Firewall pad push-pins.....

[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.

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Repro Parts "SUCK"

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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