Proper tools

[RonW]

A breaker bar should be used to remove bolts instead of a ratchet. It doesn't have to be an expensive breaker bar either.





The Valk screws are JIS and a JIS screwdriver should be used on them. The good news is a JIS screwdriver will work on phillip head screws so it's not a specialty tool that's gonna just sit in the toolbox. The bad news is the price of JIS screwdrivers have gone way up. Even JIS screw bits are expensive. I bought a 4 screwdriver JIS set for $18.99 in 2018.

Profile B on a JIS screwdriver tip is flat. Profile A on a phillips screwdriver tip is rounded and will slip and round out a JIS screw head.




A dimple designates a JIS screw although not all JIS screws are dimpled.




The Valk's fork caps have either a locknut or hex nut under it. Regular open ended wrenches are too thick to fit under the fork cap, but the economy wrench in the tool kit is thin enough to slip in there.




Clear plastic tubing holds the battery nut in place. *Via Shane Conley who has been posting youtube videos for 11 years, and a motorbike repair instructor at a vocational school.





A solid core copper wire bent into a hairpin also holds the battery nut in place. That said, some days it works less than other days.




Anyways, the hairpin shape provides clearance for the battery bolt. (Note: the length of the copper wire is exaggerated.)

[WintrSol]

Yep - a breaker bar to break them loose (hence the name). A ratchet it to spin them our or in once loosened. Ever see a guy snap a ratchet internally?

[John Schmidt]

Good stuff, I learned that plastic tube trick for the battery nut when I was in jr. high. Don't call just what the battery was used for, wasn't exactly yesterday. 

[Jims99]

Thanks. Yes, people forget the importance of the jis screw driver. Makes a big difference.

[h13man]

Vessel brand on Amazon is what I have and yes I hardly ever use my Snap On variants anymore. I have a custom made 1/2" drive T shaped bar I used in disassembling molds that the bar slips to any position needed and has 6" long of reach for deep c'bore in the molds. Bent the 3/4" drill rod handle a couple times but I made the head out of air hardened H13. I got a 3/4" drive variant I purchased for the tractor lug nuts but doesn't have the reach and has shorter handle. I really like my Ryobi cordless 1/4" impact which I use constantly.

[hubcapsc]

In my experience, every el-cheapo auto-parts-store
tray-of-whacky-bits-and-a-handle includes a perfect jis bit.



A regular phillips will eat reservoir screws alive...

-Mike

[98valk]

"There are the real JIS and the not-so-real JIS screwdrivers. Remember, JIS is a standard, so a screwdriver needs to be made to that exact standard to be considered authentically JIS.

Most JIS advertised screwdrivers sold today by companies like Vessel, Hozan, and others are actually conforming to a new standard: DIN 5260 which is identical (at the tip) to the newer ISO 8764-1."

"The reason these companies have changed to DIN 5260/ISO 8764-1 is because the new standard is designed to work in both Phillips and JIS screws.

To date, I have only been able to find one confirmed manufacturer that still uses and builds to JIS B 4633, and that is SUNFLAG otherwise known as New Turtle in Japan:"

https://rtstools.com/jis-vs-phillips-screwdrivers-and-where-to-buy-a-jis-screwdriver/

The latest Harbor Freight phillips are to the new DIN standard and work very well with JIS screws.

[jim@98valkyrie.com]

In my experience, every el-cheapo auto-parts-store
tray-of-whacky-bits-and-a-handle includes a perfect jis bit.



A regular phillips will eat reservoir screws alive...

-Mike

Not to take anything away from this thread… I’ve changed my reservoir screws to stainless steel flat head Allens. No more bungled screws there!

[f-Stop]

I found the beauty of the breaker bar back in 2010 when I was prepping for my 1st InZane ride to Bellaire, MI.  Was removing the rear wheel with the expert help of Laser Pat (R.I.P) and discovered that I could not get the rear brake caliper bolt off to save my life.  (The local Honda dealer had serviced the bike and had replaced the rear tire before I bought it in 2008.)  Pat suggested that I needed a breaker bar, so we drove to the nearest auto parts store to get one...it was not expensive.  I'm still using that same breaker bar thirteen years later and think of Laser Pat every time I pull it off the wall.

FYI, once we got the rear wheel off we discovered that the rear splines were completely dry and that the dealer "service" had set the bike up for rear end failure.  Needless to say, Hildr the Valkyrie has been nowhere near a dealership -- or any shop -- for any type of service ever since!

 

[hubcapsc]

I think... someone should check... the screwdriver in the supplied
tool set is JIS... the supplied tool set is well thought out...

-Mike

[da prez]

  I agree , the right tool for the job. My socket sets went from 1/4 to 1 inch. I do not believe there is at least one  tool in those sets  broken in my line of work. My wrenches went up to three and a half inches.
  Working on the Valk is like a Timex

                                                  da prez.  

[RonW]

I never even thought of that screwdriver in the tool pouch! The next guy who sqawks about rounding out the JIS screws is not going to feel well after being informed of that.

[WintrSol]

He who has the most tools, wins! Mantra for wrenchers of all kinds.

[RonW]

A 90° degree radiator hose pick to make sure the airbox snorkels (bottom pic.) are properly seated on the carbs.

[Bagger John - #3785]

Japanese radio gear has JIS fasteners. I do a lot of R&R work on that stuff, so I have a complete set.

I also have a large breaker bar which I have no sockets for. Its sole purpose is to serve as a warning to anyone who thinks about putting their filthy mitts anywhere near my rollaways without my direct supervision. Especially on the expen$ive bike tools.

[98valk]

In my experience, every el-cheapo auto-parts-store
tray-of-whacky-bits-and-a-handle includes a perfect jis bit.



A regular phillips will eat reservoir screws alive...

-Mike

Not to take anything away from this thread… I’ve changed my reservoir screws to stainless steel flat head Allens. No more bungled screws there!

did same to mine after two yrs of ownership.

[RonW]

The latest Harbor Freight phillips are to the new DIN standard and work very well with JIS screws.

That's good news. Of course most people own so many screwdrivers already they're not likely to buy the new phillips (DIN 5260/ISO 8764-1). How would you know for sure it's the new phillips though? JIS preceded phillips by 20-years although the unknown inventer didn't receive a dime like Phillips.

[rug_burn]

   I never had a problem using my '70s vintage and newer Snap-on screwdrivers, and many other much newer phillips heads. 
  You just gotta push hard while breaking the screw loose.   And not be afraid to touch up a rounded-off tip a little on the belt sander...
   

[98valk]

The latest Harbor Freight phillips are to the new DIN standard and work very well with JIS screws.

That's good news. Of course most people own so many screwdrivers already they're not likely to buy the new phillips (DIN 5260/ISO 8764-1). How would you know for sure it's the new phillips though? JIS preceded phillips by 20-years although the unknown inventer didn't receive a dime like Phillips.

link I provided has drawings of the tips

[RonW]

Random pics.

[RonW]

Solid core copper wire to hang brake calipers vrs. hanging the calipers by their hoses.








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Soft loops (1" width) provide tie down points for ratchet straps at otherwise inconvenient points.

[jim@98valkyrie.com]

In my experience, every el-cheapo auto-parts-store
tray-of-whacky-bits-and-a-handle includes a perfect jis bit.



A regular phillips will eat reservoir screws alive...

-Mike

Not to take anything away from this thread… I’ve changed my reservoir screws to stainless steel flat head Allens. No more bungled screws there!

did same to mine after two yrs of ownership.

I went a step further and changed out the reservoir screws to Allen head stainless flat head. Very positive engagement with no slippage.

[hubcapsc]

In my experience, every el-cheapo auto-parts-store
tray-of-whacky-bits-and-a-handle includes a perfect jis bit.



A regular phillips will eat reservoir screws alive...

-Mike

Not to take anything away from this thread… I’ve changed my reservoir screws to stainless steel flat head Allens. No more bungled screws there!

did same to mine after two yrs of ownership.

I went a step further and changed out the reservoir screws to Allen head stainless flat head. Very positive engagement with no slippage.

The changeouts are all good... using the right (not-phillips) screwdriver also provides very positive engagement and no slippage... 

-Mike

[Rio Wil]

I am humbled by Snap-on!!!!!
Several years ago I found a 18" Snap-on breaker bar on a city street. Picked it up and threw it in the home tool box and used it from time to time A couple of weeks ago I decided to replace the front brake rotors on my Ford F150 pickup.  These rotors have bearings in them and are attached to the axle with 34mm nut.........that is torqued to 295 foot_lbs!!!!!!! This breaker bar shaft is about 5/8ths in diameter. I used a 3 foot cheater extension on the bar to break the nut loose........ I swear the bar had a 3inch bend in it while I bounced on the extension and it finally broke loose. The same thing happened when replacing the nut and torquing to 295 lbs. Since I had no way to measure tightening torque, I bounced my 230 lbs on the extension and guessed at it being close to 295......  I am amazed that bar did not shatter into a thousand pieces and blow shrapnel everywhere.........KUDOs to Snap-On,,,,,that is a bad ass tool.

[Jess from VA]

Speaking of finding things in the street.  This thing probably fell off one of the many wandering yard crew rigs roaming my neighborhood, right in front of my house.  Practically new.  Talk about bad ass.  And it didn't need an edge put on it.  Not something you can can hide in your pants.   

Gerber Gator Machete Jr.


What the heck is that?

Oh, just something to hack off arms and legs and such.  

[rug_burn]

That machete/saw thing is definitely bad-ass.  
      It's kind of amazing the quantity of things one will find in the roadway.  Since we moto-heads get in the habit of watching the road surface fairly closely (as a matter of survival) we find all kinds of stuff.  
 I've found sockets (many) extensions knives, hammers, hammerheads, wrenches etc.



But just to provide a little background to the above discussion, here is what a phillips head driver looks like-   the 1934 patent drawing for Phillips head drivers...  ( if I can only get the image to show up)

[old2soon]

      Somewhere out East coast the service truck with the extension ladder was in the right lane and I was 1 lane over from him. And the drvrs side ladder self unloaded took a weird twist bounce thingy and up until my 75000 lbs got to that ladder looked to be in pretty good shape BUT 75000 lbs and 18 tires did the ladder zero/nada/none/no favors at all!  Other wise I might have attempted to pick that ladder up. Found different hand tools over the years on truck stop parking lots and I've also contributed to some other folks finds.  RIDE SAFE.

[RonW]

When strapping down heavy loads or strapping the bike to the lift jack, I like to use both loops on a soft loop strap. The rigger where I work does it that way for the tower crane. he straps both loops to the crane's hook then the tower crane flys the load around the job site safely. Two loops have double the strength.





Typical way.

[98valk]

the typical way is not legal for riggers and mechanical lifts

[Bagger John - #3785]

Tools redux:

Years ago my late mother had some furnace work done to her place (which I inherited in 2007). Around 2016 or so I got on the main roof to reinforce an antenna support. On the furnace exhaust vent cover was a set of Mac needlenose pliers.

They'd been in the elements for years and years. From looking at them at ground level I thought they were a damper control handle.

Only slight discoloration was present - no rust whatsoever. They're in my toolbox and are used quite often.

That event sold me on Mac.

[RonW]

tire pressure gauge should be in the saddlebags. I think a clip on chuck (arrow) is the best type of chuck for the Valk's 90° valve stem.

[hubcapsc]

After years in my saddlebags, my gauge's crystal (plastic  ) became too cloudy
and hazy and scratched up from being in there with random other stuff. I fixed it
with 1500 sandpaper and flitz I think, I can see through it now. And it lives in a
sock - it has stayed clear and unscratched up so far...

-Mike

tire pressure gauge should be in the saddlebags. I think a clip on chuck (arrow) is the best type of chuck for the Valk's 90° valve stem.

[RonW]

I finally got around to buying a test light. It has a digital screen that displays voltage. The older test lights didn't give you any voltage readout. Also since the 'light' isn't a bulb but leds, it's safer to use on electrical components. A bulb might allow too much amps that damage sensitive electrical parts. I still wouldn't use it on the ICM though.





Without further ado, the next thing to buy is a power probe. These gizmos allow you to send voltage through a part or provide a good ground to the part to test if the part is working or which side, neg or positive, is preventing the part from working. And this is done with a press of a button btw. Since the alligator clips are connected to the battery terminals the key doesn't have to be ON saving the battery on a non-running bike. A power probe also detects whether a random wire is connected to ground or to +12. Have no idea how it does that. The 20-ft cord is a plus, for example, testing the tail light on your truck with the alligator clips on the battery. I believe it's safe to use on sensitive electrical parts. Below, Power Probe IV, $200 without the carrying case & extras.




KZYEE KM50 $80 carrying case included.  Adequate for my electrical work from the youtube videos I've watched.

[Bagger John - #3785]

It's kind of amazing the quantity of things one will find in the roadway.  Since we moto-heads get in the habit of watching the road surface fairly closely (as a matter of survival) we find all kinds of stuff.  
 I've found sockets (many) extensions knives, hammers, hammerheads, wrenches etc.

Until recently I lived fairly close to one of my workplaces and to a nearby hike/bike trail. It was a several block walk to get to either, which I often did instead of taking a motor vehicle.

During those walks (or rides on a bicycle) I managed to snag quite a few decent items, most of which are still in my toolbox. A VV-series 3/8dr Craftsman ratchet (the shorter of two in the series), a 4 1/2" set of Vise-Grips, the assorted socket and screwdriver. Most serendipitous was a Craftsman 3/8dr 7mm hex bit. This was one of two that wasn't in the set they sold. The other is a 9mm and try as I might I cannot find a Craftsman P/N for one. So I went with a Lisle instead.