Ok, I’m trying to remove a power window motor in my car and need to remove 4 rivets to get to it. The problem is that I thought drilling rivets just meant to drill a hole straight through it, which I found out a little too late, that’s not the right thing to do. Now what? And keep in mind that I don’t have one of those little air powered metal cutting wheels.
Drilling out a rivet requires using a bit which is equal to or slightly greater in diameter to the shaft of the rivet. If it’s smaller, you only end up with a rivet with a hole drilled through it. Alternatively, you can get a small grinding stone for your drill and grind off the head of the rivet.
I know it’s a moot point now, but I wonder why you were removing any rivets to begin with.
Seems to me that if something is attached with rivets, it isn’t something that someone expected to be removed.
Typically, the thing to which something is riveted will itself be removable.
I’m just curious.
I have found that if you use a drill that is significantly larger than the shank, as soon as you break through the back of the head it snaps off and falls clear. Otherwise you are often left with a ring of hot, sharp metal around the drill bit. This becomes an issue if you are doing a number of them, not so big a deal with one or two. By the way, use a sharp drill and a minimum of pressure, otherwise you will spin the rivet in its hole rather than cutting the head.
The power window motor is behind a piece of sheet metal in my door. I’ve been on several sights, and to a few repair shops, and they all say to drill the rivets. I just didn’t know how exactly. The dealer gave me an estimate of $325. I bought a motor for $50.
LivingInThePast: It’s common for power window motors to be riveted. Replacement motors often come with small machine screws to replace the rivets after they have been drilled out.
The proper way to drill out a rivet is to use a drill one size SMALLER than the rivet shank. You use a drill one size smaller to prevent damaging the hole. Drill through the head of the rivet only, and then snap off the weakened head with a drift punch the same size as the drill. Then, you can use the drift punch to tap the rest of the rivet out the back.
Since you are riveting something non-critical, you could probably get away with using a larger drill bit. No reason not to do it the right way, though.
I agree with Berkut up to the point that the rivet spins. When it does that, I switch to a larger by 50-100% bit, and go at as sharp an angle possible. (where 30 degrees is about all one can do) The rivet will still spin, but it will do so enough slower that the bit will cut. As soon as the head pops off stop drilling so you don’t go through the plate. Of course angle’s are hard within a door, anything over straight helps.