How to make your own fork cap spring removal tool

[wingdings]

Hi - Folks !! - Just on the last leg of rebuilding my 1989 k model Goldwing front end rebuild and wanted a safe way of removing the fork cap without removing my eye at the same time too !! - There is a special tool for this made by Honda you can buy it from Cyclemax. The part number of the tool is: 07KMF-MT20300 .

However - if you think its not worthwhile to spend that sort of cash on a tool that you may only use maybe once or twice while you own the bike then this how to may be for you ?? - It requires that you can weld ( or get your new very best friend to do that bit for you ( a beer usually does the trick . ) cut and file and drill - The tool is quite simple in its construction and works best on fork caps with the straight 17mm hex type cap as on my k-wing model - however if you could find a suitable blot head for the other type - I dare say once the valve has been removed you could adapt the tool head to suit . The tool in itself is direct follow on from the other how to tools I have made and posted on the site - These can be found as - viewtopic.php?f=14&t=36539 and viewtopic.php?f=14&t=36420 .

The tools are made at home and designed to save fellow wingers a small fortune an the shop bought ones costing in some cases 100's of pounds . The ones I have made and this one have cost me next to nothing or penny's to make from scrap metal pipe - from my local junk yard or garage or scrap yard .

Ok - How to make your own fork cap removal tool .

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Tool list :-

1) welder x 1

2) cut off saw or grinder x 1 and a 1mm slitting disc x 3 off

3) drill x 1

4) 10mm drill bit x1

5) half round file x 1

6) Centre punch x 1

7) 2 Lbs hammer x1

8) 17mm spanner x 1

9) 13mm spanners x 2

10) 2"inch paint brush x1

Materials list -

1) 1 - off - 50mm - steel tubing ( cut to size 17" inch's long and cut square both ends ) .

2) 1- off - 25mm - steel tubing ( cut to size 16"inch's long and centre punched in the middle at 8"inch's ) .

3) 1- off - 10mm threaded rod ( cut to size 18" inch's long - with nuts to suit ) or better still use Trapezoidal ACME threaded steel bar Right
hand thread TR10 and nuts to suit .

4) 4- off- nuts to suit 10mm threaded rod = 17mm heads

5) 1-off - flat bar - 6inchs long or 150mm x25mm x 5mm and cut to 55mm or 2"-1/4 inchs long x 2off

6) 5 - off - 50mm penny washers mild steel ( may need to drill out hole to take 10mm threaded rod .) or could use 5mm sheet steel cut out
round and filed flush to the edge of the tube . or use 50mm x 5mm steel washer - 1- off - if you can - find or buy one .

7) 1 -off - 40mm penny washers mild steel . ( 1 needed -)

8) 1 - off - Can of - metal paint - ( Colour of your own choice ) .

Method :-

Start by measuring the length and thickness of the yoke - Then cut the 50mm ( 2inch) steel tubing to size - ensure both ends are cut square and you have left enough length on the tube to ensure it will both fit over the yoke tube and reach to the bottom of the yoke and over the bearing and leave enough for the threaded bar to both wind back on and wind onto a good size would be about 17inch's however always best to check this for your model year as I have learned that on wings not all parts are the same - So one size may not fit all so be aware of that .

Having arrived at the correct size - (In my own case it was 17inchs) - Cut the tube accordingly and then file off any fash / burrs/ sharp edges left behind after cutting .

Next - Mark from one end - 5"-1/4 inchs along the tube and then mark again from the same end of the tube - Mark again 2"inchs in from the end - and then draw two lines down the side of the tube about half way round the tube to link up the two lines you have just marked at the 5/14 mark and the 2"inch mark - this will be your cut out and also will be used as a guide for when you start cutting this section of tube out - so the neater you can make this marking out the better your finish will be . (see pic below )

20170301_113049.jpg cap tool pic 2.jpg

Next - Place the tube in a vice and tighten hard down with the marked end of the tube - so you can make a set of thin cuts half way down the tube using a 4inch grinder with a 1mm slitting disc - start cutting slits along and down the tube down to the marks you marked along the tube - (see pic below )

20170301_112311.jpg cap tool pic 3.jpg

Next - With all the cuts made - undo the vice and rotate the tube onto its side so the tube is facing with the line that you marked on its side then tighten up again hard !! - you are now going to run the 4inch angle grinder down the line to cut out the cut out window in the tube - (see pic below)

20170301_113152.jpg cap pic 4 .jpg

Next - Turn the tube over and repeat the steps again - This should free the waist metal from the cut out . (see pic below )

20170301_113304.jpg cap pic 5.jpg

Next - Take **** cut file and file up all along the cut out - till smooth and all the fash and sharp edges have gone !! .. ( see pic below )

20170301_113430.jpg cap pic 6 .jpg

Next: - Mark a line down the centre of the pipe at the 2"inch end on the top - you are going to slit - split the pipe at that point - you need to take out along this line about a 1/4 of a inch - This is to allow the pipe to be squeezed in enough to tighten around the forks when the blots are tightened up - So allow enough of a gap for this or it will be to lose a fit or worse still could come off and smack you in the face !! .. beware !! ..

Next :- With the slit now cut on the 2"inch end side - its time to weld on the 2inch - washer onto the other end and cap the end off and also weld on a 17mm nut as well - take a small off cut of threaded bar - Enough to fit though both the nut and the washer - do this when the washer has been welded up all round first - you will find that it makes it easy then to weld the nut in place and also protects the thread on the nut from weld spatter as well and stops you burning your fingers too .

Next :- While the tube cools off - its time to get on making the handle - having cut and centre punched the centre mark it time to drill out the hole with a 10mm drill - Only drill half way though - you will place the 10mm rod though the hole and then weld all round and build up a good weld all around both the rod and the tube that is now the handle - with that done - its time to thread the rod and the handle down the tube - fully wind down the thread to the end of the tube until it stops - with this now done - you then need to wind your first 17mm nut up the thread leaving it so you can get a 2.5mm welding rod behind the nut - with that done wind the 40mm washer up in front of that and then another 17mm nut in front of that and tighten both with two open ended 17mm spanners as tight as you can then weld both ends - to sandwich the 40mm washer between them both then wind on the last 17mm nut on the end of the threaded 10mm bar weld this nut only around the back end not on the face of the nut - this nut will be the spanner end of the tool so your defo - looking for a snug fit and flat face and no humps or bumps on the bottom face of the nut - ( see pics below )

20170311_130731.jpg cap tool pic 7.jpg

Here are the nuts fully welded up ( see pic below )

20170311_131941.jpg cap tool pic 8 .jpg

Next :- With all the welding now done on the nuts wind the handle back again - this is to protect the threads on the rod from weld splatter when you weld on the lugs these will be first tacked into place on all four corners then fully welded in .

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Next :- Its time to make the lugs for the tool -take the two 2"inch flat bars that you cut to size place flat down in a vice and clamped tightly together -Mark from each end 10mm or 1/4 of a inch and centre punch the marks then drill using a 10mm drill bit ( a drill press is best for this and lots of oil while you do the drilling ) .

Next:- With all the drilling now done file up both lugs and remove any sharp edges and flash

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Next :- thread up the two - 8 mm blots - with 2 -13mm - nuts - back the nuts off from the blot heads a little - Then place the second lug on top of the blots and then place the last two 13mm nuts on top of those and tighten up - Then place LM2 grease on the bolt threads - this serves as anti splatter for when the welding is done on the lugs and prevents the threads from weld splatter .

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Next :- Position the lugs on top and over the tool- tack weld the lugs in all four corners - then fully weld in when happy - Once cool undo the nuts and bolts and remove the middle nuts and place the two nuts on the outside of the last lug and set the blots up as you did before only this time the middle blots wont be there ! . ( You had in fact made a small jig to hold all the pieces in place until you got the whole lot welded up there by keeping it all in line too !!. )

Lastly - Take a 2"inch brush and paint the tool with a good metal paint ( to a colour of your choice ) .

Click on the link - to view all the pics of this project - https://1drv.ms/f/s!AghZXu-GTTGronPUq9PTSs2-0RgI

Well done too - grab a beer - you have just saved your self - £245 pounds on ebay - instructions for the tool and the see it in action - will follow in next post ..!!!! ..

[wingdings]

Hi - Folks - here is the instructions for the tool and also the tool in action as well

1) first crack the fork cap nuts off a bit - just loosen then a little - ( this so you don't put to much pressure on the tool and also helps stop rounding the nut heads off too !) .

2) place the tool over the fork stem - it wants to be just below where the fork narrows - where the triple tree would sit (see pic below )

20170311_140903.jpg fork cap pic 10 .jpg

3) Once you have the tool set at the right engagement point and the 17mm nut engaged in the fork cap tighten up the two blots until the tool bites hard on the fork stem at this point the tool such not move round the stem at all !! . (see pic below )

20170311_140857.jpg fork cap tool pic 11 .jpg

4) Slowly start to wind the tool up - you will feel the cap pop when it is realised keep winding it up until all the spring pressure is gone off the tool . Then undo the bolts that are holding the tool around the fork stem once lose enough just lift the tool off the fork the cap should be left behind on top of the spring . ( see pic below )

20170305_141432.jpg fork cap tool pic 11 .jpg

5) To replace the cap back again just do things reverse order - pay attention - to when you are winding down back onto the fork threads that you don't - cross thread the fork cap - ensure that the cap is level and only wind the tool down slowly - you will feel the fork cap engage the thread don't force it take your time these threads at very fine indeed ..

20170311_144046.jpg fork cap tool pic 13.jpg

20170311_144055.jpg fork cap pic 14.jpg

click on the link to view all pics - https://1drv.ms/f/s!AghZXu-GTTGronPUq9PTSs2-0RgI

[keithg64]

That is a great job. Thank you very much.

[wingdings]

HI- And thank you - For your reply too - and no its a pleasure to help fellow wing owners - and save them money where I can too !! - The tool is quite easy to make so if you can weld ( or know someone that can do that bit for you - cold beer usually works quite well lol ) - you will have a tool at a faction of the price of the Honda workshop tool .. I have made quite a few tools and have posted them on here - I reckon I have saved about $500 on shop bought tools and when you think about it - if you are only going to use the tool once or twice while you own the bike - it hardly justify the $500 outlay yes .. ?? anyway many thanks again for your kind and welcome reply too ..

[dingdong]

Thanks for the how to. First let me admit that I didn't read the entire procedure. Question: Why not just make two cross cuts? One at both ends of the window, instead of 12, then cut out the window?

[wingdings]

Hi -there tom - Glad you liked my post too - Yes in answer to you question about the cuts I made for the cut out window in the tool - I did it that way because - I found it easy then to remove the waist part of the metal cut out - the more cuts you can make to the line - the weaker the steel becomes also you are removing about 1mm at a time by doing this - So defo making it easy for when you put the two cuts down the side - to remove the waist steel from the cut out window - If you have cut down to the line when doing - the vertical cut - it then becomes much more easy to remove it too - Its bit like playing dot to dot and linking up the lines to the cut - This also acts by doing it this way as way from stopping the metal distorting to as you are putting less heat into the metal because you are taking more out by doing the cuts - the other way you could try is to cut it with oxy cutting gear - I used the tools I had available at the time - I just wanted to make something and share it with others and try and save a lot of money on the shop bought ones such as pro-motion tools - I made a steering yoke bottom removal tool and posted that on here - The pro motion tool to do the same job was £103 pounds - I just could not afford that sort of money for a tool that I would only use maybe once or twice while owned the wing - so made one for pennys instead - and passed the info on for me its not what you know its sharing it with fellow wingers and them doing the same too - no one knows everything however if we share what we do know it makes life a lot easy for all wing riders - Yes Tom ... ?? ..

[spiralout]

If this forum had a "like" button, I'd click it for this post. Well done write up.

[wingdings]

Hi - Folks - just a quick post to say I made a cracking off nut tool to go with this tool to aid the removal of the fork caps - please - view topic viewtopic.php?f=6&t=36798

if you wish to make all the tools I have posted here are the links to them -

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=36633

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=36539

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=36420

I hope you enjoy both making them and using them too - As i have safe knowing that i have saved a lot of money too on the shop brought ones ...

[maplewingnut]

I am doing the seals on my 1500. Want to make one of these tools.
You selected a 50mm tube. The diameter of my forks is smaller than that. it is an '89 GL 1500.
I picked up a 1 3/4" tailpipe in Canadian tire. It is about 42mm ID which is close to the diameter of my forks.
Am I missing something?

[wingdings]

Hi - there !! - Yes - I see your bike is a 1500 - The reason I used 50mm mid steel steam pipe was for strength - Its 5mm thick and makes it easy to weld too ! - Also when you are using the tool you need to fit the tool over the forks and clamp down onto where the triple tree would sit - on the 1500's it narrows it at that point - that's why also you need to remove at least 6mm out of the radius of the tube to ensure the nuts can tighten up enough to bite down hard on the tube .

I don't know about using the pipe you are using fella - but I would suspect it may be to thin for the job also - you say 42mm - well my bike is a 1989 k - wing model and it worked fine on mine having it at 50mm also gave me good clearance all round too - you don't want it too tight you have to get the bugger off again - lol - One thing I will say is don't forget to weld behind the back nut that is the nut you first put on then the washer - then the last nut - id weld that too also - or you will end up - with the tool not working !!

I defo stick too 50mm - Think about fella - 50mm dia - 42mm radius for the forks - So therefore :- 50mm - 42mm = 8mm - divide that by half - you only have 4mm clearance round the sides just enough yes ?? ..

hope this may help very best regards - john ... P.S I did make a fork nut cracking off tool as well out of a old tire iron - check out my other posts for that one .....

[maplewingnut]

Having already purchased the 1 3/4" tailpipe, I was already financially committed.
This worked fine for me on the 1500. The fork on the 1500 has a reduced diameter so it is easy to clamp effectively.
The 1100 has a smaller diameter fork and needs a more effective clamp than I used.
Thanks for your input. This tool made the job easy!

[maplewingnut]

Forgot this bit.
M10 bolt X 25mm long. (17mm A/F hex fits the fork plug)
Welded a nut onto it to allow room for a wrench.
My tool had a 3/4" nut (1/2" -13 threaded bar). The 3/4" socket can rotate.

[wingdings]

Good morning !! there - maplewingnut - Glad you managed to get the problem sorted too !! - You now have a tool at a fraction of the cost of a Honda made tool and saved yourself 100's pounds too - if you look at the other posts I have done too - you will see how you can adapt the tool and make other tools using just a piece of pipe and some threaded bar - I am thinking about making one to do the swing arm bearings if I do I will post that too - like I said they are all based on a piece of pipe and a bit of threaded bar - simple yes ?? ...

[pocketchange]

Rather than making this tool, anyone want to rent or let me borrow theirs??
I'm letting Mother Nature cool off (finally) and restoring my new (to me) 94' SE.
No fun dealing with Summertime Houston Weather.. pc

[wingdings]

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[LittleGoldy]

Hey pocketchange. I noticed all the support you got with your request. I was considering asking that very thing, but, felt I woulda got the same response. I am completely willing to pay in advance for the tool full price with the agreement that it would be recompensed when returned. OR if someone built a cheapo tool cause honestly, with all the parts cost I got running on my Winter refresh, the wifey is getting a lil PO'd with me and I need to be on the cheap moving forward. That is the plan anyway. See how that'll work out. I just wanted to THANK the fellow that posted up all these tools. Very big help.

[marks146]

Hey pocketchange. I noticed all the support you got with your request. I was considering asking that very thing, but, felt I woulda got the same response. I am completely willing to pay in advance for the tool full price with the agreement that it would be recompensed when returned. OR if someone built a cheapo tool cause honestly, with all the parts cost I got running on my Winter refresh, the wifey is getting a lil PO'd with me and I need to be on the cheap moving forward. That is the plan anyway. See how that'll work out. I just wanted to THANK the fellow that posted up all these tools. Very big help.

I had the wood. A couple of lengths of "all-thread" and a couple of nuts and washers. Maybe $10.00 and I'm done. You can borrow it if you want to come and get it, but it's cheap and easy to fabricate it. Sorry for the late response.

[LittleGoldy]

Thanks Mark. That pic was AWESOME. Making mine tomorrow at the shop

[marks146]

Thanks Mark. That pic was AWESOME. Making mine tomorrow at the shop

You're welcome. I thought so too, but I can't take credit for the picture. I'm just passing it along. Don't be to concerned with the dimensions as I found the spring to be under less tension than reported. The use of a socket under the upper board worked great. I just used a washer bigger than the diameter of the socket as a bearing. I think the spring was about 2" compressed. In fact when I put the Progressive spring in I was able to muscle the cap onto the tube without the aid of the device. The new springs support the front of the bike like a champ. It's been very cold and there's still quite a bit of snow and ice on my driveway and roads, so I've not been able to ride, but front end bounce and rebound has been restored. Can't wait to try it out.

[agedbikeman]

This is the cap removal tool I made today.
I started with 42mm 2 exhaust clamps and welded then to a flat steel bar 30mm x 4mm.

Then I welded a 10mm square tube to the bar with an 8mm threaded rod inseted in the tube

Then another 10mm square tube with again an 8mm threaded rod inserted to the U bolt of the exhaust clamp

Then aanther flat bar with 2 holes to fit the threaded rod and the 1/4" drive extension that fits via a 1/2" to 1/4" square drive adaptor which fits into a tool I got on ebay, a hex head that fits the cap nut with a 1/2" drive hole in it.

This is designed to remove the cap without removing the forks as it's very compact, the distance between the 2 exhaust clamps fits between the top yoke and the triple tree.

Notice my wonderful welding, enough to make a welder give up and do something else, but hey who cares , it works.
It took me all day but it was so easy.

[twtroake]

Hello: I know this article was posted some time ago, but do you still have the pics that were referenced? The one drive link shows empty folder. Thank you.

[agedbikeman]

Sorry for the late reply, been away.
YES I do still have the pics and will place them here with an explanation of how to make it.

I'll try and do it tonight so watch this space.

Always glad to help
Alex