This is going to seem very lightweight next to people pulling the engine, but could be useful for anyone who has similar issue with the WSM.

I bought my set well over ten years ago, when people didn't seem very interested in the 928, and I only paid less than $100 equivalent for a set which was unused. Unfortunately the seller had kept the manuals stored flat in a box, so most of the 4-ring binders had distorted so that pages were difficult to turn, and there was risk of tearing to the holes. Some of the rings were in considerably worse state than this, with a big gap between the jaws.


Easiest thing would be to buy another set of grey empty binders, but I could never find any with the right pockets on spine to carry the labels. Yes I could have copied/printed them and fudged a solution, but I like original!
Lockdown creates time for all sorts of projects. I bought some 4-ring A4 binding strips identical in dimensions to originals (80mm between rings, 25mm D-ring size), a box of 6mm binding rivets, and a hand rivet setting tool to match.


I took each volume, emptied the pages, and used a Dremel to grind down the rivets that hold in the metal binding strip.


I could then punch out the old rivets with a suitably sized punch and hammer. Next you insert new rivets, locate the new binding strip over the rivets, and use the rivet setting tool to install the rivets. The original rivets are 6mm too, so the new ones fit nice and tightly into the holes in the binder cover. The tool is very nice — it uses a 'male' part shaped for the hollow rivet hole, and a tiny 'anvil' in which the head of the rivet sits. In practice that anvil is sitting on the other side of the folder right hand side, while you set the rivets on the inner side.








Then you just fill up the folder with the pages, and enjoy the ease of being able to flip through without worrying about the pages snagging!

 

I Wonder why the original binder rings cannot just be bent back to shape. I also wonder where one might find the replacement 4 ring back.

 

I tried bending them back but was not successful, and was worried about causing more damage!

Do you mean finding the metal strips or the complete folders? I couldn’t find folders with display pockets at top and bottom of spine. The metal strips are standard European A4 sizes so easy for me to find on eBay from a company specialising in old school binders/sales presenters.

 

That's what I meant - just the ring "thing."

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302742778495

 

Great write-up, but I'd worry about losing points in concours for non-original parts.

 

I used nickel rivets just like the originals, so may sneak it past the judges!