Irresistible force vs. immovable object

[ChoiceStriker]

Okay, in this case, the immovable object is an e-clip on a Happ Reunion joystick I bought from Tornado Terry.  But clearly I'm not an irresistible force.  I cannot get this clip to budge for the life of me.  It is on there TIGHT (the stick shipped fully assembled).  I've tried fingernails (shredded them), screwdrivers (nearly impaled myself), pliers (nothing there to grip), and just about everything else I can think of.  I'm at my wits' end - what's the secret to removing these??

"Defeated by an e-clip.  How humiliating."
"What a scoop!!"  *click*
"Damn you, paparazzo!!"

[JeepMonkey]

Did you push the shaft down while you tried to get your pliers on the clip?  Sometiomes I use two flat screwdrivers, one at each end of the clip, to "open" the clip enough to push it out of the grove then grab iot with pliers.

[ChoiceStriker]

Yup, tried that, but there's not really any give to the stick in either direction, pushing or pulling.  I was trying the double-screwdriver approach but not making any progress... it really doesn't want to budge.  Plus it's just such an awkwardly shaped piece of hardware - difficult to get a good hold on it anywhere (I don't have a vise to stick it in). 

[Ginsu Victim]

Do you have a thin paper clip? If you can get it around the inside, you could try to hook it and pull it out.

[ChoiceStriker]

That's not a bad suggestion.  I've noticed that when I really push on the clip with a screwdriver, there's a tiny bit of space on the other side that I can get another small screwdriver or paperclip or something into, but so far I haven't been able to hook and pull enough to get it out of there. 

I'm at the point where I'm considering just drilling a bigger hole and sticking the ball-top through without disassembling the stick, but I was planning on having the dust washer above the hole on the other joystick, so it'd look a little goofy to have one over and one under.  :-S

 

[Burn4Evr]

Couple of things came to mind right away.
First one was fishing line, if you can get in the small gaps in the eclip (if there are any) it gives you something to pull on.

The other idea might work a bit better. Using the poptab off a can of soda pop.  Most of the ones I see are kinda shaped like an 8 and are fairly strong, you can just remove one portion of the tab and it should be just about the right size to push the eclip off.

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[nuka1195]

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/otc4492.html

[mrjah]

After trying several different methods and ruling out the purchase of yet ANOTHER specialized tool to clutter up my house, I use the following method to remove those stupid clips very easily with a cardboard box and needlenose pliers:

A cardboard box slightly bigger than a shoebox is perfect.  This method flicks the clip a few feet across the room if you don't contain it, and the box is a perfect way to keep it contained.

1) Put box on the ground, open end up.  Put the stick down on its side, inside the box.  Rotate the stick so the OPEN end of the E-clip faces up.  Now go get the pliers.

2) Hold the stick down with one hand, using light downward pressure.  It should rest with the handle touching the bottom of the box and the electrical connections tilted up in the air.  With the other hand, hold the pliers facing downward, so the tip of each jaw of the pliers is touching one end of the E-clip.

3)  Apply light downward pressure with the pliers, and it will shove the clip right off the stick.  It takes a small amount of practice to prevent the clip and joystick from rotating out from under the pliers, but I mastered it in three tries and I'm not a ninja.

4) The clip probably will hop a few inches after popping off the bottom of the stick, but it will stay in the box.  Pick it up, loudly curse the name of the sick sadist who invented, it, and then put it away for later reassembly. 

Then go get a beer (optional).

[Bender]

have you tried a small screwdriver in the slot and twisting like this:

[ChoiceStriker]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.  I'll try some of these out tonight and let you know how it goes.  Bender: The problem I have is that unlike the pictures you posted, the shaft of the stick covers so much of the clip that there's barely any of the slot to get a screwdriver or something into.  And a screwdriver that small will be a little bit susceptible to bending if I try to force it. 

[Bender]

if  its that tight don't twist the screwdriver use it like a prybar against the shaft
I have maybe 15 different joysticks and some do have a lot less room but I've been able to get the e clip off all of then with a small screwdriver, I don't, however, have the one you have so it may not be possible

good luck and if you can, do it inside a plastic bag cause as others have mentioned sometimes small things go flying around the room

[NoOne=NBA=]

Another trick I've used is to thread a piece of wire through the gap, and then use that to pull the clip off.
I have specifically used some solid stainless wire that I had laying around.
I don't know how it would work with really thin copper wire.

[ChoiceStriker]

Thanks guys!  I got it with the needle-nose pliers. 

[Ginsu Victim]

Thanks guys!  I got it with the needle-nose pliers. 

That's what I use.

[Xiaou2]

 For super tight e-clips,  use a vice grip.
Push the actuator down to get the needed room.

[Ummon]

It's all a matter of the spring used on the stick that determines how tight it is. I just use needle-nose pliers to push on the actuator and a small flat-head screwdriver to pry it out enough that I can then pull on it with fingers. Even if I can't get fingers on it, with the actuator de-pressed, at least the clip doesn't want to shoot off and away, and I just lever it all the way off.

If unmounted, I put the stick in my lap against my abdomen (not the best idea). If mounted, since I have to turn my panel over to take the bottom of an all, I put it up on boosters, and then slip books under the stick top - which as far as I can tell is a must when putting sticks in/back in.

[CrazyKongFan]

At least you didn't do what whoever did on the cab I bought at an auction. They drilled a hole in the CP big enough for the dust washer to fit thru, rather than make the hole small enough for the joystick throw, and disassemble it...With that big hole, the washer was always getting caught in it, so I finally took them off.

[Turnarcades]

Seriously people, I've removed hundreds of these without trouble. Needle-nose pliers should do it every time, so long as you don't have a grip like a little girl!