Tool To Remove Headlight & Wiper Knobs

[Gary Lewis]

Today I had the "pleasure" to again remove the headlight and wiper knobs.  Heretofore I've used whatever tool might be to hand, but today I decided to make something that would do it easily.

So I grabbed a piece of heavy wire, about 1/8" thick, and bent it until I found a shape and size that worked.  It is sized such that you hold it up against the side of the knob and it'll hit the tip of that inner spring that you have to depress in order to get the knob off.

It worked very well and the knobs came off easily.

[mat in tn]

this is the difference between engineers and rednecks. I just use a pocketknife. but then I have red carpet already

[essmaker]

Love it! I always use a hook pick, but the blunt end on yours would work better.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, the other day I used a pointed hook and it worked, sorta.  But today it kept slipping off.  So I decided to design something that wouldn't slip off and picked the thick wire.

But when I cut the wire initially it left a ridge on the end, and that tended to also slip off the spring.  So I filed it flat and it worked very well.

[viven44]

A few years ago.. The very first bullnose I ever had.. this was day 1... the headlight knob kept falling off (because the retention mechanism had slipped out and was on the headlight "shaft").

I 2-part epoxied the knob back on because I told myself that the knob was broken and who cares how it went back on... right? I didn't know it had to come off to remove the dash bezel/instrument cluster. Needless to say I had to cut the plastic knob out carefully with a grinder to remove it when I had to remove the cluster sometime later. All I can say is I have come a long way since then on bullnose inner workings  .. and I'll credit the garage mahal for it!

BTW, nice jig!! I bet the Ford factory manual has a "tool" for this and probably looks very similar.

[BigBrother-84]

Gary Lewis wrote

Today I had the "pleasure" to again remove the headlight and wiper knobs.  Heretofore I've used whatever tool might be to hand, but today I decided to make something that would do it easily.

I use a thin L shaped Allan key, it works pretty well.

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, Jeff.

Vivek - There is a release on top of the headlight switch.  You might have to have a child reach up there as it is hard to get to, but there is a spring-loaded button that will release the whole shaft, not just the knob.

[viven44]

Thanks Gary. Yes I have had to find that it does that the couple times I replaced the headlight as the replacement didn't come the shaft.

And if I recall correctly, on the 1980 it was a booger to install with the shaft in place so had to remove it and then insert it after the headlight switch was in place.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I literally have four of these free sets of picks from Horrid Fate. (Packout box, bench drawer, truck tool box and electronic/wiring kit)
The one in the truck has a blunt & bent tip on the question mark one.(Why that weird shape?)
I also keep a cheap T-20 on hand for dash screws.

[Gary Lewis]

Jim - I have used that question-mark pick with success to get the knobs off, but it hasn't been as easy as I'd like.  The curve on mine is too big and hits the instrument bezel unless I angle the thing.  And with the sharp point it frequently goes between the end of the spring and the ID of the knob.

So I made this thing so it is just deep enough to go in w/o hitting the bezel, and the right width so when you put it up against the OD of the knob it hits the spring.

[ArdWrknTrk]

That's why I said I bent it and ground it down.

I keep getting them (free set) and I don't know anyone who wants another, at this point! 🤣

[Ifitaintbroke]

Guess that qualifies me as a redneck...

[ArdWrknTrk]

How's that?
Make do with whatever you have at hand!

I personally wouldn't use my Avalanche for removing knobs, but S30V was never meant for prying

[viven44]

That is literally what I use as well. Spare sets of it in the truck as well just in case I come across a parts truck

[ArdWrknTrk]

[viven44]

You know. When my real 'redneck' branch of the family visited me once and saw all my old trucks.. some of them jacked up, they told me "man I didn't know you were such a redneck"

[ArdWrknTrk]

My little brother says "You're a ****ing RETARD!"

I wear it as a badge of honor (while I have a 172 IQ and he literally can't figure out a 3-way light switch)

[Ifitaintbroke]

I was doing 3 phase motor controls when I was 17
 Done forgetted all that now.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Just wait until you get past 60.
CRS is a real thing....

[viven44]

Do you guys ever run into the situation where you had something in your hand, moved onto something else for a minute... but somehow lost that thing you had, and can't figure out where the hell it went ? My wife says its my ADHD but I sometimes wonder how stupid I can be to not remember what I had in my hand just a minute ago... I get so mad at myself. Sometimes I wish God gave me better short term memory and attention span