Trick for Final Drive c-clip install?

[Matteo]

Volks,

I'm installing an AGS trans in my 90 IDI. Cleaned up the trans and decided to change the final drive seals. The clips are one time use and the seals came with a new one. I'm paranoid about stretching the clip too far and losing it's spring. Is there a trick to getting these on?
Also, Bentley says to put a little all purpose grease in the inside of the seal, does this mean spring side or ID side wall that meets the final drive cup?

Thanks,

Matt

[the caveman]

To install those clips it's always easier to use the proper clip pliers for the job, but i have improvised by grinding a small divot into the outer edges of a pair of small long nose vise grips. Also once you manage to get the clip on, take a large screwdriver to push the clip completely into place. The grease goes at the surface which meets the flange-i.e. where the turning bit meets the part which doesn't.

[Vincent Waldon]

After fighting with those c-clips for years I finally bought the correct c-clip tool...it's got just the right jaws and just the right roughness on the teeth so that it grips the edges of the clip properly.   Man, turns a huge fight into a 5 second job.  Wish I would have ponyed up 10 years ago!!

I believe Broke has a picture of it on his site... Snap-on, of course, but they show up on e-Bay every now and then.

[Matteo]

Thanks to all.

I got them on. I had pliers with interchangeable posts for different C clip sized. I simply ground the nubs off of them and then ground a flat surface on each. Worked like a charm. Third tool I've had to make for the project.

Other tools I made were:

Final drive cup compressor out of a piece of flatbar with hole in the middle and a bolt that threaded the shaft.
Screwed in two of the half shaft bolts, one on each side and placed the bar on top, then threaded the bolt and it worked like a charm. Pulled that puppy right off.

Also, made a pressure plate isolator with a piece of flatbar and two holes. One that screwed into the hole for the starter and the other into the hole for the flywheel on the pressure plate. I should just start making these and selling them. Piece of cake! LOL!

Thanks again,

Matt

[lord_verminaard]

Just did these on the wife's trans, I was using a LARGE pair of vicegrips to compress the flanges, I bought a pair of internal snap ring pliers at Advance auto, they work about 90% perfectly.  I grinded a bit off of the ends to make them thinner and they work great now.  What I do after the flange is compressed is to just open them up enough to slip on the stub, then let go of them with the pliers and slide them inward until they snap into place.  Then give them a shove with a flat screwdriver to make sure they have seated all the way.  Done!

Brendan