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Vent grilles - how do you get 'em off without breaking them?


RallyJeff
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So... one of the plastic vent grilles at the base of the windshield is missing on my truck. I could probably find one in a wreckers around here fairly easily, but I have no clue how to get one out without breaking it.

 

I poked around at the one on the other side to get some inspiration, but I couldn't see any obvious way to do it. Anyone here have any experience with this? Is this one of those things where you just rip it off and then replace the plastic fasteners?

Edited by RallyJeff
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they're called push rivets, you'll see little rectangles with a round pin in the center. [O]

Push the pin down about 1/4 inch and the barbed bottom half will slide in to grooves that were in the part you pushed down.

Then slide a blade or small screw driver under the head to get the rivet out.(or it may just fall apart and jump away you push the pin)

once all the rivets are out (or likely broken) lift the grille upward and foward.

IME most the 15~20 yr old plastic push rivets break on removal. but they are handy when they work; insert the pin to lock, push it partway thru to release remove and re-install the pin again to lock.

 

If its faded and gray scuff the plasic with a scotch brite, get in the grooves and then whipe with ~50% alchol (drugstore 70% 2:1 water or industrial 90%+ 1:1 water)and spray with your favorite rattle can.

 

Push rivets can be found @ most parts stores but they are usually round head veriety. buy the largest ones that will fit thru those square holes and square off the head with a razor blade or exacto knife.

Edited by MY1PATH
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Once I removed mine to paint them, I used speed nuts and black screws to secure them back in place. The speed nuts come in different lengths and simply slide on to the metal tabs that the plastic push rivets went into. Works great and I can easily remove them again when I need to.

speed-nut-01.jpg

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I used zap-straps (zip-ties) after mine broke when I was trying to remove them to clear out the accumulated leaves....I always thought it was ghetto. Now, after reading other solutions, I'll go dig out my speed nuts. Yay!

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:o

 

how did you make those mesh ones??

i would like some as that would keep all the @!*% from falling into the cooling box

I bought a sheet of the mesh at the hardware store, took my stock grills off and traced them onto the mesh, cut them out, primed, painted and stuck them in place.

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The metal ones look nice but frequently you will need to clean that area and it's difficult to remove the adhesive tape each time. I bought those clips for mine and I'm very happy to have the possibility to clean safe and easy.

http://www.clipsandfasteners.com/Cowl_Grille_Retainers_Nissan_p/pas1756-25.htm

Never had to remove them, the holes are small enough that nothing gets in to be cleaned out.

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Never had to remove them, the holes are small enough that nothing gets in to be cleaned out.

 

that's cause its a 93. Those cowls have cross mesh in them to make the holes small; that's why I switched for them instead of the earlier ones. which are just 3/8 inch slats with 3/8 inch gap between them.

 

as they say..the hole was that big

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but really twice as wide(I can't firgure out how to make the text box do what I want).

Edited by LittleReD89
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In my parking area, are some trees which make small leaves and flowers. When they are dry enough they fall on to my car and come in to grilles. That tree makes flowers for tea (I don't know the translation name). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tilia-cordata2.JPG

I tried to glue an insects net on the back but the material of the grille is hard to glue.

Edited by camsonat
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