Firewall pad push-pins.....

[VintageMusclecar]

I'm in the process of installing the interior firewall padding and heater box assembly on the Chevelle, but I'm stumped on how to get the serrated plastic push-pins for the firewall pad installed without destroying the pin in the process.

Ain't no way come h&ll nor high water that they're going in by hand, tried inserting a blunt punch in the pin and tapping into place, no luck there either, thought I was gonna knock the punch out the end of the pin.

So...any tips on how to install the pins w/o mangling them in the process? Special tool?...magic decoder ring?...call in Powdered Toast Man?



As always, much obliged.
Eric

[kwhizz]

Eric..........As I remember.....as usual.....The Repro dash pins ( I know that you will find this hard to believe.....LOL) are not made correctly and are a bear to get in.........I made a Tool that pushed on the Tip and the Face at the same time.....even with that I got them in ......but....Not exactly correct.......Here is a Picture of the Tool that I used.....I have since destroyed it by using it to beat something apart, But I think you will get the Idea..........Repro Parts "SUCK"


Ken

[VintageMusclecar]

Ken;

I just got a phone call from another forum member with their solution to the issue, and it's strikingly similar to yours...a shouldered home-made tool.

[ QUOTE ]
Repro Parts "SUCK"

[/ QUOTE ]

Ain't that the truth. I'm several months behind schedule currently on this build, not to mention a substantial sum of $$$ that's been flushed down the drain on a number of "reproduction" (*ahem* ) parts so far during this build.

[JohnZ]

In the plant, we used a tool made from a phillips screwdriver with the tip rounded off and a washer brazed on it that allowed the retainer to stretch a bit before the washer hit the flange so it wouldn't punch through the tip; the retainers were kept in a tray on the bench under a heat lamp to soften them up, and were dipped in a 50-50 Joy soap/water solution just prior to installation. The guy on the inside pushed it through, and the guy on the outside grabbed the tip of the retainer with a pair of duckbill pliers and pulled it seated. Production parts were rubber, not plastic. Photo below of a homemade version of the tool showing the concept.

[VintageMusclecar]

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why this site rocks.

Thanks!



Eric

[wheelhop]

We had to do something similar to get mine in place, ended having to go get some more of those repro "junk" dash pins to finish the job. Luckily, D&R camaro is down the street from me and I was able to get some from them.

[P.J.]

I had to get the rubber ones just like the original,lubed them up and pushed them in with another person on the outside pulling. the rubber ones strech a mile before they break (where have I heard that before) .The hard plastic junk would not go in.. In order to get the plastic ones in you would need to drill the hole out a few thousands of an inch bigger than the orig hole.Which I do not recommend
PJ

[SS427]

When I press the hard plastic ones in I heat them ever so slightly with a heat gun and they become much more pliable and slide right in.

[jasonL78]

Eric,
I just put my heater box and firewall pad in tonight. I tried like hell to put those plugs in a real pain in the butt. I ended up drilling the hole a little bit bigger and they went in with no problem. I used a number Y drill, I think it measured .404 inches.

Jason

[JRSully]

If you are doing multiple cars, hit the junk yards and pull as many of the rubber originals as you can get, you will go through a bunch just to do one car