Lyman coil spring

[smallpatch]

OK, a friend of mine, brought me a Lyman lock, in pieces, and wants me to put it together for him.

Not a problem..... until I got to that darn coil mainspring.

Is there some trick or something???  I just can't seem to compress it enough to get in back on the tumbler.

Any ideas??

[Birddog6]

I always used a pair of needlenose pliers, push it back til you can get it in place. Not easy but do-able.

[smallpatch]

Keith,

  OK, I clamped the plate in a padded vise, and used a needle nose like you said.  Worked great.

Thanks so much.

[Birddog6]

I don't know that there is a tool for it. I guess if you were doing it all the time you could make a lil tool with a handle on it.  Normally I just washed mine down real good with water & a toothbrush & blew it dry with air & then totally soaked it with Ballistol, wiped up the excess & went on.  Took them apart initially to polish the innerds but afterwards didn't take them apart.  Never had any issues with the 3 dif. ones I had.

[Captchee]

yep birddog there is a tool
 its something like a set of duck bill  pliers. The top  jaw has a grove that  fit’s the bar the spring rides on .
 The bottom jaw fits to the  spring block .

or you can  get  this tool


 myself . i also use the needle nose  with the teeth ground away .  just slide it in front of the spring. then you can easly  push the spring back and  slide the guide in place