Nail Anchors

Michael J. McLaughlin wrote:

John, well the summer is over and I'm about to tear into the cat... Can you give me a part # for the correct "nail anchor" (air rail removal) as Home Depot has all sorts of fasteners like that...TIA mike

Here is the info on the nail anchors I used -- the ones I got at Home Depot:

Star Anchors and Specialty Fasteners
1/4" by 1"
2615-32178 (part number)
31916 26096 (number under bar code)

This is for a box of 40. Enough for 3 V12s and 1 Opel Kadette.

I don't have the info here but can find it if you need.

On the chance you will visit a hardware store in the interim, here is what to look for:

The 'Nail Anchors' look like a pop rivet on steroids. They are aluminum, have a steel nail protruding to set them (you hammer in the nail to 'set' the anchor). Get them 1/4" in diameter (the diameter of the hole they fit into). I found them 1" long, and cut them back to 5/8" on my bandsaw. You do not have to cut back the nail, only the shank -- this makes cutting them back a lot easier.

Put the original orings (two per cylinder) onto the shank and smear with engine-grade silicone. Insert into the openings, and hammer the nail in. You will probably need a blunt drift to do this -- there is not a lot of room in there for a hammer head.

I had a lot of trepidation when I sank the first one on my engine. I had decided that the expanding aluminum shank would seal tightly, but not enough to cause any damage. Well, that was my theory, when the nail started going in, and reached the point when it just starts to balk...I just kept driving it home, and then it slides in all nice and secure. By the time I got to the fifth cylinder, they were going in as smooth as you want. So you shouldn't have any trouble.