Thread: Rivnut selection for chequer plate install

You will eventually get some corossion with disimilar metals, or even different grades of the same alloy, in close contact.

Whatever combination you choose, use duralac jointing compound. Its ideal for stainless in aluminium

Duralac Jointing Compound DTD 369B


The munufacturer site says UK delivery only. It is available locally from boat chandleries

Thanks Grappler. Looked up Duralac and there are indeed a few possible marine shop outlets, and interestingly even BCF!

I had also sent an email to Patriot to which I got a quick a pretty comprehensive reply. I paste it in below for anyone else's possible future interest. In summary though, with your advice and Patriot, I'll use aluminium nutserts and coat the stainless fixings in Duralac paste.

From Patriot UK:

Hi Alex

Thank you for contacting us, we are always happy to provide any
technical help we can to our customers, and we hope you are happy with
your purchase.

We would always recommend the Aluminium rivnuts as with any other
material, galvanic corrosion on the vehicle panel can occur, however the
steel cadmium plated rivnuts are much stronger and if the rivnut is
coated or sealed with paint (or any other durable water proof coating)
galvanic corrosion can not occur.
We would definitely not recommend a stainless steel rivnut as the
stainless steel fixings we supply could easily gall and cause you much
distress, stainless steel against stainless steel tends to gall and this
is a type of cold welding, if this happened you would have to first
drill out the screw and then the rivnut and then start again, it can be
prevented by using plenty of PTFE lubricant but as we have found out it
is not a guarantee.
We would also recommend any kind of lubricant or grease when screwing in
the fasteners as this acts as a good barrier against all types of
corrosion, if you can eliminate either water, air or contact between
dissimilar materials this stops any and all corrosion problems.

Best Regards
Paul Hogarth

I just used aluminium rivets.
Never had to take them off in ten years. Problem solved.

Originally Posted by rick130

I just used aluminium rivets.

Me too. With sikaflex underneath. Often wondered why some people screw them on.

The old way was to use a standard rivit. Over time things have developed and the Rivinut/Screw fitting is now used as a matter of course, it offers a higher quality finish, than a standard rivit. And Patriot decided to run with Rivinuts in keeping with what land rover fitted as standard.

Saying that the Patriot chequer plate we sell, can be purchased with a counter bore hole, and fixed with land rover standard rivits.

100% recommend Duralac, around 20 odd years ago I helped dad rebuild an oldRed Band 50HP Mercury, as anyone who has had dealings with these will know theysuffered from internal corrosion quite severely, long story short is we coatedall internal water alleys and threaded castings, used S/S bolts and 2 yearslater tore it down for an inspection.... every bolt unscrewed with no gallingor binding and all the Duralac was still in the water alleys..... Have used itever since when assembling Aluminium and never have a corrosion problem.

Originally Posted by juddy

The old way was to use a standard rivit. Over time things have developed and the Rivinut/Screw fitting is now used as a matter of course, it offers a higher quality finish, than a standard rivit. [snip]

A higher standard of finish ?

On a Deefer that's riveted everywhere else ?

FWIW rivnuts/nutserts have been around forever, I was using them on racecars twenty years ago and they'd been around since the forties or fifties on aircraft and racecars soon after, but why go to the hassle and expense if the panel doesn't need to be removed ?

Sorry if this comes over as a little strong, I don't mean it that way, it's just that using a rivnut isn't a better way, it's just another way to do it and one that takes more work for no benefit, at least IMO.

Originally Posted by rick130

A higher standard of finish ?

On a Deefer that's riveted everywhere else ?

FWIW rivnuts/nutserts have been around forever, I was using them on racecars twenty years ago and they'd been around since the forties or fifties on aircraft and racecars soon after, but why go to the hassle and expense if the panel doesn't need to be removed ?

Sorry if this comes over as a little strong, I don't mean it that way, it's just that using a rivnut isn't a better way, it's just another way to do it and one that takes more work for no benefit, at least IMO.

Dont think its got anything to do with it being riveted else where, its just a more modern fitting. or used more now than it once was.

No not strong at all, its a forum after all. But from what i have experienced over the last year or so, 8/10 people have no idea what a Rivnut is.

And from a rivnut point of view thats the all point of it, you don't have to remove a panel to fit a counter sunk screw, just Drill and fit the rivnut. Alot of the time thats the only way you can fit counter sinks to some body panels, Puma bonnet is one of them...

The benefit is it look a million times better finish, in land rovers opinion.