fixing a broken water bottle braze-on or rivet
 

I have an old mountain bike I'm fixing up and one of the water bottle cage rivets or braze ons (not sure which name is correct) spins in place. I can get the screw out, but how do I get the rivet/braze on out of the frame (which is Aluminum) and install a new one? Thanks in advance!

I's almost certainly a Riv-Nut or equivelent so try tightening the existing one. These things are a bit like Moly anchors

Get a moderately long M5x.8 bolt, say 25 mm long or longer and a matching nut. Any decent hardware store or home center will have them. Thread the nut up the bolt and then thread the bolt well into the loose water bottle cage fitting Hold the bolt head stationary with a screwdriver, allen wrench or what ever tool is appropriate and thread the nut down against the top of the loose fitting. Then tighten the nut firmly against the fitting using an open end wrench.

That should expand the fitting and lock it back in place.

I've also heard of the same procedure being done using a qr skewer and a piece of small diameter pipe as a spacer. Put the spacer on the skewer and thread the skewer into the fitting until the spacer is snugly trapped between the fitting and the cam-lever end. Then carefully close the skewer lever to compress the fitting and tighten it up.

The nut and bolt technique is easier.

Thanks HillRider! I'll give it a shot.

That technique is described at the Park Tool site.

There's also a specific tool that does said job, in one second or less.

Well worth it, IF you have a bike shop and are doing this repair on a regular basis. For a one-time fix, the nut and bolt or skewer technique is plenty good.

precisely

:)

The Park technique is killer. Works like a charm, and a 2 minute fix for what can be a very annoying problem.

I had some rivnuts put in a bike a few years ago. I now have another old steel frame with no fittings for a bottle cage. No one has the rivnuts any more. Where can I get them?

If you find that you don't have a riv-nut and the braze-on just spins, you can drill it out and install a riv-nut. Plenty of people carry them :

http://www.mcmaster.com
http://www.aimfasteners.com
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/search/search.php
http://www.hansonrivet.com/w64.htm

Don't put an aluminium riv-nut on a steel frame and vice-versa.

nutsert/rivnut
 

favorite little rivnut/nutsert tool.

http://www.craig-ultima.com/images/2...ivnut-tool.jpg

I'm willing to pay for someone to do this unless I can do it for an investment of $25 or less. Is there? If not, who can do it for me?

One thing you can do is order some Zefal Gizmos and forego having riv nuts installed. That is what I did to add a bottle cage to my Falcon.


http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...n/bikes005.jpg

Does the Park technique lock it in place for good?