I've used this arrangement to set rivnuts for my door locks and my snorkel. It works well although the thread strips after a couple of goes, so i've got through a few bolts.

If you dont have something like the socket that you can stop from rotating the rivnut will rotate too and it won't set.

Oiling the washers makes it a lot smoother in use.

Luke

I can do better (simpler) than that!

Drill the thread out of a nut of the same size as the riv-nut. Stick bolt through drilled nut separated by a couple of washers and screw in to riv-nut. Hold nut in a spanner in one hand and drive bolt with a socket in the other. Any hay presto, you have a tool which does not need three hands to operate!

My Riv-nut tool in action

I found that the rivnut started rotating when i tried it that way

good job I've got three hands

Luke

I've used this 'tool' a fair bit where space is too tight from my grown up tool. I would respectfully suggest that if the rivnut rotates, the hole you've drilled is too big. A bit of super-glue usually sorts it though.

Si

I am trying to make this tool work. I have changed the bulkhead on my 90 for a brand new LR replacement and need to replace the rivnuts for the steering column and heater to mount on.

I also bought the rivnut (nutserts) from LR main stealer - based on the part numbers from Microcat.

But the rivnut has easily 2mm of play around in the hole and simply spins.

I am at a loss! And really need to get the 90 back on the road.

help!

which way did you do it?

My way, the riv nut will not spin at all, even when out of the hole, you do however need 3 hands!

If you used a rachet spanner on the nut you could do it with two hands (the other hand holding both mole grip and spanner on bolt head).

Going one step further, how about replacing the socket with a piece of bored out hex bar. Now use a pair of those neat X-eng keyfob/multitools welded to an improvised handle to form a double headed spanner that can now hold both the hexbar and bolt.

I fit around 4 baulkheads a week and to set the nuts I have a peice of metal with a hole in it the same size as the bolt. Place the rivnut in the hole, then place the piece of metal on the nut and bolt through the metal and into the nut. Do up as you would normally and it will set the nut. Once done just undo the bolt and nut is set.
Made quicker as I use a 3/8 air gun aswell. Normally about 10secs a nut.

Got a pic?

This is far better!

It's alrite for some! dead posh, want one!!

Luke

Not that expensive either about the 70 quid mark as i remember.

Still not cheap, but then again beats struggling.

Very true, but i only had to do 6 and i didnt really struggle, though the bolt did, it took three of them as they stripped a bit too easily. oh well, dont need to do any more for a while.

Luke