Handle escutcheon installation

[HDowse]

I suspect we've all had some difficulty trying to push the door handle or window crank escutcheon in far enough to remove and then replace the pin that holds the handle to the shaft. I have the Drake tool but it's a bear to push the escutcheon in far enough to get the pin out. Even worse is trying to get the pin back in when replacing the escutcheon or pulling the door panel. I figured a little mechanical advantage would make the job a lot easier.
See the photos to understand how the brace across the opposite door opening works along with the cross brace that lines up with the handle in need of service. I fit a vertical for height adjustment, a block to catch the expanding clamp and two spring clamps to hold the Drake tool. After lining everything up it was easy to expand the clamp and move the tool against the escutcheon and drop the pin in. Total construction time was about a half hour, all parts were on hand.

 

[51 MERC-CT]

Interesting approach but back when I worked on these vehicles for a living, the only tool I used to facilitate installation and removal was this tool.

 

[Kube]

I suspect we've all had some difficulty trying to push the door handle or window crank escutcheon in far enough to remove and then replace the pin that holds the handle to the shaft. I have the Drake tool but it's a bear to push the escutcheon in far enough to get the pin out. Even worse is trying to get the pin back in when replacing the escutcheon or pulling the door panel. I figured a little mechanical advantage would make the job a lot easier.
See the photos to understand how the brace across the opposite door opening works along with the cross brace that lines up with the handle in need of service. I fit a vertical for height adjustment, a block to catch the expanding clamp and two spring clamps to hold the Drake tool. After lining everything up it was easy to expand the clamp and move the tool against the escutcheon and drop the pin in. Total construction time was about a half hour, all parts were on hand.

And I thought I over engineered things!
I had purchased one of those tools from drake. It was / is a good little tool. I use my waist to apply pressure to the tool while leaving both hands free to remove or install the pin..

 

[19Fordy]

Here's a thread that supplies an answer if you want to make your own tool out of PVC.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=213544&highlight=door+handle+removal+tool

 

[Royal Ryser]

Thanks for a couple of very good do-it-yourself installation ideas. Fordbarners are the best!

 

[Talkwrench]

Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do!

 

[Graham Rollo]

re door handle can you tell me if the spring goes behind the door panel, or on the front under the esutcheon, I have mine behind the door panel, but it pushes the door panel out at the top

 

[JayChicago]

re door handle can you tell me if the spring goes behind the door panel, or on the front under the esutcheon, I have mine behind the door panel, but it pushes the door panel out at the top

Just fought with this a week ago. Spring does go behind the door panel. IMO, spring is a lot stronger than it needs to be. Probably wouldn't hurt to cut some of that spring.

 

[Graham Rollo]

Thanks, good idea

 

[WRHorn9]

Today I removed the handles in my '52 F1. I struggled at first but then noticed that 90º offset from the retaining pin were two other holes. A 90º offset though hole. So I inserted two allen wrenches into the holes to hold the escutcheon back while I drove the retaining pin out. Easy peasy. See photo.