snap ring removal

[gary]

hi every one, i am an owner of 71 tradewinds and try to replace the gasket around my windows but i cant get the little snaprings of the push rods any suggestions. have had sucess once but it seem impossible now.

[thenewkid64]

Gary,

If you want to remove the window it is much easier to remove the handles from the inside of the lift rods. They use a small hex screw. This will allow you after removing the inner screen to just lift the window out by taking it past vertical.

Removing and reinstalling the rod clips is not necessary this way.

[gary]

Yeah i thought of that but i didn,t want to tweek anything. so i will give it try Thanks Gary

[gary]

Nope that doesn,t work for these windows, cant get the rods past the brackets and slot with the bend in them.
Tried with the window in many angles any other suggestions.
thanks gary

[Dbraw]

I replaced all the gaskets on the windows of our '71 23 foot Safari. I did all the work from the inside. I removed the lift handles with an allen wrench then removed the screen frames. With the window at about 45 degrees, I applied gasket cement and the gaskets. It is good to have the seam where the gasket meets at the bottom. I used several spring clamps to hold the gasket until the cement dried. Especially on the corners.
Now, I am applying tinting film on the inside of the windows.
Always something to do now that the weather is better.
Good luck,
Dan
I couldn't figure a way to get the spring clips off either.

[gary]

Now I got it ,you don,t remove the window but the screen and do it from inside. It just nice not to fight gravity and scaping the old stuff of is easier, with them out. Thanks again Gary

[uwe]

Gary,

The snap rings are small, but they have a split. A little WD 40 on a Q-Tip applied to the snap ring makes is a bit easier.
It is much easir to wor the windows on a bench, than upside down on the trailer. The old cement will have to come off if you want a good tight seal.
I used a few dentist type tools to pry the rings off. They like to fly into the atmosphere, so watch where they go once they come off.
You're right, the window lift arm will have to come off for the window to come out.

[gary]

thanks Uwe, Got the idea Gary

[jaco]

Any chance one of you guys can post a pic of what you are talking about?

Obviously not the snap rings on vista views.

I will go to trailer tomorrow and look for any other kind of snap rings.

[uwe]

Jaco,
The arms that open the windows on 70's trailers have a pin at teh window end and a snap ring holding the pin onceit's pushed through the holeinthe bracket onteh window. Thislittle snap ring is a bit of a bear to deal with. It's small,and the split is very narrow. There are none of the holes one would need to use snap ring pliers.

[Zeppelinium]

Yeah, I know it's an old thread.

I finally used a cold chisel to put a nick in the snap ring opposite to the split. Then a small common screwdriver inserted in the split would crack the ring. Now I need to find a suitable replacement for the snap ring. I saw on another thread something call a "hat" or maybe a "snap hat." I'm clueless.

This is for the rods on 70 and 72 models.

thanks, Zep

[Aerowood]

How about something like these.
Well I couldn't post a link so go to McMaster-Carr and enter hairpin clips in the search engine

[usuallyalex]

Very old thread, but to share my experience for anyone else looking:

* A quick spray of PB / WD-40
* Sharp putty knife under the ring to lift slightly and brace
* Push screwdriver into the split in the snap ring which opens it up enough for the putty knife to raise one side of the ring over the channel
* Remove putty knife and use screwdriver to move around the snap ring to lift out of the channel
* Once out of channel remove ring with fingers to avoid losing!