Where to find this type fastener?

[moribundman]

It's from the lower engine cover of my A4. Unfortunately these twist-fasteners rust after a few years. Any idea where I might find this kind of fastener made out of aluminum or stainless steel? The head has a coin slot in it, but that's not critical.

The shaft diameter is 6 mm, but flares to almost 7 mm.

Feel free to laugh at my salmon fingers. I blame the carnage on the Swix.

 

[duaneb9729]

are they expensive at the Audi dealer?

 

[moribundman]

Probably they cost $5 to $10 a piece. I need 6 of them.

The original fasteners didn't rust, but the dealer lost them during the first two years of "servicing" the vehicle. The painted (!!! -- not OEM?) replacement fasteners, also from the dealer, have all rusted. The one in the picture is an original that I saved as a sample. It's made from plated steel.

 

[tom slick]

are you interested in retrofitting a more common fastener?

 

[duaneb9729]

oh heck no i would pay that either!

could you put in studs like they used to do to hold hoods down on race cars in the 70's?

 

[j_mac]

Isn't that a common Dzus fastener? Souces would be Jegs, Summit Racing, Speedway Motors, etc... or the best; Aircraft Spruce and Specialty company. Aircraft Spruce is in your backyard in California.

Dzus Fastener.

 

[huffmuds9320]

You could check some hardware stores to see if they have something that may fit. I usually put a little bit of grease or lubricant before screwing it in to help prevent rust.

 

[NYEngineer]

I sometimes use plastic rivets on stuff like that and just cut them off and replace them when I need to remove a cover.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: j_mac
Isn't that a common Dzus fastener? Souces would be Jegs, Summit Racing, Speedway Motors, etc... or the best; Aircraft Spruce and Specialty company. Aircraft Spruce is in your backyard in California.

Dzus Fastener.


Correct! I thought it was an aircraft type fastener. I googled DZUS and found the same kind of fastener (Panex style) with the matching clip (slip-on receiver). I'll have to see if Aircraft Spruce has them in stock and if they sell them in small numbers. I've bought from those guys before.

 

[moribundman]

Yup, Aircraft Spruce has them in zinc plated for $1.94 and in stainless steel for $2.95 each.

 

[NYEngineer]

The Dzus factory is about three miles from my house in Bayshore, Long Island. I don't think they sell to the public, though.

 

[tom slick]

your fastener looks like a 1/2 turn, all of the panex I find are 1/4 turn. probably doesn't make a difference though.

 

[moribundman]

Yeah, I doubt it matters. I could also get the slip-on receivers in case mine don't work.

What more common fastener did you have in mind? I do want fasteners that come out in no time for quick access.

 

[Shannow]

The ones I've seen on my on roaders were a sort of split arrangement with a central "plunger" that split the plastic rivet, causing it to fasten.

Pull the pin and they released.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
The ones I've seen on my on roaders were a sort of split arrangement with a central "plunger" that split the plastic rivet, causing it to fasten.

Pull the pin and they released.


That is common here as well and available at Lowes'. Only issue is sand gets in the works and makes pulling the center pin out difficult.

 

[moribundman]

Shannow, some of the plastic rivets with plunger are used to fasten the wheel well shrouds and some interior parts.

I actually found a spare slip-on receiver, and it's indeed made by DZUS:

This small image shows about the original size of the fastener, if your monitor has about 100 dpi resolution:

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
Shannow, some of the plastic rivets with plunger are used to fasten the wheel well shrouds and some interior parts.


Yep, they hold the inner arches onto my Nissan as it turns out.

 

[tom slick]

Panex or Camloc. the military uses a lot of Camlocs.

 

[andyd]

I used to work with similar fasters racking and stacking telephone and network transmission muxes. J nuts and 3/16 or #12 screws. A little more cumbersome perhaps than 1/2 turn jobs but available at a decent hardware store.