Vent Wing Assembly

[markbob]

Hello All,

I took my vent window assemblies apart using info from this forum...

am now trying to put them back together after the parts were re chromed....

how do you preen the remaining nubs that hold these together? I thought of using a chisel and small hammer,
but was wondering if I could use a soldering gun and melt the nubs down...

any thoughts?

thanks,

Mark

[Patronus]

I would use the edge of a 4" cut-off wheel in the grinder.

[bill440rt]

A cut-off wheel is just going to carve grooves in it. It will not spread the pins in order to hold the pieces together.

I used a hammer with a chisel to swedge them over. They are struck in a "+" pattern. In conjunction I also used panel bond adhesive after roughing up the mating surfaces real good just in case.
Be SURE to have a solid backing when swedging them over! Do NOT use a block of wood!! (Don't ask me how I know...)   
I like to use a body dolly with a rubber squeegee held together with masking tape as support. It doesn't have a lot of give, and the squeegee will provide some protection from marring the chrome.
Good luck, and go slowly!

[Patronus]

Ooopsie, mis-read that. 
sorries, I thought you wanted to take it apart.

[markbob]

Boys,

thanks for the info....

what kind of panel adhesive are we talking about?

thanks,

Mark

[bill440rt]

Ooopsie, mis-read that. 
sorries, I thought you wanted to take it apart.

No worries, happens to the best of us! 

Boys,

thanks for the info....

what kind of panel adhesive are we talking about?

thanks,

Mark

I used 3M's Panel Bond Adhesive. But, you could probably buy a different brand in smaller tubes. Ask down at your local auto body supply store.

[markbob]

Guys,

I just finished the reassembly....

I used a chisel on the small nubs and sort of spread them out....

I hit the pax side one a bit hard on the top 2 which had been previously drilled out a bit to get them apart...
I am unhappy to report that although they are nice and tight....I did over do it a bit, and now have 2 small humps on the outside of the chrome piece on the top...and the chrome is cracked/spidered a tad....

fortunately, it's not a showcar....just my summer driver, and this small imperfection will be hidden when the door is closed.....

I would go slow and easy, and not go crazy on them.....especially the top ones, as the piece of metal that's chromed is not as thick there....

Mark

[bill440rt]

Mark, what did you use as a backing behind the vent window arm as support when you chiseled the nubs over??

[markbob]

Hi....

I placed the vent wing on my workbench....I thought it would support the back properly....

it worked for the drivers side just fine....but not so much for the pax side...

thanks,

Mark

[bill440rt]

OK...
What is the top of your workbench??
If it's wood, wood does not have the support necessary for this. It is soft and allows the soft pot metal to give. I found out the hard way...once...when I used a block of wood. Caused the same dimples you had & I had to send them out to get rechromed a second time. I don't use wood anymore.