Get rid of E-clip nightmares...

[Level42]

OK, this might be a bit risky to post here and some of you might be going duuuuuhhhhh, but I've read so many people have problems with E-clips that are used on Joysticks shafts that I wanted to share this:

My first experience with an E-clip was that I broke one...hope this is recognizable enough. Have to admit that it was of an inferior Chinese joystick...but they are a nightmare to handle.

So I went to the hardwarestore to get a replacement E-clip and this guy advises me to use something else:
A ring clip, with 2 small holes on each side. There are special plyers for these on the market as well.

They are a breeze to use !!!! Do be careful to buy the right one !

Here's a link to the brand I'm using, but I'm sure there are more...

http://www.knipex.de/index.php?id=783&L=1&convert=0&grpID=8&ukat=sicher04&active=Anwendungen

Hope this is not already known by everyone here, for me it was a nice discovery

[TalkingOctopus]

Great suggestion.  The Happ E-clips are just as annoying, especially when removing them.  The first time I put together my joy, I accidentally had one in 4way mode.  When I took off the eclip, it went flying across the room and took me 15 minutes to find.

[Level42]

Yup, this is also why it is advisible to wear some eye protection when working with these....also when they do break !!!

[Minwah]

A tip I learned while working with car parts that use e-clips, is to work inside a plastic bag.  This way, if the clip goes flying off it will usually be caught by the bag, rather than your face!

[AlanS17]

I removed my first e-clip with a screw driver. I never found the thing.

[NoOne=NBA=]

So I went to the hardwarestore to get a replacement E-clip and this guy advises me to use something else:
A ring clip, with 2 small holes on each side. There are special plyers for these on the market as well.

They are a breeze to use !!!!

You apparently weren't at my house a couple weeks ago.
Ever tried to remove one of these WITHOUT the special little tool?

I absolutely mangled one using zip-straps for leverage to get it open.
I replaced it with a regular E-clip.

[coinguy]

Thanks for suggestion.  Good to share info with others.

[Q*Bert_OP]

I've been using one of those ever since I started working on arcade machines

[Silhouette]

I'm sure most people here have at least one e-clip story, though. Mine involves berber carpet at the frat house.

Oh god, please tell me that it doesn't involve bare feet meeting said e-clip. 

[AlanS17]

I'm sure most people here have at least one e-clip story, though. Mine involves berber carpet at the frat house.

Oh god, please tell me that it doesn't involve bare feet meeting said e-clip.

[Minwah]

Actually, the thing was never found. It completely vanished, never to be seen again.

I've had that happen too....but I still use a screwdriver to get 'em off 

[RayB]

what are you guys doing with your e-clips? Just slip a small flat head screwdriver into the space between the clip and the shaft and then turn the screwdriver. That forces the clip off part of the way. Then just pull it off the rest of the way.

[AlanS17]

We're big and tough and don't know our own strength. You must be some sort of sissy. 

[pointdablame]

We're big and tough and don't know our own strength. You must be some sort of sissy. 

I was going to agree with RayB until I read this.....

I'm no sissy... so uh... yeah..... I lose e-clips all the time.  Sometimes when I grab one it just disintegrates into dust.  I guess I don't know my own strength

[AceTKK]

I just use locking plyers (channel locks?) to get the clips off.  It's easy; just clamp the plyers to the clip and yank that sucker off.

-Ace-

[Stormrider]

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[Grasshopper]

So I went to the hardwarestore to get a replacement E-clip and this guy advises me to use something else:
A ring clip, with 2 small holes on each side. There are special plyers for these on the market as well.

Don't Suzos already come with that type of clip? Anyway, I agree they're easier to remove with the special tool.

The major downside is that they are virtually impossible to remove without the special tool!

[Tiger-Heli]

My first experience with an E-clip was that I broke one...hope this is recognizable enough. Have to admit that it was of an inferior Chinese joystick...but they are a nightmare to handle.

Too bad it wasn't a Nintendo joystick - then it would not have been broken, it would have just needed the E-clip replaced.   

To contribute something useful to the thread - the clips you went with instead are typically called Snap Rings, and yes, Suzo's come with them anyway.

[Ken Layton]

You guys are talking about "snap ring" pliers. Available at Sears (for qood quality ones) and at Harbor Freight (for cheap ones).

Truarc (www.truarc.com) makes the really good ones used in lots of industries.


MCM Electronics sells a special holder/remover tool for E-rings and E-clips as stock # 22-2790. Check it out at:

http://www.mcminone.com/product.asp?product_id=22-2790&catalog_name=MCMProducts

[FhM]

I think we call them circlips. Thats certainly what  the tool is called. I know theres a few on my Motorbike as well.

[MaximRecoil]

The Ikari Warriors LS-30 joystick uses snap rings. I didn't know there was a special tool to remove them. That would have saved me a lot of frustration. Those are miserable things to try to get off and on without those pliers. I broke one of them once trying to get it off, which I replaced with an E-clip.

I've also been successful two times with getting the snap rings off and on without damage to the snap ring, but it was a major pain.

I've never had any problems removing or replacing E-clips, and you don't need a special tool to do it.

[Ken Layton]

Here's the snap ring pliers I bought at Sears:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00947383000P?keyword=47383

Very reasonably priced and high quality.

[Havok]

That's a great idea - I have never had a problem with my clips, but I may do that when I need to replace them - I already have the tool since I do a lot of work on my car...

[MaximRecoil]

Keep in mind that the grooves designed to accept snap rings tend to be wider and shallower than the grooves that are designed to accept E-clips. You will not always be able to find an ideally sized snap ring to replace an E-clip.

[DonkeyKong]

what are you guys doing with your e-clips? Just slip a small flat head screwdriver into the space between the clip and the shaft and then turn the screwdriver. That forces the clip off part of the way. Then just pull it off the rest of the way.

I've worked with e-clips plenty and this is exactly what I do too... it usually always works out fine.  Occasionally parts go flying but I've never lost an e-clip, or an eye, yet ;-)

[mountain]

These clips, along with the clips that hold door window cranks on a car, are lovingly called Jesus clips. When you pop one free you say "JESUS......!!

Old car audio joke

[Level42]

This has to  be one of my oldest threads 

[DeLuSioNal29]

Great suggestion.  The Happ E-clips are just as annoying, especially when removing them.  The first time I put together my joy, I accidentally had one in 4way mode.  When I took off the eclip, it went flying across the room and took me 15 minutes to find.

I've experience that!  LOL.  It's the worst when it flies across the room!

~ D

[fjl]

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So why bring this thread back from the dead without any real reason?

[Hoopz]

Perhaps he thought it was such a good idea that he wanted to bump it to the main page so that anyone who missed it previously could read it.  I'm guessing that Stormrider had questions and instead of starting a thread, he used the search button, which you conveniently have never been able to use.  Once he read this, he probably thought "Cool!  This thread is pretty old but maybe someone else can find it as useful as I did."

Funny what happens when you use the search button.   

Good job Stormrider. 

[lanman31337]

I removed my first e-clip with a screw driver. I never found the thing.

I was sweeping my game room last night - I think I found your e-clip.

[shardian]

I've never had a problem removing e-clips. Here is my method:

I put my finger on the back side of the e-clip to steady it. Then I use either a screwdriver, or the end of neddle nose pliers (whichever is handy at the moment) to work one side of the e-clip out of its groove. If you push at an angle, it comes right out. Then I grab the back of the e-clips with the pliers and slide it right off. I've never had an e-clip go flying and it is easy every time.

[CheffoJeffo]

Funny what happens when you use the search button.   

 

[Stormrider]

Sorry it was not my intention to bring back the thread. It's just that, by mistake, I sent a reply here when I intented to send it in another message. I didn't find a way to delete my reply, so I just edited it with the the text '------'.  :\

[Hoopz]

Bringing back the thread is fine.  People learned from it and others shared their experiences.  That's the point of this forum.