18 Oct
1998
18 Oct
'98
2:11 p.m.
Yesterday, I wrote:
My biggest, burning question is this: How do you get
those darn covers
on the side of the S/36 open? All it has is a little 1/4" long slot.
Probing around inside was completely fruitless. I can see a black
plastic piece inside through the slot, but pushing, pulling, lifting, or
pushing down on it doesn't do anything.
It seems that if necessity is the mother of invention, desperation is the
mother of educated guesses. I was thumbing through my MIMs (maintenance
information manuals) on the S/36 today and it mentioned the use of a
special hooked tool to open the covers. One paperclip and several minutes
later, and the covers were open.
Explanation of how to do it (as it's not really self-explanatory):
Find a large paperclip (the small ones bend too easy). Bend it up so you
have a 1" long hook at the end, and the rest straight. The hook should
measure 1/4" wide. If the catch inside is not broken (only one of mine
wasn't), just hook it and pull straight out while alternately pushing and
pulling on the cover. It takes a good pull on the clip, but be gentle,
lest you wind up in this category: What to do if the catch is broken.
There's usually a little piece of the catch left, so instead of pulling
out the clip straight, aim the hook in the direction of the hinge of the
door (e.g. slot on left, hinge on right, hook toward right). Do the
alternating push and pull again to wiggle the door loose. Once you get it
open, cut a new slot in the catch.
--
Richard Schauer
rws(a)ais.net