rivets.  Has anyone crushed iron rivets before or have any suggestions?  Thank you in advance. 

That's one of the primary functions of the round end of a ball peen hammer head.

[A64Pilot]

While you can drive any rivet with a hammer, I find that a rivet gun with the proper set and a bucking bar does a better job with much less likely hood of damaging the part.

For those that haven't driven a rivet before it’s the bucking bar and not the gun that flattens the rivet.

While I have not driven an iron rivet, I’ve driven many a monel rivet that I’m certain is harder to drive than iron because monel quickly work hardens. 

If it were me I think I’d drive them wet with fuel tank sealer, the sealer will keep water and therefore corrosion out, at least drive them wet with epoxy primer