what did you wrench on today??

[Billy Ricks]

I wish I would have been wrenching today instead of what I was doing. I got home yesterday afternoon and heard a hissing sound in our dining room wall. I knew the sound so I opened up the wall to find where the leak was. Turned out it was in the slab. I had to take out about 2 square feet of concrete to find the source. Oh what fun.

[DanTheMan]

Can't say it was really "wrenching" as such, but a project I posted on last year is what I've been working on for awhile now. It's a string bass rebuild for the orchestra that I play in.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

I picked up the Kat fork inner tubes from the Hard-chromers today and they are looking pretty good. The custom fork springs should arrive next week and then the fun begins, will I be able to compress the heavier springs enough to screw in the fork caps? Standard Suzuki 1100 spring wire is 4.5mm and the new springs will be made from 5.0mm wire. For now here are the re-chromed inner tubes, cheers.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

While putting the forks back in the tree I felt the steering-head bearings binding up just a bit on left lock. Dropped the forks out pulled the bearings out and cleaned them, no score marks on the shells and the rollers don't seem to have any flat spots I can feel. Did a dry run with the bearings to test them and there is still a very small binding feel on left lock so its new bearings tomorrow and then back to forks work after they go in. Hhmmmmmm looks like I must have nipped up the bearings just a tad too much the last time I repacked the steering-head bearings,cheers.

[pete]

Those tubes look good Glen, they do nice work! Pretty sure that's where Simon Kuether got his forks and/or shocks done on the S as well, have heard many good things about them. Bugger on the bearings although that should be easy fixed.

Didn't wrench so much myself tonight as continue with getting the garage and work area a little more organised and wiping the oil of the head where the damn Athena valve cover gasket keeps weeping... can't wait for the genuine one to get here from Boulevard so I can swap it at the 1000km service... got over 800km's on her now too

[Shin-Ken 1074]

O.K. because I forgot to buy a Suzuki Steering Nut Socket Wrench 09940-14910 when I bought my Kat 26 years ago looks like I have to make one to do the bearings to the correct torque. I am not a machinist or qualified in any way to make stuff (the pics prove that) this has been made with things lying around the shed so the Nut Socket is not perfect but it works. I have welded a 1/2 inch square drive socket in to the other end of the pipe and bingo attach the torque bar and dial in the steering nut torque.

[7981GS]

Looks like a PROFESSIONAL job to me!




Daniel

[pete]

Looks like a PROFESSIONAL job to me!




Daniel

+1... nice tool creation Glen, I did mine by feel... so far so good but I'd rather use something like that to know it's right!

[john82q]

I am not a machinist or qualified in any way to make stuff

That statement is utter rubbish, and the pics do prove that.

<insert one liner about well crafted tool here >

[Tazman001]

What'd I wrench on today?

Toyota Camry. Finished the replacement engine install.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

That statement is utter rubbish, and the pics do prove that.

<insert one liner about well crafted tool here >

Thanks for the vote of confidence John, see you and Val on the 5th, cheers.

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Replaced the steering head bearings today. When I work with bearings that involve pressing them onto shafts I like to help the process by cooling the shafts or in this case the steering stem by sitting the stem in ice for a couple of hours. This contracts the metal enough to make pressing on the now warm bearing. For todays job the bearings were left in the Sun on a 1/2 inch steel plate to act as a heat sink, in Winter I use a small electric oven to warm the bearings. The new roller bearing shells were also left in ice to make it easier to tap them into the frame. Tomorrow its forks, wheel and brakes and maybe even a shake-down ride if all goes well, cheers.

[themess]

I've used a similar trick. If you want to make it more extreme, buy a pound or two of dry ice, and some 100% denatured ethanol. Shave the dry icie and sliowly add it to the ethanol. At first it will boil wildly. Eventually, when unmelted dry ice stays in ethanol, the temperature will be -70C, and any parts you add will make it boil rapidly again until they are cooled. Don't even consider letting the solution touch skin. Only handle parts that cold with tools, and it is best to wear fabric gloves inside rubber gloves. It will make parts shrink significantly more than water ice.

[pete]

Good call Glen, I did the opposite with the wheel bearings and chucked them in the freezer for half an hour or so before installing and that seemed to do the trick.

Looks like you're gonna be all set for the 5th

I got a tracking email to say my valve cover gaskets and oil filters are in the country so I should be able to service her one night this week too! I think I need to finish sorting the garage in a hurry it's a real mess at the moment!

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Thanks for the dry ice recipe Tom, that would sure shrink it down. An advantage with using the ice or freezer method is as long as you work very fast bare hands are safe and no gloves to slow things down. The other issue over here is dry ice availability and the price when you do find a seller close by, cheers.