Hi guys,
My rear passenger actuator on my EB seems to be making noise but doing jack so i need to replace it.
Do i have to remove the rivets holding the bracket on the door its attached to in order to get it out ?
Or is there a small socket that will fit into the bolts attaching the actuator to the bracket that can be used instead ?
Basically i want to get it of without much complications.
Cheers,

Should be bolted or screwed on mate the rivots are only used for the handles if I remember correctly which anyhow can be drilled with a cordless drill and replaced with small matching bolts

They have riveted the actuator bracket to the doors. Ok so i guess im drilling them out. Annoying.

I think ford have the rivots in store but I'm unsure as to how they are put in

Ok guys i have just finished replacing the rear passenger actuator on my EB door. Just for future reference for anyone wanting or needing to do this it is quite simple.

1. Replacement actuator i got was a genuine Ford wrecker one that i know does not need to be modified to fit the car.
2. The actuator has 3 bolts holding it to the riveted bracket on the door.
3. Using a 5mm socket with small ratchet is all thats needed to undo these. Small hands help.

No cutting or bashing out any rivets etc is necessary.

After removing the actuator and replacing it, obviously put the trim back together and your done.

Hey man,

Didn't see this earlier...

Easy job to get them out... You get a pin punch and being very cautious of the fingers and fist you hold it on the centre piece of the rivet and give one extremely hard sharp fast flow with a small mallet or heavy hammer and it will knock the rivet centre out...

You then drill the rivet out like a normal pop rivet (can't be drilled prior because the centre of the drill wont drill the hard steel stem in the rivet centre)...

You then replace what you need to and purchase 1/4" normal aluminum blind rivets from a hardware or machine shop... And use a std pop rivet gun to reinstall them... Next time you need to get them out it is very simple to drill the normal rivet out and replace...

I did this on all my doors when fitting the EF/EL trims as you need to free the actuators to change the door rods to the internal handles... I have had to remove the actuators on occasion and it is now a very simple easy process...

So many people get upset over these factory rivets and replace them with bolts but nobody seems to just replace them with normal blind rivets which don't pose any hassle and if I can find them easily enough here in the country then most of you city guys on here should have no worries... They cost me only some small pocket change each and I'll just buy a dozen as I need them...

One thing to note I guess is most small hand rivet guns will not accept 1/4" rivet stems... They have the next stem up from the normal 4 included anvils which screw into the nose... You need a larger riveter which will accept the big stems... This also applies to pneumatic guns, I am yet to see a pneumatic gun which will accept 1/4" rivets...

Cheers,
Tim

Thanks for your help Tim.
Was going to attempt to hit them them out with a punch but was worried about damaging the door or my hand if i missed.
Definately good advice you have given for putting EF / EL trims which is a nice little mod to do also.
Cheers,

No worries man!

The worst is one of the rear door rivets in the actuators... Can't remember whether it is the upper or lower one now but one has very little steel around the rivet and it really does need to be a first time good sharp whack otherwise you just end up panel beating the door in and like me, if you do this because you're afraid of whacking your knuckles then you'll be using a pair of multigrips or similar to straighten the tag back out when you you're pop riveting the actuator back in...

Also forgot to mention, the genuine ford rivets which spread into 3 at the back and then snap the stem off so you can't drill them out easily later, are worth some ridiculous amount like $3 or $4 each trade... I can get a handful of normal blind rivets for that...

Cheers,
Tim