Those litle ##*&&@! plastic rivets! (archive)

The center mandrel is just a piece of plastic rod that pushed in from the top and ends flush (precision German engineering ya know!) The need to be pulled back out to remove the fastner.

I have found there are really only two options.

One is to simply drill out the center mandrel and then search all over for something else the correct size to replace it with (or I suppose ya could buy new ones!)

Or 2, make a "Special tool" mandrel extractor... AKA: a drywall screw! LOL!

I have has success by drilling a TINY hole (a few mm deep) in the center of the center mandrell, and using a small sharp tipped drywall screw to screw into the small hole I drilled thereby grabbing ahold of the pllastic mandrell, then pulling up on the screw bringing the mandrel out of the ferrule and ouila!! Out she comes! Then you remove your drywall screw from the center mandrel and reinstall it as before when ready. if you don't want the hole visible, flip the mandrel over upon reinsertion and the extraction hole will not be seen.

God Luck!

Philly Bob

88 735 i's x2

Guys,
I am grateful to my good friend Bruno (famous E-34 website)who found a nice replacement trunk seal for my 90 735il.
The question is...to replace the rear trunk seal there are
a no. of rivets holding down the facia over the rearward
part of the trunk seal. I need to remove this plastic
facia to pull off the seal. I have run into these plastic
rivet like fasteners before. They have a ferrule with lip
that holds the facia down and a center mandrel that expands
to hold the little ferrules in place. The center mandrel is flush with the top of the ferrule. Do I push down on the center mandrel?..to disengage the ferrule so I can get the ferrules off to remove the facia? No undercut or groove to pry the mandrels out from the center of the ferrules so presume you push down to disengage these fasteners?
Thanks for any advise.
George
90 735il/145k

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