Rad Cowl repair

[Erich]

My Ulster Rep, arrived in good order, courtesy of British Air. It does have a dent in rad cowl. I see that the filler neck appears to be riveted to the cowl. It is brass, unplated. Is this easily removed and replaced? I would like to repair the dent but don't want a small job grow into a big one.

Any help to a Seven newbie is much appreciated.


Erich

[Tony Betts]

Hi erich,

The filler neck should be held on with four rivets.

Traditional dome head, not modern pop rivets.

Harder to advise on a dent, depends on how bad a were it is, but you usually start at the outer edge and work to the middle.

I'm sure someone can bring a video up on you tube for you.

Tony.

[Erich]

Hi Tony, I am assuming the rivets are removed by grinding away the back side. Do you have such things in your stock?

Erich

[Ken Morton]

My Ulster Rep, arrived in good order, courtesy of British Air. It does have a dent in rad cowl. I see that the filler neck appears to be riveted to the cowl. It is brass, unplated. Is this easily removed and replaced? I would like to repair the dent but don't want a small job grow into a big one.

Any help to a Seven newbie is much appreciated.


Erich

[Dave Wortley]

Erich, could you post a photo please.
Dave.

[Austin in the Shed]

If it is a 1930 rad shell I think It will have 6 domed nickel rivets holding the neck on,which may also be made of nickel.
When I dismantled mine I centre punched the centre of the back/inside of the rivet and carefully drilled them out.
I replaced them with I think M4 button stainless screws with the slot silver soldered up and then slightly reshaped them.
If I were you I'd have the dent repaired professionally unless you are really confident and have the shell polished then nickel or chrome plated,this will look more in period than brass.

[Erich]

Dave(Dye) you are right that there a six rivets. The shell is chrome plated steel and the neck is unplated brass, or apparently unplated. I plan to have the dent repaired professionally, but thought the neck needed to be removed in order for plating. Dave(Wortley) I will try to take a photo in the next couple of days(the car is in storage at the moment).

Erich

[Peter Naulls]

Erich,

Brass or copper rivets are readily available. I got all the parts plated before reassembling.

Drill or machine a small indentation in the end of a piece of steel rod, the same size as the rivet head. Stick a layer of masking tape into the recess to protect the plating from scratching and support the rod vertically in a vice. Insert a couple of rivets to hold the neck in place on the shell then turn the whole assembly upside down with one rivet head resting on the end of steel rod. You'll need a friend to hold the shell in place at this point. Now gently peen over the underside of the first rivet before moving on to the others in turn.

Having spent many hundreds of pounds getting the shell plated I was quite apprehensive - but it all went without a hitch.

Peter.