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Hold spring down-insert C-Clip Tool?

jsmiddleton4 said:
Forceps: I've tried. They leave marks on the shafts.

The staple remover could be a good option. I have a weed puller that looks like the picture posted. I woulda never thought of it. Thanks for suggesting it.

"Jesus, where did the damn thing fly?!"

Hilarious. Add to that praying while crawling on my knees digging through the carpet.

"Lord you know where it is. I know its a small matter but given you care about the hairs on our heads can you help me find this stupid clip?"

The thread idea could be good too. Not sure about adding washers to some of the shafts. Probably could. Another idea I have the back ground that coulda connected some dots. I'm a retired RN. Worked in ER some. What you're describing is how we get stuck rings off to avoid the last option. No, cutting fingers off so the ring falls off is not the last option. Cutting the ring is.

Unless of course you're Frodo and you need Gollum to bite your finger off to save middle earth.
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Forceps with heat shrink over the tips?
 
I believe he's talking about the clip that holds everything down on a BIC drive plate assembly shaft. Technically, it's an "E" clip. There are several components that are installed on the shaft before the drive plate and then there is a fairly substantial spring installed, and then the clip.

I used to have the hand strength to push the spring down below the groove in the shaft and get the clip on. Age has weakened my hands and I can no longer do it that way. Now, I clamp a small vise-grips onto the clip and the added leverage enables me to put the spring in position, press it down with the clip held in the vise-grips and slide the clip into the groove. Done.

Doug
 
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painttoad said:
that's what these were called

View attachment 3185307

i've never seen a c clip go for a ride but i saw a couple of these window crank clips go for a ride before i bought the right tool.
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This reminds me of my long gone 1959 Chevy inside door handles and window crank handles. I had (probably still have) the long tool to remove the clips. To reinstall. the clips just installed on the handles first and the end of the shafts were tapered so the handles just slid on until the clips snapped into the grooves on the shafts.

:D

Doug
 
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dr*audio said:
Seriously, though, I haven't felt the need to do this but you could make a tool by cutting a slot into an old flat blade screwdriver and use that to hold the spring down.
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Or cut a slot in a flat washer so it can be removed. Although I’d do surgical clamps with heat shrink.

Right tool for the job. As a young sprout, I struggled with drum brake springs. Then a friend lent me his drum brake spring tool. I was amazed. From that moment, the idea of struggling with the wrong tool was out the window. I get that sometimes knowing what’s the right tool is hard, like in this circumstance: the factory probably had a custom tool not available to us mortals.
 
The thing is, the spring is sustantial enough to where it isn't THAT easy to press down without some kind of leverage. Even in my younger years, though I was able to do it without leverage, it wasn't real easy to do and get the clip on. The clamped-on vise-grip used to press the spring down and simultaneously inserting the clip into the groove, works well.

Doug
 
Doug G. said:
This reminds me of my long gone 1959 Chevy inside door handles and window crank handles. I had (probably still have) the long tool to remove the clips. To reinstall. the clips just installed on the handles first and the end of the shafts were tapered so the handles just slid on until the clips snapped into the grooves on the shafts.

:D

Doug
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yup.
20240426_020135.jpg
 
Guys,

compressing a spring, and keeping it compressed for ease of installation, can be done in numerous ways - depending on situation and tools available.

Nothing speciall about audio gear - think of MacGyver...use what you have lying around.

Another example:
- run thread through spring as described
- take a long enough screw (with suitable diameter), two washers and a nut
- compress spring driving the nut in
- tighten/knot thread/line...preferably two opposite of eachother
- insert spring wherever it most go
- washer
- clip
- untie knot/cut thread.

Holding a spring down with one hand and removing/inserting it with the other (one-handed), will, more than likely, result in an (just another) 'Jesus-moment'....if clip is not on a leash.

There must be other simple ways to do it.
 
"modify a small "C" clamp"

That could work. Look Ma, no hands. Would need to cut a "Y" in the clamp so it can be removed past the shaft. That's not hard to do. My Dremel tool with a metal cut gizmo would easily cut a "Y".
 
"- compress spring driving the nut in
- tighten/knot thread/line...preferably two opposite of eachother"

That also might work. Might be the easiest way. I've tried something similar and no matter what I used to tie the spring down slipped so they only held one side of the spring. Doing the nut/washer/compression process might be THE answer. I'll test it when I get to that Y lever's spring for the 1000.
 
 
borchee said:
Holding a spring down with one hand and removing/inserting it with the other (one-handed), will, more than likely, result in an (just another) 'Jesus-moment
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some people are just not coordinated nor mechanically inclined. there is also independent thought and the ability to figure stuff out.

i think those of us that have it take it for granted and assume everyone else should have it as well.

you just have to know your abilities and be able to recognize and analyze things before taking stuff apart.

this is why i do not do tape decks.
jsmiddleton4 said:
For the many times I've answered this "?!" question there is NO picture to take. A picture of an empty shaft will do what exactly?
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with a pic of the spring sitting on the shaft, it is possible to gauge if there is room for a piece of wire between the spring and the shaft. if there is, a wire(such as a bread tie) could put fed thru the center of the spring , the spring could be compressed in a vice, the wire twisted tight to keep the spring compressed. the spring could be inserted on the shaft, the retainer installed , the wire cut and the wire pulled out. done.
 
The small vise-grip I use is just like the larger, regular grip end one only about 5 - 6" long. I do it the way I devised because I didn't want to dink around with all that other stuff.

Doug
 
Doug G. said:
I believe he's talking about the clip that holds everything down on a BIC drive plate assembly shaft. Technically, it's an "E" clip. There are several components that are installed on the shaft before the drive plate and then there is a fairly substantial spring installed, and then the clip.

I used to have the hand strength to push the spring down below the groove in the shaft and get the clip on. Age has weakened my hands and I can no longer do it that way. Now, I clamp a small vise-grips onto the clip and the added leverage enables me to put the spring in position, press it down with the clip held in the vise-grips and slide the clip into the groove. Done.

Doug
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Thanks for this description. Would you have a link to a photo of this spring and the clip arrangement?

:thumbsup:
 
spring to be compressed:

IMG_6112.jpeg

Compressed and short piece of insulated wire tightened on shaft:

IMG_6111.jpeg

Continue on with whatever work needs to be done (ie: install circlip) :

IMG_6113.jpeg

Then either untwist or clip wire when done and remove.

Simple and no “special tool” to buy.

(Those aren’t my pics, credit goes to “dualcan”)
 
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