C3 parking brake handle

[Jeffrey S.]

Hello all. Has anybody removed the plastic "grip" section of an early c3 e-brake handle? Yesterday at a local swap meet I purchased 2, what appear to be NOS, plastic portion only parts. They must have come from the parts bin of the supplier that made the handles for GM since I know that these pieces were never serviced by GM. I had always thought that the platic was put on in 2 halves and glued together with some sort of stud running through the handle to hold it from slipping off. Apparently this is not true since the parts that I bought are just sleeves that fit over the metal handle (glued on?). As always, any help would be appreciated.
Jeff Salz

[Mark #28455]

Re: C3 parking brake handle

Look at the handle and note the ratchet mechanism. There is a roll pin about 1/4" diameter that goes through the chrome part of the handle and the ratchet mechanism. Remove the roll pin by tapping with an appropriate sized punch. Then note that the thumb button is attached to the ratchet mechanism. Carefully slide the rod from the thumb button free of the ratchet mechanism. Now you can remove the thumb button from the top end of the handle. The plastic handle can now be slid off the end of the handle - it's a snug fit so be gentle!
Good luck,
Mark

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: C3 parking brake handle

Mark:
Thanks very much for the information. I knew there was a way to do this. I will give it a try and let you know what happens.
Jeff

[Jeffrey S.]

Re: C3 parking brake handle

Mark:
I went to try your advise on disassembly and a little confused (nothing new for me). There are 2 holes in the chromed part: 1 is near the edge and measures about 1/8 inch. The other is more in the center and is mich larger-about 3/8 inch. I assume tou meant to puch out the smaller one because this one looks more like a roll pin than the other. The larger 1 looks more like a staked in bushing. Thanks again for your help.
Jeff Salz

[Mark #28455]

Re: C3 parking brake handle

Actually, I think it's the bigger one - the one that goes through the center of the ratchet lever (the lever that moves when you push the release button at the end of the handle) If it's not clear, e-mail me with your phone number and I'll call you and explain