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St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
A tip re door lock handle clip removal
EDIT: Additional pics and explanation added in Post #25
Just my experience with the door lock handle removal issue, maybe this will help the next guy. I had searched out several threads about removing the window crank handles and the door locks on the C-2's. I had bought the tool, and went after the panels this weekend. Just as predicted, the tool makes very short work of the window cranks. Just as predicted, it didn't help with the door lock. So I took some twine, and later a shop rag, and "went fishing". I spent over an hour Sunday night with no luck.
Last night I went back at it and spent another hour. I used a couple screwdrivers to spread the lock away from the plastic disc so I could see. Really wished I had one of those magnifiers that you wear over your head, or else a light. Holding a spotlight in one hand and a magnifying glass in the other didn't leave any hands to work with. But I tried all sorts of stuff and just couldn't get a straight shot at the wire ends - they were hidden.
Finally after an hour I started smelling a rat, and about the same time I put the smallest Allen wrench in my collection in a vice grips, and managed to unclip the passenger side. The driver's side was a bit mangled from my efforts but finally was ably to get needle nose pliers on it and dragged out.
So what caused all this PITA? If I understand, the clips on all of these are supposed to be the same. BUT somebody in the past replaced the lock clips with a smaller version. No matter how you dragged a rag or string around in there, the ends were protected and unable to get yanked. I can't give specific advice on what to do but CAN suggest you be sure they are all the same. My first clue was realizing (after all the time I had spent) that while the window clips were silver, what I was seeing down in the lock handle were black. Bubba sure does get around!
Last edited by Railroadman; 09-28-2021 at 02:10 PM.
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Originally Posted by GTOguy
A shop rag will work, too. Has enough surface area to grab the ends of the clip and spread it.
That's my whole point. The smaller clip snuggled farther into the slots, and I could not get anything to either engage the loop part, not catch the legs. I wore a piece of twine in half and shuffled a shop rag back and forth from every possible angle for a LONG time and it just would not catch ANYTHING.
I had 1 that I couldn't remove, I resorted to drilling the center and putting in a self tapping screw, walla lock **** in hand, Bubba installed it with JB Weld. Long live Bubba
A nylon stocking or ladies underwear work well to grab the open ends of the clip until your wife comes out in the garage and finds her favorite pair ruined. OUCH that hurt.
A piece of baling wire with a small hook on the end to grab the head of the clip. Also have used the flat metal from an old wiper blade with a hook bent on the end.
OP….don’t get frustrated or waste more time trying to explain your point…..most people don’t bother to read your whole post and just want to post something in response.
But don’t worry, I understand what you mean and did not know a small clip would shroud the ends so you CANNOT use the rag trick…or T shirt like I use.
OP….don’t get frustrated or waste more time trying to explain your point…..most people don’t bother to read your whole post and just want to post something in response.
.
Its amazing how frequently that is the case around here....
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Oh, I roll with the punches! If this had been the standard clips I'm sure there would have been no problem getting them out. You can see by the pic the "replacements" were considerably smaller. Those little things sure snugged down in to where not much was exposed. If I'd been through the process before it would not have taken so long to realize SOMETHING was wacky. My post wasn't so much to say HOW to get them out, it was to inform that if Bubba puts in a non-standard part, sometimes that can changes how the game needs to be played.
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Originally Posted by R66
ladies underwear work well to grab the open ends of the clip
Ron
My wife is quite willing to come out and hold a light or lend an extra hand when needed. Next time I have this operation, I will say "Hey honey, I have an idea...why don't you....."
Oh I just had to deal with this a few weeks ago and I ended up using one of those hook tools from harbor freight ! Same thing on mine too, one of the clips was smaller and the leg was harder to catch !
My wife is quite willing to come out and hold a light or lend an extra hand when needed. Next time I have this operation, I will say "Hey honey, I have an idea...why don't you....."
Yea, so does mine, but sometimes the price for her help is higher than I am willing to pay.
The thin cloth may pull down in the groove for the clip enough to catch the ends, that is why I use her underwear instead of mine or a shop towel, etc. For the new clips you generally have to catch the head to pull it out and that is why the two methods are necessary. I have had to use the baling wire with a hook as you can put it in with the hook parallel to the clip and then turn it 90 degrees to engage it in the loop.
EVERYONE seems to have had to buy new ones after one or more went on a journey into the Twilight Zone.lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll. Second only to the Jesus Clip for frustration.
Ron
A small right-angle hook formed onto the end of a paper clip also works.
When I reinstalled the lock **** on the driver's door of my '63, I took a bit of advice that appeared somewhere on this forum a while back, which was to tie a piece of heavy black sewing thread onto the loop of the horseshoe clip with several inches of "tail" on the thread. I tucked nearly all of the tail under the ****, and you'd have to look mighty hard to see it against the black door panel. I can now get that lock **** off in less than two seconds without a tool of any kind.
I know what you went through to get those clips out. A few years ago, a poster on the forum here mentioned using some clear thin fishing line on the clip before installing handles and locks. Made removal a breeze. Just tie the line onto the clip and wrap the ends of the fishing line around the handle/locks. Its not noticeable and when it comes to removal, pull and your done. That's what I did and it save buggering up the leather or vinyl.
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Originally Posted by Desert Nomad
I know what you went through to get those clips out. A few years ago, a poster on the forum here mentioned using some clear thin fishing line on the clip before installing handles and locks. Made removal a breeze. Just tie the line onto the clip and wrap the ends of the fishing line around the handle/locks. Its not noticeable and when it comes to removal, pull and your done. That's what I did and it save buggering up the leather or vinyl.
I'm figuring on doing something like that. It's been decades since Boy Scouts...let's see...left over right, right over left?
St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
Originally Posted by R66
A nylon stocking or ladies underwear work well to grab the open ends of the clip until your wife comes out in the garage and finds her favorite pair ruined.
Then use those for pulling out the fiberglass thats still itching on your arms.
09-21-2021, 03:39 PM
A tip re door lock handle clip removal
If this had been the standard clips I'm sure there would have been no problem getting them out. You can see by the pic the "replacements" were considerably smaller. Those little things sure snugged down in to where not much was exposed. If I'd been through the process before it would not have taken so long to realize SOMETHING was wacky. My post wasn't so much to say HOW to get them out, it was to inform that if Bubba puts in a non-standard part, sometimes that can changes how the game needs to be played. 
