Just bought myself a fork coil compressor (sealey) and a seal drift tool. I know you can muddle by on home made stuff as I have been for years but by christ the proper stuff can make things easy. Both forks serviced (oil, bushings, seals) in an hour. Usually spend more time than that cobbling some special device and cleaning whatever wound it causes.
If I'm doing it once I'll make do . But if it's going to be used again .. I'll make a proper one or buy one. I made a proper fork spring compressor as A, I didn't want to take my face off &B I new I would use it a few times. I bought a seal driver as I wanted the right tool and didn't want to screw up the new seals
Given the name, timing and tone of this thread I can only presume you guys have a problem with my post from a week or so ago. As I wouldn't like to be responsable for anyone taking their face off I have removed the offending image. ...as well as the others. After all, hacksaws and scissors are dangerous items, wouldn't want someone accidentally slicing off their arm.
No, I contributed to it. Just making a comment on how the proper tools had helped me on this occasion and made things easier. ETA: Been working on bikes for 25 years and have made hundreds of tools, definitely wasn't a dig, never occurred to me that it might be perceived as such.
Not at all. Do what you need to do with what you have at hand. The post is about how much easier it is with the right tool. If we disagreed with your post then it would have been commented on at the time. The first time I changed fork seals I used ratchet straps . I struggled but did it. Then I made a proper compressor. Made it so much easier.
and my pet hate 'proper' tools that are not up to the job, breaker bars that brake caliper piston grips that slip wildly inaccurate torque wrenches anything made by Rolson!
OMFG, chain breaker tools that snap and nearly take your thumb off. Give me an angle grinder and a lump hammer any day of the week. ...and bloody brake bleeding tools that let go under pressure after being pressure tested that piss your last litre of brake fluid on the road.
My last proper tool purchase was a fuel injection and compressions tester. Brought, after much deliberation, cos my ZX10R had some issues. I didn’t think it would get much use but it has several times, you can use the supplied hoses and connector to extend fuel injection lines to move your tank further away so access to throttle bodies is easier for synchronising and compression testing is a good diagnostic for mechanical issues.
