CFR Firewall Shifter Bushing, Fasteners Options

[TargaToy]

I'm installing Chris Foley's firewall bushing which is a beautiful design.

Has anybody installed one using fasteners other than the sheet metal screws or pop rivets that came with the kit?

I've been contemplating installing #10-24 riv-nuts after reading someone else's experience with either the screws or the rivets (I can't remember which) working loose over time.

What's your experience?

[Dlee6205]

I've installed a couple so far and always used the rivets... I've never had an issue.

Rivet nuts aren't a bad idea.... I suggest keeping it metric though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

[jim_hoyland]

Ric-nuts sound interesting, tell us what you decide. I have the CF bushing but haven’t installed it yet.

[gereed75]

I fabbed a little nut plate to put on the interior side. Was able to install it one man that way. Rib nuts should work also.

[jim_hoyland]

I fabbed a little nut plate to put on the interior side. Was able to install it one man that way. Rib nuts should work also.

? How did you get the plate behind the firewall ?

[TargaToy]

I've installed a couple so far and always used the rivets... I've never had an issue.

Rivet nuts aren't a bad idea.... I suggest keeping it metric though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

Please don't think that wasn't my first idea. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) The predrilled holes in the bushing housing are smaller than 6mm but fit #10-24 perfectly. I want a little more beef than 5mm bolts. Although I may open the holes up to 6mm before it's all over.

It's hard to buy riv-nuts in small quantities. I can get a 10 pack of them from McMaster-Carr but with shipping, a 10 pack is more than a 100 kit from amazon. And something in me hates buying a bulk of things which may rarely or never be used again.

The nut plate idea is a very good one and I'm going to strongly consider that.

Thanks for the input!

[ChrisFoley]

A friend of mine said he installed one with self tapping screws so he wouldn't have to drill holes first.
A couple of people have told me they had to remove it after installing with rivets, and then had difficulty acquiring 3 more of the 3/16 x 7/8 pop rivets.
One customer mentioned that drilling for the screws had a downside - the small drill bit can go offcenter easily enough that the screws become difficult to install. A simple solution is to wrap the drill bit with tape, but that may come under the heading of an "advanced technique" which bears mention in my installation instructions.

I would consider offering (or including) an alternate/upgraded fastening method if there was some consensus.

[jim_hoyland]

What does a drill bit wrapped in tape look like ? And, how does the tape help ?
I have yet to install mine……

[GregAmy]

I am a massive fan of rivnuts, use them in any application I can, especially if the piece needs occasional removal.

That said, I've been running two of these bearings in my two cars, secured with the supplied rivets, without issue. If I had thought of rivnuts I'd have probably gone that way.

But that piece shoudn't need to be removed, certainly not "occasionally". Having already secured it with the rivets then if I ever have to remove or replace it I can easily replace it with rivnuts using the same drilled holes location.

Chris, I don't think you can change your design to use rivnuts given the installation tools is specialized. Pretty much any garage will have a pop rivet tool, or can get a cheap one from Home Depot. Not so much rivnuts.

[VaccaRabite]

I installed the spherical bushing from Chris in 2016 I think - so about 8 years and many thousands of shifts later...

The pop-rivets are starting to get loose. When freshly installed they were tight - zero play. Now when I'm under the car I can wiggle the housing that holds the ceramic bushing very minutely. It has not made any difference at all in shifting, but the pop-rivets are allowing some movement after a bunch of years in operation.

I have thought about putting rivnuts in there, but won't until there is a damn good reason to unhook the shifter.

BTW - this loosening could very well be rust forming on the firewall, or from just wear and tear on the pop-rivets. I drive the car a lot, and that includes through downpours that always seem to happen when I have the car over 100 miles from home.

Zach

[Flyinlow]

I also used the rivets but used j b weld on back just to keep it there

[gereed75]

I fabbed a little nut plate to put on the interior side. Was able to install it one man that way. Rib nuts should work also.

? How did you get the plate behind the firewall ?

Hmmm. Many moons ago. Don’t remember exactly. Believe it was triangular and made from thin gauge aluminum. Used aviation rivet retained nutplates. jiggered it into the hole, and I used some longish screws to skewer it

Remembering back makes me like the idea of rivnuts even more

Aha…it just came to me - it was circular. Put a cut through it and “spiraled” it in through the hole. Necessity being the mother of invention and all

[FlacaProductions]

I also used the rivets but used j b weld on back just to keep it there

I like this approach.