<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2604" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; = FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 bgColor=#ffffff leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 = rightMargin=7> <DIV>Wim:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"There is only one way to replace a wippen flange, and that is to = remove the action. If it means removing the keys as well, so be it. You can't = look at this repair as a 5 minute job just to replace the flange. It is a 45 - = 60 minute repair, to remove the action, etc. Do you think a mechanic is only going = to charge you 5 minutes of work to replace a ring on a piston, when he has = to remove the head, etc."</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Removing the action would almost certainly have damaged other = plastic parts, especially the damper flanges, where in my experience even the = slightest -- and quite inevitable -- nudge causes them to splinter.  Then you = get into one of those Sisyphus rock situations, when you replace the action = -- and more parts break, thus necessitating action removal, ad infinitum....</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Anyway, not to belabor the obvious, but since I did manage to = replace the wippen flange without removing the action (and have done it before), it = is in fact possible to do.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I just wouldn't recommend it to anyone wishing to retain his or her = full measure of sanity (or to the faint of heart ;-).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>JeffO  </DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>