removing and reinstalling serial # plate

[Warren]

I am replacing a cracked front water bolster and need to reinstall the serial number plate. How do I gently remove the old plate and what procedure do I need to follow to reinstall? Do I dare drill into the new casting? Also what fasteners and where to purchase. thanks, Warren

[ricky racer]

You should be able to pull the original drive screws out if you can get hold of them with a pair of pliers or vise grips. The replacement bolster should have the holes drilled for the serial number plate. Drive screws are used to secure the serial plate to the bolster. I don't remember the correct size screw but you should be able to measure the holes and determine the correct size. Below is what the drive screws look like.

[Glen]

Hi,
They have said on here before to use a thin putty knife and gently tap it in behind the serial number plate, near the corners, to start the rivets out of the holes, if you can't get pliers to hold on the heads of the rivets.
Be careful and don't damage the plate if the rivet is too tight in the hole to come out.
TM Tractor Parts, sells new plates, it says in their listings they come with new rivets, they might sell rivets for them too, I don't know. You could ask them if they sell rivets.

[Barnyard]

George Willer had a great way to remove the rivets. Unfortunately, the photo was lost when his website went down.

Here is the link to the How To without the photo. Maybe you can get an idea from the text. viewtopic.php?f=147&t=16549&p=117479#p117479

Don't try this method without a notched putty knife or you will likely destroy the corners of the plate.

[Bob McCarty]

If the rivets are brass, you can carefully drill off the heads, remove the sn plate and then drill out the shanks of the rivets.

[Barnyard]

remove the sn plate and then drill out the shanks of the rivets.

The nice part is that he won't have to drill out the shanks since he is not using that bolster.

[goxu1]

Slightly off topic , but I have a spare booster and 3 of the serial plate holes are about 6mm deep and the 3th seems to be about 3mm deep
I tried drilling but couldn’t get anywhere
I was thinking that if it was part of a river it should be easy to drill but it was hard
I’m now thinking it’s a broken drill bit
So , do I fit 3 rivets and cut the 4th to suit the hole?

[Don McCombs]

You could try a small tungsten carbide Dremel bit, if you have access to one.

https://www.amazon.com/Dremel-9905-Tung ... 4UDJN?th=1

[Barnyard]

Don't drill too deep.

[JimCub48]

You could try to use a left twist drill bit, but tape the bit as a measurement so you don't go to deep.

[ricky racer]

Slightly off topic , but I have a spare booster and 3 of the serial plate holes are about 6mm deep and the 3th seems to be about 3mm deep
I tried drilling but couldn’t get anywhere
I was thinking that if it was part of a river it should be easy to drill but it was hard
I’m now thinking it’s a broken drill bit
So , do I fit 3 rivets and cut the 4th to suit the hole?

If it were me, I think that is the approach I would take. Trying to drill out a broken drill bit will most likely only end up making the hole larger in diameter. If you think short drive screw is likely to come out, I'd put a dab of epoxy in the hole to help secure it.