How do you remove the grommet around the antenna on a C4 when you are going to change the mast? Thought there may be a trick, I didn;t want to damage something.
Thanks

 

If your '87 is like my '89 it will come out on the bottom of the panel after you remove the antenna.



This is for an '86 should be similar to yours:

 

that I do not have to remove the antenna to change the mast. It says I can do it from the top

Step #1 Carefully remove the grommet on top of the fender to expose the antenna mast nut.

Step #2 Remove the plastic antenna mast nut. This can easily be removed with needle nose pliers, protected with

tape or a cloth so as not to damage the plastic nut.

Step #3 To remove the antenna mast, have someone turn the switch on, and then turn on the radio. Let the motor

expel the defective antenna mast. Leave the radio on. Do not manually pull the antenna out by hand unless

it is bent, and then gently pull upward as the motor expels it. Reinstall the old contact spring sleeve on the

new antenna mast (item #3). (You may discard the sleeve that came with the new mast.) If the mast teeth

do not release, grasp the teeth of the mast and turn the mast toward the passenger side, releasing the teeth

from the motor's gear.

Step #4 Insert the new mast's serrated plastic cable into the antenna housing with the teeth pointing toward the

driver's side of the car. When you feel the resistance of the plastic cable engaging with the antenna motor's

gear, turn the radio off. Be prepared for the cable and mast to be drawn down into the car. If the cable does

not retract into the antenna housing, turn the plastic serrated cable clockwise or couterclockwise. You may

have to turn the radio off and on several times before the entire antenna mast is retracted.

Step #5 Once the antenna is fully retracted, seat the contact spring sleeve and reinstall the antenna mast nut. Turn

the radio off and on several times to ensure proper operation. A fully extended mast should measure 31

1/2" from the bottom of the nut to the tip of the mast.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Step 4

1

2 3

4

5

1) Antenna Mast Nut

2) Antenna (Mast)

3) Contact Spring

4) Serrated side of plastic cable must

face toward front of vehicle

5) Flared end of contact spring

 

The instructions look right to me. Only difference is I used the special GM socket for removing the nut. It took about 5 minutes to swap out the mast.

 

Can't figure out how to get the grommet off without damaging