VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Removing Inside Door Handles

Does anyone have a method and tools used to push the retaining clips out of the door handles and window cranks? I have the flat notched tool that’s made for pushing the clips out, but my handles and escutcheons fit very tight to the door inner panel. When I do open enough gap to push the tool in, it creases the pressure the handle puts on the clip and can’t be pushed out.
Thanks for any suggestions,
Matt

I have some dental pick type tools that I reach between the eustachian and the handle.
Have some extra clips on hand, they go flying

That's pretty unusual. Are you inserting the tool between the escutcheon and handle or between the door panel and the escutcheon? It would have to be extremely tight or a flimsy tool for it to not work because of a warped tool if between the handle and escutcheon. I've removed a lot of them and a tight fit usually helps instead of hindering. Curious, what year are we talking about? Also, are you inserting the tool with the long part of the handle toward the handle of the tool? The correct way to use the tool is at about 30 seconds in this clip. <CLICK>

On my 40, I used a dental pick tool that has a 90 degree bend and one that is just straight (like a spear). (I purchased the special tool for this and it didn't work for me.)
I also wore a headlamp with a very bright light. It takes a little coordination, but, after you get one off, it gets easier for the others. I had to push the panel away until I could see the horseshoe clip between the handle/escutcheon and panel. Ain't easy. I managed to remove 6 window cranks and 4 door handles on my car with this method. It's just as difficult or more difficult to reinstall them. A slotted screw driver helps to push clips back in place when re-installing them. Because some original clips could break and get lost, extra clips are a good idea, available at Chevs of 40's or Filling Station. Be careful to not damage the fabric on your panel.

Good luck.
Curt

The tool as shown in the video did not work on my 1936 handles. I have 2 tools of that type that you slide in. They bump into something on the handle and stop. I am not sure when the change was made so that tool shown in the video can work. The clip is the same more or less, but the slot in the handle is different, and blocks the tool.

A tool that will work, rather than having a symmetrical slot in the end, has an asymmetrical slot in the side. The bottom of the slot is curved like the bottom of a clip. You rotate the tool around the shaft. A hook at one end of the tool slot catches the end of the clip, and when you rotate, it catches one tip of the clip and rotates it out of the slot in the handle. There doesn't seem to be a picture of a tool like that online.

There are at least two sizes of clips. Most tools have two sets of notches to deal with that. Some tools I've seen have too large of a gap to contact the ears of the smaller clip. I suspect that if you're contacting the bottom of the tool notch without contacting the clip you don't have the correct tool. All I can say is I've never been unable to remove handles using my tool. I also have the plier style clip tool but it's more difficult to use than the slide in type.

Great that yours works. In my case, IIRC, the issue wasn't the notch or clip size, but that the slot in the handle that the tool needs to slide in did not go all the way through, so there was no way for the tool to contact the ends of the clip. It does go through on later GM cars.

The hook-type c-notch tool can grab an end of the clip and rotate. It also works on later cars, but is not NEAR as effective or convenient as the slotted tool (as in the vid). The type in the vid is definitely preferable IF it will work at all.

I don't recall using the pliers type ever. It looks like it would work.

To reinstall the handle, put the clip on the handle then put on the shaft and then hit the handle with the heal of your hand and the handle should pop onto the shaft.

I am disassembling my 50 convertible for a total restoration. We spent a good three hours just removing the six handles. I have all versions of the removal tools, but none work on the 1950. Don't want to have to go through that again.