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A trick for getting old trim clips to let go without breaking
For years, I would just pry on old plastic trim clips with a flathead and hope for the best, which usually ended with a snap and a trip to the parts store. About six months ago, I was working on a 2005 Civic and got fed up with breaking the last three clips on a rocker panel. I grabbed my heat gun, set it on low, and gently warmed the area around the clip for maybe 15 seconds. The plastic got just soft enough that the clip popped right out with a little wiggle from my trim tool. I've used this on a bunch of cars since, from Ford trucks to older Toyotas, and it's saved me a ton of time and money on replacement clips. The key is low heat and patience; you don't want to melt anything, just warm it up. It works because the old plastic gets brittle but still softens with a little heat. What other tricks do you guys have for dealing with stubborn, aged plastic parts?
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jamierodriguez5mo ago
That heat gun trick is a total game changer! I did the same thing with a hair dryer on my old truck's door panel clips last summer. A little warmth makes all the difference with that brittle plastic.
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