Special Tools

[movenon]

After owning a shop I have many speciality tools...like a Coates tire changer, Hoffman computer tire balancer, Handy lifts etc etc etc. All nice to have to help friends and help with owning multiple bikes. My 2 sons will get them someday though they don't ride. I have already begun inventory with cash value for them.....I'd hate to see the rare vintage stuff/tools/bikes I have get "stolen".

I had a Coates 30 30, finally gave it to a good friend that owns the local Volvo repair garage. I told him it was free he just had to come load it up........ I don't think he wants another free one..... They are heaver that hell.    Now for the one time every 5 years I need one I just go to his place...........
George

So .......you have no friends that need a tire change and balance? I have the 230....we spent the real money on the balancer. I must still do 25 tire changes a year. Anyway....I do not want to get into a "who's got what"      I know I have more then all you guys.

OK you keep it, I will be by when I need it    My brother in law works for Commercial Tire in there heavy truck division and he takes care of all the tire stuff in the family.  I was on the road once and needed service and found that Wal Mart was just fine.  The coats machine just took to much floor space for what it was used for.  I have a old commercial Phaff sewing machine that I am strongly thinking about selling for the same reason.  
One of the many things about the FJ is its simplicity.  I still wonder about servicing some of the  newer high tech bikes after 20 or 30 years. Special factory interfaces, CPU programs etc, etc..  When a service manual has 50 or more pages just on the electronic fuel managment system I wonder.
George  

[ken65]

at the moment my 18 year old daughter thinks im a "special tool"...  bloody kids

[Arnie]

at the moment my 18 year old daughter thinks im a "special tool"...  bloody kids

And probably not very "special" either :-)

[ken65]

your not wrong arnie

[1tinindian]

Locally here I share tools or flat do the job.  Most recently a carb balance on an old Suzuki.  And kudo's on Mark "fjmonkey" for going out of his way to help a new member a while back and the guy's in OZ with there "manshed days".  At the last WCR Pat and others demoed and synced carbs. Randy was there with his tools and expertise even working a non FJ  .  Other member share there carb sync tool. Its a great group. 

A little more off subject but Leon once said something like  "the forum is just something to do between rallies"  I have only been to one rally but what he said resonates.  Try to attend a rally this summer, even if only to stop in and say "HI".   
George

How about polishing aluminum for something to do between rallies?     

Could you guys help a friend with that??       

Leon is closer to you   
George

With that, I'd have to say that my air compressor is my special tool.
Polishing aluminum would be far too hard with out my air tools.

And it's not hard for me to find something to polish, between rallies.
It boarders on being an art to me, and I just can't stop.

Leon

[ribbert]

With that, I'd have to say that my air compressor is my special tool.
Leon

This is the only belt driven V-twin that will ever grace my garage.



Noel

[movenon]

Noel, did you clean up the oil spill under the V twin ?  Must be a "show" machine....
George

[ribbert]

at the moment my 18 year old daughter thinks im a "special tool"...  bloody kids

Ken, at that age you take any bone they throw you. At least she's thinking of you.

Noel

[ribbert]

...... but prefer the feel and precision of a hand driven tool .........

Very easy to skim over that statement but it's very true. I undo lots of things with air tools but hardly do anything up with them, certainly don't tighten anything, they have no feel.

Noel

[ribbert]

Noel, you knew we would all be staring at that pic for ages, looking for something to throw at you ... didn`t ya!
(maybe not all, but I bet I`m not tha only one!)
...it`s like a smorgasboard of quality bait that was meant ta be just berleigh!....but I`m not falling for it!

[/quote]

Doug, you've been hanging around Pat too long and have become needlessly suspicious. I have been looking at all that stuff for so long I don't see it any more, it's inclusion in the photo didn't get a second thought. Maybe I should have followed forum practice and pixelated out anything that might identify me or even the country I live in.

.....you have a hung soap dispenser! (wtf!)....

Yes, I do. I told my wife I was also going to hang one of those condom dispensers you see in public toilets but she said if I did it would rust away before it needed refilling. Hmmm, she made a very compelling case against installing one. I told her I was joking and she gave me that deadpan look that every married bloke knows and left.

The mirror? well, you've gotta to look sharp, even in the garage.

Doug, let me enjoy my second honeymoon back on the forum before those ornery bastards up North break free from their snow bound garages and we all start arguing mechanical stuff again.

Noel

[Charlie-brm]

"Every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man." 

I don't have a lot of special tools as in "unique". I lost a Swiss double gouge 10" log builders chisel. That was unique. Probably why it got "lost".
I have an Iltis Oxhead scoring axe that cost me $18 new and goes for $90 now.

I used to go to a large annual wood working show (Durham, Ontario). It drew people from the Great Lake States too.
Each year as I approached the entrance from the parking lot, I'd see quite a few people carrying out the same new tool.
One year it was the Makita detail sander everyone had to have. Then next year a biscuit joiner. Then a jig to drill recessed corner joints.
I wonder how many of those actually got anywhere near a piece of wood at their new home, at least more than once.

For the motorcycle, my favorite tools are because they are the ones I reach for the most: stubby handle 3/8" ratchet drive, Phillips screwdriver with a 10" reach and magnetized tip., compact steel impact driver (5" L x .75" dia.) that takes 1/4" hex bits.
Anything that gets me taking care of things sooner than later with a minimum of cursing.
I got a digital caliper and they are great for checking a multitude of things. Take it with me when I'm shopping for odd ball o-rings and fasteners.
Lastly I still have some of my dad's small hand tools from machining Merlin engines in Glasgow on up to the glory days of jets in Canada.

[X-Ray]

Well, since I've started paying a lot more attention to my poor neglected FJ a couple of years back, I've only bought a couple of "special" tools. Already have a good compressor, but I bought a Motion Pro fork seal driver, works a treat, and recently got a Motion Pro chain alignment tool. I know its not absolutely needed, but instead of me going from side to side measuring the adjuster distance with the digital gauge, now I just line up the rod down the length of the chain.  But I think the overall BEST thing I have bought is the table lift. Fantastic bit of gear.

This is the chain aligner   http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/08-0048/   nice and cheap.  Oh and Noel, yes, I have for the last few years said I really need to put a sink in the shed,