VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Window crank handle removal

This will probably be an easy question for many of you but prior to my 1938's restoration I used a screwdriver to remove the door and window crank handles. The upholstery shop put the handles on the car. I need to remove a handle and purchased the removal tool from the Filling Station #J-132. How do I use the tool?
Thanks!

Tiny nice video,thanks.I have not had not had as much luck re-insalling the handles...I think my handle clips were too large or too small...They have not popped off lately though...

If they're popping off they likely weren't on all the way. You will often feel two 'clicks' when you shove the handle on. The second is all the way on. I use the tool that's shaped like a pair of pliers when removing the clips. The shove on tool wasn't invented when I first started in body work. All we had was the plier type. It works OK but if you aren't careful the clip will turn on the shaft causing one end to hang up & make you invent some bad words trying to get it to release.

The video makes it look easy! My handles are popping off too, I think the upholstery guy didn't take it to the second click.
Thanks Tiny!

My research shows that there are two sizes of "C" handle retaining clips (10.122), prior to 1939 and after 1939. I have both sizes in my parts collection. They vary by just a tiny amount of spread. This could be why our handles are popping off. Now, what is the right size for 1938 or other years? There should be a Chevrolet engineering drawing of it somewhere.

The '38 uses the smaller I believe. Depending on the thickness of your door panel it sometimes takes a pretty good whack to get the handle in far enough for the clip to properly seat.

That must be the problem, not enough pushing. I'm going to use the small "C" spring, it seems to be the right one. Thx Tiny!

Be aware that the vent window crank, window crank and door handle escutcheons are all different thicknesses. I don't remember which goes where but if you're trying to use the thick escutcheon where the thin one goes it'll be very tight and you may break the escutcheon. Slide each handle on with NO clip & check the amount of clearance between the handle & door panel. The one with the most clearance will get the thick escutcheon, etc..

Thank you Tiny, Yes, I have made sure during my restoration that I'm using the correct escutcheons. That is something one must be aware of. I'm still wondering how to use the tool I ordered from the Filling station but I have extra handles to test it on, off the car.

Just received the J-132 inside handle clip tool and it doesn't work on my 38 handles at all unless I'm doing something wrong. Tool states that it fits 1939-1948.
https://www.chevsofthe40s.com/images_product/preview/3703632C.jpg
What could be the problem here? The tool shown in the video that Tiny supplied won't fit either.

By not fit do you mean the slot that pushes against the ears of the clip is too large and the clip slides completely inside the slot? TFS says your tool will work 29-48. How are you trying to use it?

An FYI you need to make sure you're inserting the tool on the handle side of the escutcheon, not between the escutcheon and the door panel. The clip is pretty thin. It's not difficult to miss the clip with the tool. If everything's fit up properly simply inserting it between the handle & escutcheon should line it up properly but it's not unheard of for it to miss.

Hi Tiny,
Well, I have a spare old loose window crank handle and I pushed a clip into the handle and used the tool to try and rotate the clip out of the handle with no luck. The tool does not come with instructions so I wanted to experiment with a loose handle and get the feel for the tool prior to working on the new handle on the car. Next I shoved a round pen into the window crank hole, with a little less diameter as the hole, to add pressure against the "C" clip and then I tried the tool again, this time I did get the clip to pop off but I'm not sure how I did it and if what I'm doing is the correct method with the J-132 tool.

Don't use the rotate end. Just shove the U shaped end under the handle as shown in the video. The corners of the U notch in the tool should push against the ears of the clip, spreading the clip and pushing it back to release it. Another video.

Tiny: Using the u shaped end is what makes sense to me too but that end does not fit in that direction to push on the spring clip.

How does it not fit? Too big? Too small? A short video showing how you're trying to do it might help me understand what's going on.

too small...I'm getting the impression you have to use the other end and rotate the clip off????

The U notch in the tool is too small to fit over the shaft of your door handle?

yep, the notched end won't work like shown in the video you posted

Return it as defective and go down to your local parts jobber to buy a tool as shown in the videos. You can try to rotate the clip out but as I noted before if one end gets trapped in the handle (common with the rotate method) you'll get your blood pressure up in a hurry because they can be a real pain to get out once that happens. It's FAR easier to just shove them off with the proper tool.

As an after thought can you post a picture of your handle? It's a remote possibility that you don't have the correct handle.

Another after thought. You are shoving the tool in from the knob side of the handle as shown in the videos right?

Hmmm, I have the correct 1938 handles because I bought them new from Chevs of the 40's and they match the old ones that were on the car originally.
"Another after thought. You are shoving the tool in from the knob side of the handle as shown in the videos right?" Yes, that's what I tried and the notch is too small.
By the way! I already have high blood pressure

Two possibilities. One is that when you put the new handles on you (or whoever put them on) put the clips on backward. If that's the case you'll need to try to insert the tool from the back side. I've not seen the tool in person so I'm assuming the notch is only large enough to fit the slot where the clip rides. If the clip is on backward the tool won't shove in all the way. Two, along that same idea, even if the clip is on right, if you're missing the clip with the tool and pushing against the shaft and the notch in the tool is only wide enough to fit in the clip's slot, you'll never get it to slide over the shaft. It'll help if you can get enough of a gap to see the clip, how it's oriented and how the tool is being inserted.

I believe the clips are on correctly with the top of the clip in the grooved part (opposite side of the handle from the knob) and the ends of the clip are facing the knob.
The notched end of the tool will only slip over the side of the handle that's opposite the knob, without the clip on.
Do the spring clip "pliers" work well?