MTFCA Forum

I drilled out the rivets of a 1912 steering gear box and now the hole is too big for the new rivets.

Is buying brazing rods is the answer to filling in the whole with brass and then re-drilling or simply put the small diameter rivet in and fill around it?

Never did this before. Will a home propane torch be hot enough to melt the brass and fill the hole?

Any suggestions?

Thank you in advanced!

Not knowing how large you might have over drilled them, I would use some aluminum round stock in a very tight fit and re-drill to the size needed.

Hope this Helps,

Hank

No on the home torch, you’ll need oxygen/acetylene.

Can you get a larger rivet ?

Use a rod or rivet that will be a good fit for the holes and use that. Nobody would know the difference and you won’t have to braze or fill in anything.
It can’t be that oversized to see a lot of difference I would think.
Did you drill out the rivets completely though the case or just the heads. It would depend how you drilled them out.

I drilled the rivet out completely.

I didn't know they made larger diameter rivets. I only looked at what one of our vendors carries.

I'll check google and see about larger diameter rivets.

Thanks for your feedback.

If you have a Ace hardware store near you give them a try. The larger Ace stores have a good selection of rivets and rods. Just a thought.

If you can't find the rivet you need locally then go to McMaster Carr's website, they've got pretty much everythnig in the way of fasteners and they're fast and reasonable to ship.

Do you think putting the smaller diameter rivet in place and filling the area around it with JB weld would hold, or might the JB crack?

I'll also try McMasters.

Take it to a friend who owns a lathe and custom fit what you need. Making a rivet will not take more than 5 minutes each and will be a perfect, snug fit prior to peening and subsequent soldering. By no means consider using an epoxy.

I am actually rivoting brackets on fenders and what not with some rivots from Tractor Supply. They come in a mulitpack of probably 100 or so for about 5 bucks.All different lengths. I cut the length off to what I need and then stick em in the hole and pound them good with a piece of steel for a bucking bar
.Seem to be working fine.Seems they are 3/16ths?

Have custom made brass rivets made to suit the holes you have. That way you can maintain the correct rivet head size.

Before the two components of the steering gearbox are assembled, each piece should be heavily tinned with solder. I like to bolt the two pieces together at this point, and then heat them to flow the tinning so they are sweated together. This gets the solder right in between the two pieces, rather than trying to get it to flow in later.

Then you can pound in the rivets, making sure there is a small countersink inside the gearcase to accept some of the rivet as it is pounded.

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

The annals of the Model T include instances where the riveted gear case has parted from the column. When that happens you have no steering, which has resulted in serious mishaps. Make sure your re-attachment is robust and sound. No aluminum, no plastic, no glue !

Good feedback, thanks!

Agree with Allen a friend with a small late can make for you

You definitely do not want to do anything shade tree here. If the upper part of the case separates from the lower part you will have no steering control at all. Either find rivets that will fit or get another gear case that is still tight.

Stephen

I have no experience with the riveted brass gearcases, but would silver solder be a good application here instead of regular solder? I know it's much stronger. Just a thought. Dave

Big Flats Rivet Co sells brass rivets for steering boxes.
Jim Dix

By now the repairs have been done but there is a low heat brazing rod available that will melt with a propane torch. I bought a pack of them and they work well just like brazing, but very expensive.

Like the original assembly, tin/lead solder and rivets are just fine. Very simple, inexpensive, permanent and long lasting