Are these rivets?

[TLRich]

I need to pull the end off of my Z-spar boom so I can replace the line in the outhaul double-block system, and I am not sure what these are. Are they drillable? Are they aluminum rivets in the middle of a stainless piece, or something else? Stainless rivets or maybe some other kind of fastener? TIA

[mlydon]

They certainly look like classic pop rivets, probably stainless. Just use a drill bit a bit larger than the center hole to ream away the rim from the shaft - the rim should come free, then you drive the shaft through the hole with a nail or whatever.

Matt

[Nicholson58]

Check with the vendor. I’m not familiar with that fastener.

I assume the old line is gone.

I suggest you get a plumbers fish tape and do it without disassembling. A long skinny pole, PVC pipe, conduit etc.

[nuku34]

Looks like a stainless or Monel pop rivet to me.
If you need to remove them, your only option is to drill them out. I would suggest you first use a punch the same diameter as the solid centre of the rivet to punch out the centre "pin", then use a drill a bit bigger in diameter to drill out the hollow shank of the rivet. The drill motor should be on low speed and use cutting oil. A cobalt drill bit would be a good tool. High-speed bits get dull really fast when drilling stainless.

Its really not a big deal, I've drilled out hundreds of pop rivets over the years.

[skipperpete]

What Nuku34 said …it’s a very good plan.
They look like stainless steel “Magnalocks”