[Chrysler300] C-300 door handle remover

["Rich Barber" <c300@xxxxxxx>]

Mine were stuck to the square shafts due to there being some paint and other
gook acting like glue holding the handles to the shaft.  I rigged a gear
puller to pull inward on the handle while I released the clip that secures
the handle to the shaft.  Crude, but effective.

Then I designed a couple of pieces of steel to be attached to the feet of a
12" Vise-Grip squeeze-handle "Quick-Grip" clamp.  Each of the steel pieces
is attached to a clamp foot with a machine screw after drilling and tapping
the black plastic feet of the clamp and fit under the flange of the handles.
The squeeze handle presses one of the steel pieces against the clip,
releases the clip and keeps it released.  A tug on the clamp then readily
removes the handle with no damage to handle, door panel or knuckles.  The
steel pieces were hacksawed from a single "Strong Tie" normally used to
reinforce wood construction joints.  Your local Lowes or Home Depot should
have these.  The only critical dimension is the little bent-up lip that
engages the clip to release it.  It protrudes up about 1/8".  The notch is
1/2" wide by 3/4" deep.

I am attaching a couple of fresh photos of this gizmo for Smitty and can
provide the pix to anyone else wanting them.

I also tried modifying a standard stamped steel handle removal tool by
adding the notch and protruding toe, but found the tool not strong enough to
pry off the stuck handles.

Page 578 of the 1955 Chrysler Service Manual has a good drawing of the door
handle, retaining clip and special tool used to release the clip and remove
the handle.  The tools are like hen's teeth and I borrowed heavily from its
functionality in the design of my SBS tool (Sloppy, But Satisfactory).  I
actually think mi gizmo might be a little better as the squeeze handle
action keeps the clip released while the handle is being removed.  The
release of the clip from its notch in the shaft is probably less than 1/8".

Or you can jab around with a putty knife to release the clip and just pull
off the handle.  The manual shows that with either a door handle or a window
crank, the clip is to be released from the left when the handle is pointing
down.

Happy 300'ly New Year to all.

Rich Barber
Brentwood, CA
1955 C-300 (Put a few miles on it today-it likes this cooler weather.  I put
a bottle of StaBil gasoline stabilizer in the tank to hold that expensive
gas until next month.  We hope to drag it to the "other 300 Club" meet in
Mesa Jan 16-19.  See this site for details and hope to see you there.
http://www.chrysler300clubinc.com/calendar.htm )

-----Original Message-----
From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of arsmith@xxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 3:36 PM
To: chrysler300
Subject: [Chrysler300] door handles

Hi Members,   Need a tool to remove door & window handles on my C300. If
someone knows of an easy way or where I can locate a tool, please let me
know.          Thank you ,   A.R. Smith

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]






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