I have a newer Lionel Alaska RR 16214/16487 silver hopper car. One truck is broken. The pivot pin is pressed in. Is there a way I can replace that pin with a correct one if I was to sell this car, or do I need special tools? Otherwise I could install a 3/4" #8 bolt like I did with all of my CN 9013 cars. Anyone know what the book value is of this car and a 26826 searchlight car as I don’t have an up to date price book.
Replacing the rivet with a like rivet requires an arbor press and clinching & anvil tools. I’m in the process of developing this capability to replace the plastic snap rivets used on the MPC 2 bay hoppers. It takes some practice to make a good looking rivet.
Last time I looked to purchase some of those MPC plastic snap in rivets, they were still available. The part number is 9700-20. Trainz has them in stock @ $1.47 for three pieces.
I suppose a metal rivet could also be set with a Brakeman’s riveter outfit. They are less expensive than an arbor (rivet) press outfit.
I have rivets but never use them. The plastic snap-ins or the nut and bolt approach works fine for me.
plastic rivet is 9700-25, according to Lionel. 30 cents per, from them
Jeff kane has them for $0.25 each and his shipping is way cheaper than lionel www.ttender.com he has them listed as 9700-20 thou
Trainz and Smitty have them listed as 9700-20. So does S&W.
600-9700-025 is a self threading flathead screw 4-40 x 1/4". It looks like the screw that holds the shell on a 6464 boxcar.
6SP-9700-025 is a plastic rivet.
There may be a difference between the two plastic rivets. Perhaps the length of the body.
The problem with the 9700-20 plastic snap rivet is it only loosely holds the trucks on. The tubular rivet is too big to be clinched using the brakeman which works best with thin eyelet rivets. The easiest method to attach the truck is a 8-32 screw with locking nut. Hope this helps.
Well I guess I’ll just be installing #8 3/4" long bolt with a nylock nut. When I install them I turn them in tight then turn back out about 1/2 turn.
My question is how do you get those pins out? You try to drill it out and they just spin…
The Brakeman’s Riveter outfit makes two different sized anvils with a toothed top that is supposed to stop the rivet from spinning. I have them, and have had mixed results using them.
I also have a pair of end nippers with the head ground down to fit inside the truck bolster. They work, but leave marks in the truck (but they are not visible when the car is on the track).
Sometimes I just destroy the part I do not want to keep, so I can get a large pair of nippers or a cut off wheel on the body of the rivet.
The serrated anvils were sold by American Flyer as one of their service tools. I believe it was for changing trucks when they came out with knuckle couplers somewhere around 1953.
I remove the rivet with a Dremel cut off disc. From the top if assessable. Cut a + into it until it is weak enough to snap off.
I’ve found there is no one best method to removing a metal rivet. If there is enough play in the rivet, I grab the rivet head with a small pair of vise lock pliers and drill the crimp end out. I’ve not had much success drilling otherwise.
The other approach I use is a Dremel grinding ball. It takes about 5 minutes to grind out the crimp end.
Some types of rolling stock are easier than others. Hoppers are about the most difficult because of the inside recess. Interesting to note some hoppers have the crimp on the inside,
while others have the crimp on the truck side.
Finally some MPC hoppers used a eyelet rivet (ju
Drill into the rivet from an angle with 1/8 to 3/16 bit. It will still spin but it will eventually wear away the edges so it comes out.