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MG MGA - engine number plate removal

I seem to remember that there is an easy method for removal of the engine number plate rivets, but I can't recall what it is. Searched the archive and Barney's site, no luck. Can someone help here?

Thanks!
George
George G.

They twist out. If you can grab them with locking pliers, that works. If not, use a deemed to cut a slot and is a screw driver to turn them out. Todd Clarke sells new ones.

Jim
JL Cheatham

“deemed” above should have been Dremel. Stupid auto spelling correction.

Jim
JL Cheatham

Here's Todd Clarke's removal process:

"The ID plate is held to the block with two hardened steel round head type U Drive Screws (spiral shank drive rivet). Using a thin but stiff tool, carefully pry up against the underside of the plate near the rivets. Once the rivets have been loosened, they can be gripped with a plier or vise-grip tool and pulled out. Original rivets can be reused. If the heads have been chiseled off, it will be almost impossible to get the rest of the rivet out of the block. Fortunately, the rivet holes are deeper than need be and the broken rivet can be driven further into the block. The fresh rivet will have to be shortened to fit the new shallow hole."

http://www.clarkespares.com/images/ENGINE%20PLATE%20FLIER.pdf
Nick Kopernik

OK, thanks guys!
George G.

I had to do the punching of shanks further into the bores on mine because the heads were long gone. Depending on how attached one might be to their original engine block and having it look right, there's no reason a machine shop couldn't EDM out a stubborn rivet shank just as they could any other broken fastener.

-Del
D Rawlins

How much easier for us here in Australia, all the numbers are punched straight onto the engine block!
It seems this was a Govt. requirement to stop tampering with the numbers! Did they trust us?
Barry.
Barry Gannon

This thread was discussed between 28/10/2019 and 31/10/2019

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