Flyinfool Posted May 15, 2011 #51 Posted May 15, 2011 I guess that there are some advantages to being stuck in the house by 40* rain with 35 mph wind for the whole weekend. Well I did not like the fixture that I showed being machined a few posts earlier. So I started over. Here is a pic of the final fixture. This one fixture does the ramp on both sides of the tool, and it squares the sawed off ends, and machines the final thickness. AND even more important, a couple pics of the first finished part off the fixture. Now I just have to decide if I should try to case harden it. It might be worth a try as is first. This was one tough chunk o steel. HSS and Cobalt cutters barely scratched it. I had to use all solid carbide cutters. And wore a few of them out. NOW I need a suc....... I mean volunteer that is about to start a valve shim job to try it out. I would prefer it be someone that has a tool already just in case this one either breaks or just don't work right.
Flyinfool Posted May 30, 2011 #52 Posted May 30, 2011 Well I was going to deliver the first tool to RandyR at MD but since I will not be making the trip I will ship it to him for the first test.
theportunionkid Posted June 6, 2011 #54 Posted June 6, 2011 Hey there. I'm doing my second valve check in the 26 years I've owned my bike. First time didnt need any shims replaced, but this time around, everything is tight. I haven't for the life of me been able to find one of these tools, and resorted to a suggestion from my son. He's a regular on his forum and got me to try this out. I see there's tons of info here, and would love some help getting the shim kit and a removal tool. I appreciate the help
Flyinfool Posted June 6, 2011 #55 Posted June 6, 2011 Contact RandyR. He should be getting the first of my new tools to try out in the mail any day now.
Bubber Posted June 6, 2011 #56 Posted June 6, 2011 So Flyinfool did you ever figure out what the price is of one of these fine creations you labored so intently over? I may be interested in one. I figured you may not be making many more by the looks of the time spent. What did you finally do for the heat treat? Bubber
Flyinfool Posted June 6, 2011 #57 Posted June 6, 2011 So Flyinfool did you ever figure out what the price is of one of these fine creations you labored so intently over? Not yet till I get this first one tested and then make up the rest of the bar to see how many good ones I actually get. If I sold them for what it really cost me to make them I would be right up there with the genuine Yami tool. But that was not my goal. I may be interested in one. I figured you may not be making many more by the looks of the time spent.I think you are right, I will probably sell the ones I have at a loss just to recoup some of the cost. It was very labor intensive since I do not have access to CNC in my basement. But I did have fun doing it and that was what was important to me. I knew going in that this was not going make me any money. I do not expect to make money from my hobbies, but is nice when they can also defray some of the cost. What did you finally do for the heat treat? BubberFor this first one I did not heat treat it. this was a pretty tough hunk of 1045 steel to start with and it may not need heat treat. If it does need heat treat I do have the ability in my basement to do a case hardening on it. Time wise the cam profile on the outside was the hard part, Tool wise it was the hex on the inside that was bad. I wore out some very expensive cutting tools making these. I have shipped the first prototype to RandyR to test. I was not going to make any more till I hear back from him as to how it worked out. Are you coming to the WI MD, I might make up another one or two to bring there for show and tell.
Bubber Posted June 6, 2011 #58 Posted June 6, 2011 Actually I wasn't going to WI MD. Too many irons in the fire at this time. I spoke to ScooterBob and told him I was out. I was supposed to bring that swing arm down and see if we could put a grease zerk in there and get it to work.
Flyinfool Posted June 6, 2011 #59 Posted June 6, 2011 That's to bad, I even had my BFH packed to help.
RandyR Posted June 6, 2011 #60 Posted June 6, 2011 Sleeperhawk wants to check his valve clearances, so I'll ride over for a day to test flyinfool's tool soon.
RandyR Posted June 13, 2011 #61 Posted June 13, 2011 Here are a few pictures of Flyinfool's tool next to a commercial tool. We're planning on using it this weekend.
dingy Posted June 13, 2011 #62 Posted June 13, 2011 In the 2nd picture it looks like the side ramp cuts are deeper than the stock one. Is this just photo perception problem? If the back center protrusion is narrower, it would allow the tool to possibly shift one way or the other and slip off cam bucket on one side. Its probably just the photo though. Gary
Flyinfool Posted June 13, 2011 #63 Posted June 13, 2011 The ramps are the same height, or at least as close as I could measure with the tools available, the center section between the ramps is a little taller on the second half so that it can not shift sideways if you need to rotate more than 90°. That is why the ramp goes around a full 180° It was not till after the fact that I realized that I do not think it needs to be nearly as complicated as Yami made it. Yami may have made it so complicated so that it would be hard to duplicate. It does not need all of those different radii on different centers. If I were to start over, it would be a bunch simpler to make. Unless there is some other issue that I do not yet know about.
dingy Posted June 13, 2011 #64 Posted June 13, 2011 Jeff, Not the height, but the width looked different. Gary
Flyinfool Posted June 13, 2011 #65 Posted June 13, 2011 The width between the ramps is the same as Randys tool that I copied. I don't have the part or the final drawing here to see what I made it. I was going to post the final drawing of the way I actually made it one it is verified that it actually works. The first part that I sent to Randy was not heat treated, That would be an extra expense if it is not needed. I have made a second tool that I will heat treat so that it is ready to go just in case this one fails. I made this out of 1045 steel so it is pretty tough already. The tool that Randy sent me as a sample, almost looked like it was made from powdered metal.
Sleeperhawk Posted June 13, 2011 #66 Posted June 13, 2011 The width between the ramps is the same as Randys tool that I copied. I don't have the part or the final drawing here to see what I made it. I was going to post the final drawing of the way I actually made it one it is verified that it actually works. The first part that I sent to Randy was not heat treated, That would be an extra expense if it is not needed. I have made a second tool that I will heat treat so that it is ready to go just in case this one fails. I made this out of 1045 steel so it is pretty tough already. The tool that Randy sent me as a sample, almost looked like it was made from powdered metal. Yeppers, I am going to be the guinea pig on this one. I have the original tool too, so we will compare.
Flyinfool Posted June 13, 2011 #67 Posted June 13, 2011 I wish I could be there to help. Would love to watch the process, and tool, in action. Some day I will have to do this too.
Flyinfool Posted September 28, 2011 #68 Posted September 28, 2011 FYI I have neither forgotten about nor given up on the valve shim tool. This summer has just been nuts between working 3 jobs and Erikas medical issues that are still hanging around, and actually getting in a few good long (for me) rides. From the 2 heads that I have I was able to pull out and replace all of the shims, several times each, without breaking the original unmodified tool. I am still not sure why the one I sent Randy broke right away. Those shims are sneaky, one of them hit the floor and has not been seen since, dang gremlins must have ate it. The heads that I got did allow me to make some changes to the tool to make it a lot stronger. There is room in the heads to almost double the metal thickness in the area where the tool broke. I can modify what I already have made to the new specs. Once I decide that the new tool will be fine I still have all of the fixtures to "crank" them out. Making these tools is going to end up waiting for the end of the riding season before I get time to work on it some more. I have a big laundry list of projects for the bike for this winter. I will have to pick which ones will not likely get done. Jeff
pprince Posted February 18, 2013 #69 Posted February 18, 2013 Won't this woek? http://www.cheapcycleparts.com/products/15267-motion-pro-08-0020-tools-valve-shim-tool
Flyinfool Posted February 18, 2013 #70 Posted February 18, 2013 Won't this woek? http://www.cheapcycleparts.com/products/15267-motion-pro-08-0020-tools-valve-shim-tool That valve tool only works if the engine is out of the frame. The tool we are talking about will work with the engine still installed in the frame.
Flyinfool Posted February 24, 2013 #72 Posted February 24, 2013 THERE DONE, THERE DONE!!!! Check the Classifieds. When these are gone there will not likely be more.
dingy Posted February 24, 2013 #73 Posted February 24, 2013 THERE DONE, THERE DONE!!!! Check the Classifieds. When these are gone there will not likely be more. I see nothing in classifieds !! Gary
Flyinfool Posted February 24, 2013 #74 Posted February 24, 2013 Maybe you were to fast......... http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=4475
dingy Posted February 24, 2013 #75 Posted February 24, 2013 Maybe you were to fast......... http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=4475 They look nice Jeff !! Gary
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