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8/8/19: Today I’m tackling the removal of the loose spring mount and have decided to use bolts instead of attempting to re-rivet them. The limited space and lack of the proper equipment (my pneumatic impact hammer was not large enough for the task), was the driving force. Removing them was not an easy task. After reading several post on this forum, I decided to drill the heads, out to 3/8, then shear them off with a impact hammer. That worked well, however when I tried to use a drift to punch them out, the rivets just rung indicating they were really tight. Using a technique I learned as a machinist, I drilled a bit deeper with a 5/16” bit (so I didn’t nick the spring mount or frame) and without the use of a lubricant (so it would heat up the rivet). I drilled an additional 3/8”, then the rivets punched out.

As a machinist, I’ve removed many bushings by concentrating heat on the bushing and avoiding the outer casing as much as possible. The science behind the idea is the bushing is going to expand with the heat but the cooler casing will not allow it to grow outward so it expands inward. When it cools it contracts the OD and the bushing usually falls out, taps or presses out easily.

In this case the drill acted as the heat source and it was enough to loosen the rivet as it cooled. The rivets on the side of the frame were fairly easy but the two under the frame were another story. Laying on my back, I tried drilling out the rivets with little progress. I ended up using a 2’ long piece of 1x2 pine and a block of wood as a pivot to apply some upwards pressure on the drill. That finally did the trick. What I wouldn’t do for a lift right now.

As a apprentice mechanic/machinist in a Nuclear Power Station, I learned this trick from an elderly German gas welder. This gentleman’s gas welds looked almost as nice as TIG. Fifty years ago, most senior men from the trades had the mentality that they needed to protect their jobs. They would send you off to get tools or to perform some other menial task when a critical part of the job, so you wouldn’t see what they were doing. But there were a few who shared their knowledge, and thank God he was one. I learned allot from this man and think about him every time I pick up a torch.

It was the right call removing the spring mount rather than trying to re-rivet it. The holes in the spring mount were tight, but ones in the frame were oblong. The worst was .450”. Looks like I’ll be opening them up to 1/2”. Tomorrow’s another day!