bigearl56

Anyone installed a firewall pad lately. Well let me tell you its a bear without a special tool. I could not get the tip of the fastner to go through the pad and the firewall and catch. I tried to use a punch but only pushed through the fastner. Figured there must be a tool for this so I went to see my friend at Va Vettes. He thought for a minute and said, lets make one. He's one of those engineer types. Soo! here is what we came up with and it works like a charm.
Short section of wood closet rod (cost $0) found in bottom of old tool box
Short section 1/4x20 threaded rod (cost $0) found in junk box
2 1/4x20 nuts (cost $0) everybody has a couple extra nuts
1 large 1/4 fender washer (cost $0) left over from last restoration job
Thanks to Va Vettes!

Enjoy









Some progress, back end is done and most trim on.





C1 Guys "Gotta Love This"




Earl

JL66REDCPE

thank you for sharing this with us

Vogie

Cool tool! Now if I could find my spare nuts.

shooter1951

Anyone installed a firewall pad lately. Well let me tell you its a bear without a special tool. I could not get the tip of the fastner to go through the pad and the firewall and catch. I tried to use a punch but only pushed through the fastner. Figured there must be a tool for this so I went to see my friend at Va Vettes. He thought for a minute and said, lets make one. He's one of those engineer types. Soo! here is what we came up with and it works like a charm.
Short section of wood closet rod (cost $0) found in bottom of old tool box
Short section 1/4x20 threaded rod (cost $0) found in junk box
2 1/4x20 nuts (cost $0) everybody has a couple extra nuts
1 large 1/4 fender washer (cost $0) left over from last restoration job
Thanks to Va Vettes!

Enjoy

Hey Earl,

Had the same problem this summer, LIC has a tool that works similar as the one you made. As you said if you aren't careful you punch through the end. I bought an extra pack for that reason.

Good luck with the restoration!!

Shooter

53 Blue Flame Brett

Invention is the result of necessity.

Good job! Looking great!

Enjoy your car!!!!!!

wallemon

Good old yankee.....er, southern? ingenuity!

Nice work....looking good.

JohnZ

That's exactly what we used on the line in the plant, except ours was made from a phillips screwdriver, end ground to a round shape, with a washer brazed to the shaft so the shaft was about 1/4" longer than the rubber plug (as yours is). The plugs were heated in a bench-top tray under a heat lamp, and the shaft part of the plug was dipped in a 50-50 Joy soap/water solution before installing them; the inside guy pushed them through, and the outside guy grabbed the tip with a pair of duckbill pliers and pulled to seat the plug.

Vogie

Just when you envision some factory high tech solution using special tools, along comes JohnZ with duck bill pliers and soapy water.

Grey Ghost

bigearl56

Funny you should say that, using a worn out phillips. That was our first thought, but we had no welder. My friend said hay lets use this old 1/4-20 threaded rod and that way you can set the depth where you want it. Plans are to take the washer and have it tacked to the first nut as that was the weak link, washer would fall off after installation. To me this is some of the fun while restring a car. If it was easy everybody would be doing it.

Earl

Hitch

Earl, Timely post sir. I have the new insulation for the firewall that I will be completing this task this winter. Now I know how to make the tool. Thank you. Dave

Harps

Dave, how ironic, you were just talking about this yesterday.

Earl, great job on the tool, pics, and installation. She's looking great!

robert miller

Nice job and love the shop...

OCS1667

I did that 3 years ago, and my thumb still gets the chills.

Great idea.
Dennis

shemp

Did you ask your wife? Mine always knows where my nuts are.

Shemp