FALLING DOWN c1966 rimless undermount sink, clips to metal bezel

[AcidWater]

I thought this sink was "hung" from the top and I removed most of the rusted screw/clips and then it started to fall, hanging on the U trap. I got the U trap off so it won't break where the horizontal waste pipe meets the downpipe behind the gypsum wall. I have a 2x4 on edge shimmed against the drain pipe stub taking the weight, and a couple clips are still in place on the front.

I now understand the method of passing a bar clamp thru the drain & hanging it from a 2x4 across the top.

My main question is, finding correctly shaped clamps. This sink has no rim to be pushed up against the bottom of the countertop. Instead, there is a nice chromed bezel. I wanted to remove this and re-caulk since its leaking, but I discovered that its not just a "ring" on the top, but three dimensional. It goes down thru the countertop, and underneath there is a little lip or bead, to which the jaw of the clip engages. Then the screw tightens it, pushing the sink upwards.

The first couple of clips here are similar:
https://www.plumbingsupply.com/sinkclips.html
Is it worth a trip to a real hardware store to see if they have matching clips, or is this too outdated?

And is this doable by myself if I hang it from the top, or is it much easier to have a helper to keep it centered while I mess with getting the clips evenly tightened? That sink is HEAVY. I want to remove it completely and clean the rust off the bottom, and clean up the caulking around the bezel area.

EDIT: the frame is similar to the A-7 Goof frame here:
http://vanceind.com/sinkframessinkrimslugsandbolts.aspx

EDIT: my clips have a 90 degree angle between the "clip" and "lug" like this:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Keeney-M...-for-Kitchen-Sink-10-Pack-PP826-82L/204374377
But the above has a much much longer "lug" - but I guess I can cut it shorter if necessary.

How critical is it to get the "correct" clip so it hangs on the "rim" securely?

 

[Terry]

At $6.50 for a set, I would go for it and see.
Yes, we use clips that come with the Hoody rims to hold the sinks in place. Remove the clips and the sink falls down.
Yep.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[AcidWater]

And the water is cut off the BOTH bathroom sinks, so I need to move from figuring out how & what to do, to doing, pretty quick.

 

[AcidWater]

Oh fudge, lost a key question: I want to remove the frame because I think that whatever they used to goop down the top flange (plumbers putty maybe?) is cracked enough to leak water thru. Maybe I can pulverize it by whacking on it with a rubber mallet then tapping up from below? But if I fail to dislodge it, then I've made it worse.

And if I just plain bend & ruin it, where can I get a generic replacement? Otherwise I'd have to replace the sink, so get a top mount type, if I can find one to fit the hole in the counter... screwing up could turn into a huge expensive job.

 

[hj]

The sink is NOT part of the rim. If you damage the rim, you buy a new one, usually 32"x21" for a kitchen sink. IT will come with the proper clips. A top mount sink will be 33"x22" so it will be larger than the opening and will cover it.