Replacing in boom outhaul - rivet question

[Rebel Rebel]

Needing to replace my outhaul set up I have removed the boom ends from my Selden boom set up on a Westerly Merlin. I'm puzzling about the salty grey looking stub in the picture. This is on the inside of where the rivets were, but only on the inboard end. There are 4 identical parts where each rivet was, they didn't fall off when I drilled the rivet head off. I was assuming that they are the inside of rivets that have corroded to the boom end and I should attack them with a multitool or drill, but I wanted to check first in case they were a spacer or something that was meant to be there.

Any advice.

Secondly any advice on how to remove them if that is the case?

 

[fredrussell]

Certainly looks like the remains of a rivet to me. Give it a little tap using a centre punch - should just pop off.

 

[doug748]

I am pretty sure fred is correct. If you drill and tap the casting you can replace the rivets with stainless screws which makes future work much easier. Put them in with waterproof grease and it will avoid corrosion problems, a check and new dab of grease every few years and taking the boom apart becomes easy,
I have done the same with mast heels and other easily accessed stuff.

.

 

[Mark-1]

If you can, replace with bolts, IMHO. Rivets are convenient and fast for the factory but not as good as a bolt if you have time and patience to fiddle it into place. (IMHO)

 

[vyv_cox]

If you can, replace with bolts, IMHO. Rivets are convenient and fast for the factory but not as good as a bolt if you have time and patience to fiddle it into place. (IMHO)

I agree. I used Rivnuts, making removal of the end cap simple. It came in useful when my crew mistakenly pulled both the reefing pennants out of the boom