Homemade and Unique Tools

This simple tool allows you to mount your brake disc in a drill press. Run the drill press at low rpm ...........200 or 300 rpm, and hold some emery paper on the disc surface. This will remove grooves and make you discs look spiffy and new.
 

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Here is a simple way to make a valve spring compressor if you have a 6" C clamp available. I removed the normal end that is on a C clamp, and replaced it with the U shaped metal piece that was on the end of a cheapo purchased spring compressor. The cheapo spring compressor was for automotive engines and was not suitable for the XS650.
 

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If you are wanting to adjust the mixture screws using the "Dead Cylinder Method", you need a way to disable one spark plug. However you want the high voltage from the coil to have a path to ground, to protect the coil. This tool simply clips to an engine cooling fin and uses an old spark plug/ 12 gauge wire/ alligator clip and a hose clamp.
 

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These are all interesting. That disc rotor refacing tool a very good idea and quite useful to most of us. Would you mind if I posted that on the DIY Cruisers forum? Its all about do it yourself tips and tricks for motorcyclists of all brands.
 
Occasionally it becomes necessary to remove the engine ( hopefully not to often). A very nice engine removal tool was posted by inxs. It requires some welding and an overhead hoist/chain falls, neither of which was available to me. This picture shows an easy way to lift the engine out if you have 2 pipes and 2 slings (I used nylon slings). Its a 2 person operation, with no strain on either.
 

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These are all interesting. That disc rotor refacing tool a very good idea and quite useful to most of us. Would you mind if I posted that on the DIY Cruisers forum? Its all about do it yourself tips and tricks for motorcyclists of all brands.

As long as I get my usual $500 inventors fee................just kidding:D..............by all means, feel free to post on other sites. We're all here to help out our fellow bikers.
 
I posted a query here last month asking about a design for a stand to use for truing up a laced wheel. I also posted a query to the Yam650 mailing list, and received a prompt response. The solution is so simple, it truly was a DOH! moment for me. Still, I thought I should pass it along.

The solution? Use a pair of jack stands. Once I had the wheel laced up, all I did was extend the jack stands to their maximum height, run the axle through the hub and rest each end of it on a jack stand. The wheel spins just fine -- of course -- on its own axle, so I was able to use a Sharpie pen to mark an arc along the side of the wheel where there was a noticeable wobble. Eventually, the arc got smaller and smaller, so I would alternate between sides to confirm that the high spot on one side corresponded to a low spot on the other. After a few more adjustments, I got the wheel to where there was no visible deflection, and the Sharpie made an almost even mark all along the circumference on both sides. At that point, I called it 'true."

I could have cobbled together some sort of adjustable holder for the Sharpie, but I didn't. I just sat on a low stool and braced my hand against my leg to keep the Sharpie steady, then gradually moved it in until it just touched the side of the wheel. Moved in/out a bit to determine the right distance for tracing the arc. If you have steady hands, this method will work just fine, especially since you're bracing your hand against your leg to minimize movement. I like this method better than using a dial indicator because it leaves a trace along the wheel exactly where the out-of-true section is, whereas a dial indicator won't. I found it helpful to have a paper towel and some alcohol to wipe off the Sharpie marks periodically as the wheel got closer to being true.

I don't have a tire on the wheel yet, but I don't see why this same setup couldn't be used for balancing as well.

Simple. Just plain old, drop-dead simple. Hard to believe that some folks pay a good chunk of money to have others do this.

Oh, and I can't help but wonder -- why isn't this thread a sticky?
 
The easiest way to reassemble one of these motors is to insert the pistons into the bottom of the bores then lower the cylinders w/ pistons down onto the rods and install the wrist pins. I noticed an earlier post here about a ring compressor. You don't need one with this motor. The bottom on the bores is beveled so it's a simple matter to compress each ring with your fingers and wiggle the piston into the bore - when you're doing one piston at a time and the cylinder is off the motor on the bench.

When you lower the cylinder/piston assembly down onto the rods, you need something to hold it at the right height so you can install the wrist pins. I use what I like to call my "Jug Blocks".....

LAVcLeJ.jpg


This is simply 2 hardwood blocks with a 6 3/4" long piece of 1/4" all-thread between them. The all-thread is offset to one side so it clears the cam chain and nutted on both sides of one block for rigidity. It just passes through the other block with a nut and washer on the outside so it can be easily removed once the pistons are connected .....

kpHV5Yw.jpg


The height of the blocks was calculated to place the wrist pins about 1/4" below TDC. This gives you some up and down play in the rod to align it with the wrist pin .....

dxr1bWQ.jpg


The block dimensions are 2 3/4" wide x 4 3/8" tall x 3/4" thick. The only critical dimension is that 4 3/8" height. The others can vary some and still work fine .....

vimDZhj.jpg
 
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5T, that looks just like Joe's engine! :^)

TiredGent ;^), I noticed your engine removal method and thought I'd add that an office chair on one side can allow one person to lift and push the engine out. Just place the bars on the chair seat and lift from the other side like a wheelbarrow. The engine is walked out and lowered to the floor. Probably good to have some long pipes or 2x4s to give enough room.

Tom Graham
 
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Clever idea improvement, Tom. Next time I have to pull an XS engine, I think I'll try this. See if it's any easier than just laying the bike over on its right side and lifting the frame away from the engine.
 
Tom;

Yes, using a chair with rollers, that is a smart way to do it if the second person is mia.
Thanks for the laugh............calling me "TiredGent"..............yeah somedays around 3 or 4 PM that is a perfect name.:laugh:
 
Home made center stand. Cost me $5 for the athletic tape i bought at dicks .. the pipe was in the rafters in my garage when i moved in .. took 20 minutes to weld and paint and works perfectly.

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- Luke:thumbsup:
 
I posted a query here last month asking about a design for a stand to use for truing up a laced wheel. I also posted a query to the Yam650 mailing list, and received a prompt response.


We each have at least 1 truing stand.

true.jpg


Square tube on front of fork, 2x2 on back, clamped together. Magnet mounted dial indicator attached to square tube, bike on jack. Would have worked on the center stand with some weight on the back. End results were true = .010, runout =.035, with a 35+ year old rim, and 30 year old hub/spokes.
 
We each have at least 1 truing stand.

true.jpg


Square tube on front of fork, 2x2 on back, clamped together. Magnet mounted dial indicator attached to square tube, bike on jack. Would have worked on the center stand with some weight on the back. End results were true = .010, runout =.035, with a 35+ year old rim, and 30 year old hub/spokes.
Please go into more depth with this. I don't think I am quite getting exactly how this goes together. An easy way to check front alignment would be fantastic.
 
Basically I just used the bike as a truing stand. The front tire is off the ground so i can turn it freely, and the rest is just to hold the dial indicator.
 
+1 done that. I have a bracket made for my dial indicator that bolts to one of the disk brake mount brackets. Nothing more than a long 3/8 bolt with the head sawed off and a couple of nuts and washers. You don't even really need the dial indicator. Put a u in the end of a stiff piece of wire and bolt it to the bracket or under an axle nut, Bend it till it just touches the rim, done. or hose clamp a piece of wire to a fork leg. A Fuel line clamp, a sharpie and a bigger hose clamp to the fork leg will mark the high spots on the rim.

xs650 runout.jpg
 
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