Steve,
Do you have any experience in working with sheet metal? The original panels
were installed with solid rivets that were bucked from the inside of the
frame. The only way to install the same type of rivets is to remove the
interior panels and insulation to get access to buck the back side of the
rivet. To avoid this, you can use olympic rivets which are like pop rivets.
After popping the rivets there will be a tail left sticking out of the head
of the rivet which has to be cut and trimmed to look like a solid rivet.
Some folks have had limited success in using dremels and similar tools to
accomplish a decent looking rivet, but for the best and easiest results you
will need to procure a rivet shaver. This little tool fits over the rivet
head and shaves the tail to the exact dimention of the rest of the rivet
head and makes it look like a solid rivet. Shavers are available to
purchase but I've also seen others on the list that are willing to share
theirs with others for a reasonable price.
To remove the old rivets you will have to drill them out. Using a punch on
the exact middle of the rivet helps keep your drill centered. You don't
want to enlarge the old hole as you will be attempting to re-use them.
Once the old panel is removed you can fit the new one in and start to line
up the old holes. I've seen a simple tool used by aircraft mechanics that
fits over the replacement metal to pick up the hole for perfect alignment.
It looks like flat tweezers and has a small nipple on the back side to
center in the old hole. The part that fits over the outside of the metal
shows where the center of the new hole should be drilled.
You will also need some clecos and a cleco tool. This allows you to
temporarily attach the panel with the clecos while you are drilling the rest
of your holes. If you use rivets instead of the clecos once the first rivet
is in it is difficult to move the panel for final alignment and you can't
take the panel back off without drilling the rivet out again.
This is not a simple DIY project, but certainly dooable. The best advise I
can give you is to use the correct tools and take your time.
Pete
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Davis" <sedavis51@yahoo.com>
To: <AirstreamList@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 8:03 AM
Subject: [A/S] Looking for some experienced advice..
Greetings all, unfortunately for me I damaged panel #3 on my 81 Excella
II beyond any suction, pulling efforts or approaching it from the
interior (rear bath with tub & shower on the damaged side. I'm looking
at doing an external replacing of the panel. Hopefully someone out here
has experience in doing such a DIY project. Would appreciate some hints
& tips on removing damaged panel and resetting the new panel.
The below link will take you to a diagram on Inlandrv's web page:
http://www.inlandrv.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=76&osCsid=b3209b5b09fc6ea2c304790591330566
#3 Curb side rear lower window segment, located just to the side of the rear
window, part 47144.
Thanks
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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