Replacing c-clips on older otter poles

[gators06]

I have an older otter lodge with the 3/4" white clips on the poles and recently broke a couple. I bought a pack of the new black replacement clips but having a hard time getting them into the poles. The old white clips had a groove in the base where the pole was crimped around, the replacements have no such groove. Any tips to get the base pushed past the crimps in the pole or somehow flattening out the crimps?

[jdfisherman]

I've had to replace most of mine over the years. I cut the tube off at the crimp (usually only removes 1/4") then use a pry bar or similar item to round out the tube and remove most of the remaining crimp. Then I put the new clip in a vise, heat the tube with the sunflower (which causes it to expand), then push the tube onto the clip. The heat will melt a little of the clip, but once it cools it's not coming out. Just make sure you get the clip aligned properly because once it cools it won't rotate in the tube.

There may be more elegant ways to do this, but this works for me. Good luck!

[gators06]

Was thinking about cutting the ends or maybe just splitting the ends of the pole enough to get the clip in and re-crimp with vise. Good advice on heating the pole up as well, thanks.

[Rivernut]

I put a piece of pipe in the clip to keep the clip from breaking as I pounded them in the pole with a hammer. Worked great, and they arent coming out.