special tools?

[garthh]

Valve tool

You can probably tell what I made this valve adjuster tool out of
I made the slots w/3"cutoffwheel,just kept opening them up until the fit the adj. screw

Shock tool


the ring fits over the top of the shock
the part w/all the washers bolts through the lower shock mount
keep tightening the 2 all-threads until the retainer comes off
I just had to check the action of the shocks, clean&paint

Garthh

[xs650sf]

I'm gonna make me a valve wrench just about like that. I wouldn't have thought to make one end at a 45 degree.....thanks for the picture!

[tomterrific]

Hi Garthh,

Your spring compressor is allot nicer than what I attempted. Heavy folks can try this temporary spring compressor to get the springs off a shock. I weigh about 160 and was just a touch too light so I think 200# and over will work. I did not get this method to work and I think I just did not weight enough. The plan was to come up with the absolutely simplest motorcycle spring compressor that could be made instantly with the stuff everyone had at hand.

Get about 8' of nylon rope and tie a loop in each end. Clamp the bottom eye of the shock securely in a bench vise. Put both loops over the tops of the spring from each side with the bottom of the rope hanging down but not touching the floor (adjust the rope length). Step into the bottom of the roop and if you are heavy enough the spring should compress enough to get the retainer off the top.

This might not work for anyone but took me no time at all to try out. I think if my 240# friend was visiting I'd have a winner of a spring compressor.

Tom Graham

[5twins]

The size for the square valve adjuster is 4mm. An open end that size comes in the Craftsman metric ignition wrench set. Don't know if it's available separately.