Special tool to fit window winder handle

[John Bonnett]

It took me a long time the other day to fit the little pin, (I called other things at the time I recall) because I was separating the plastic disc from the handle using a screwdriver, pressing the assembly in with my knee and with my free hand trying to insert the pin with a pair of long nose pliers. Surely they didn't do it this way on the production line.

Before I set to and make a tool up does anyone have a demon quick and easy way to do this job. I'd very much like to hear from you because I shall need to get to the innards again very shortly.

John

[jamespworth]

i just use a long nose pliers i have never found it difficult

[aar0sc]

What James said, I just aimed and dropped, then tapped it home with a hammer and a nail! (The other one I lost on the garage floor, so put a split pin in instead :) ).

[cook1e]

I have an old screw driver with the head cut off which has a shank that is the same diameter as the pin. I assemble the window winder handle  handle, spring and escutcheon holding it in place temporarily with the screwdriver in the hole where the pin goes. I turn the handle so the screw driver is entering the hole from underneath. I put a couple of large screw drivers between the handle flange and escutcheon to create a gap so that the pin hole is visible. I then extract the screw driver slightly so that some of the hole is available at the top of the handle. I put the pin in the hole from above using long nosed pliers. I then tap the pin into place with another screwdriver which pushes the bladeless screw driver out of the window winder handle as the pin goes into place.


Not sure if this makes sense but it works for me!

[John Bonnett]

Thank you for your replies particularly to cook1e for his explanation and diagram. I have done it using screwdrivers to hold the two bits apart but surely this was not the way they were fitted in the factory. My doorcards do not have a lot of give in them and quite a bit of force is needed to compress the spring to get the handle assembly into the correct position.

John

[Peter McEvedy]

I agree - I found this a pig of a job! The most difficult bit of the retrim!! I managed using some surgical clamps which were thinner than the thin nosed forceps and which clamp to the pin so you can manoeuvre the pin to the correct position and push!

[Velocita Rosso]

That was the factory way of doing it
Sometimes if the spring goes `off` square, with the spring not compressing in, then it can seem hard. Thats why the spring is cone shaped so it allows a flatish shape when compressed
However it generally is quite easy
Long nose , small,pliers a straight punch and thats all you need.Oh , and a wire coathanger( and cut to length) which just happens to be the same diameter in case you drop and lose the original ;)

[drofgum]

John,
As an addition to Il Capo's coat hanger note: I have heard of notching a coat hanger at the correct length and using the notched piece to insert into the handle. Then it can be snapped off at the notch leaving a pin in place.
                                                                              Cheers,
                                                                              Paul

[John Bonnett]

1317 wrote:

John,
As an addition to Il Capo's coat hanger note: I have heard of notching a coat hanger at the correct length and using the notched piece to insert into the handle. Then it can be snapped off at the notch leaving a pin in place.
                                                                              Cheers,
                                                                              Paul

Thanks Paul, I like the sound of that

John

[Cerberosa]

I did it the same way as Cookie, accept i used an extra pair of hands too, makes it alot easier as long as the person stays out the way of view  :)

[TimW]

I also "screw" the spring into the door card a little to hold it in place.