[Blexcroid]

Several members have posted information about various tools they have found useful or necessary in working on their bikes, thus I thought we'd start a thread specifically for tools. :idea:
Please post the name of the tool, description and use, and where it is available. If you can, also try to post a photo and/or weblink for where it is available to purchase. Homemade tools are welcome to be included as well.

 

[Ishabaka]

Here's a tool that has helped me out of a jam many times - a hand impact socket 3/8" drive. I posted in another section that Sears no longer sells them but after looking at the Sears tool catalog a THIRD time I found it - Sears part #0947762 $19.99, also available from amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BH ... e&n=228013 $24.77
The following is for people who are not familiar with impact drivers - they are for those fasteners that are "frozen" - that you cannot budge with normal tools. The way they work it to hit the fastener with a powerful jerk moving it just a tiny amount - to break loose whatever has frozen it in place. There are hand, electrical and air powered impact drivers.
This one is mostly for frozen Phillips head screws, of which the Maj has many, although you can use any 3/8 drive impact socket with this tool.
IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP - impact sockets are subjected to tremendous forces - they are much stronger than standard sockets DO NOT use a standard socket with an impact driver - it may shatter and the fragments hit you in the eye.
Anyways, here's how it works - you put in the proper size Phillips head tip, put the tip in the screw and whack the end of the thing with a hammer. You won't see it move but it moves the screw just a hair - enough to break the bond. Also by hammering the driver INTO the screw it prevents stripping. Usually after one whack a regular screwdriver will remove the screw.
Some more tips for loosening stuck fasteners - penetrating oil - this is a very thin oil supposed to seep in between frozen parts and loosen them. It's best to apply some every few hours during the day, sleep on it, then try to loosen the fastener in the morning.
Sometimes if you put a wrench on a fastener and yank it in the TIGHTEN direction it will loosen and then you can remove it.
There's a product called "Srew Grab"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000D ... e&n=228013
- this is a paste you apply to your screwdriver tip which really does give it a lot more "grab" on Phillips and standard head screws.
Also, you can try tapping a stuck nut with a hammer - same idea - loosen the frozen fasteners. All of these ideas work - sometimes, but an impact wrench is really the way to go. I bought an Ingersoll-Rand 1/2 drive air impact wrench years ago (Sears part #0919276) years ago and if you want to remove the exhaust manifold bolts from a ten year old engine it is the answer.
Last but not least - so your connectors don't freeze up again there is some stuff called anti-seize compound. This prevents fasteners corroding together. It really works. All of this stuff is available at your local car parts store.

 

[Ishabaka]

Sorry for the double posts, I have asked Greengoose to please fix them.
Here are some tips on working safely, most of which I have violated and learned the hard way by being stupid.
ALWAYS wear safety glasses. Regular glasses are not safety glasses unless they have an ANSI engraving on one lens. When you get a new pair of glasses you can ask that they be made out of safety glass material
(polycarbonate).
It is a good idea to remove the negative wire from the battery (the one without a red plastic cover) whenever you work on your bike - this prevents sparks, blown fuses, fires, and even the engine starting while you are working :shock:
If you are going to work on the fuel system work OUTSIDE, not in the garage and have a FIRE EXTINGUISHER handy. And please don't smoke. Now if you set your scooter on fire you only burn it up, not your whole house. Having set an engine on fire myself - outside - and with a fire extinguisher handy - trust me on this one
Mount your fire extinguisher right by the exit of the garage door. That way if a fire starts in the garage you can grab the extinguisher on your way OUT - not have to run INTO a burning garage to get it.
If you have to apply a lot of pressure to loosen a fastener PUSH, don't PULL the wrench. If you are pulling and it suddenly comes loose you are likely to hit the upper part of your hand - and tear up your knuckles. If you push and it suddenly comes loose you are likely to hit the bottom part of your hand which is much better padded.
Lastly, just in case you don't know - NEVER open up the vehicle's cooling system when it is hot (like opening the radiator cap) - this will cause superheated coolant to shoot out in a jet, giving you second degree burns. I work in an E.R. and we see at least a dozen cases of this every summer. The ONLY part that is safe to open when the engine is hot is the coolant reservoir (under the right floorboard). Otherwise let the scooter cool for two hours minumum.
Have fun working on your scooter and be safe!

 

[Ishabaka]

Last post of the day I promise!

The tool kit supplied with your Majesty is OK for emergency repairs but really pretty low quality. If you are starting out as an amateur mechanic you have a huge range of tools to buy - from the Chinese cheapos from companies like Harbour Freight and Target to the absolute top-of-the-line like Snap On and Facom.

I will admit to owning a some cheap Chinese made tools and they have worked for me. And some have broken or damaged parts I was working on. I also own ONE Snap-On 1/4" socker wrench (48$!!!!)
and a couple of Facom tools, which the Ferrari Formula One team uses - available from www.griotsgarage.com
But I bought the really expensive tools for a few special applications where I needed the best.
My advice is buy Sears Craftsman. They are mid-priced and well made.
There are two types of fasteners on current vehicles - S.A.E. (based on the inch) and metric (based on the millimeter). ALL the fasteners on your Maj are metric. Many of the fasteners around your house and on American cars are S.A.E..
Here are a couple of advantages of Craftsman tools - they will last you a lifetime (your kids will inhereit them).
They are about 95% as good as the super-expensive tools.
Sears will replace any broken HAND (not power) tool free. I broke a torque wrench once - a $70 tool - took it to Sears and they just handed me a new one. I have heard there are people who buy broken Craftsman tools at yard sales and bring them to Sears to get new tools
:roll:
It is definitely cheaper to buy a tool set than buying each tool piece by piece. Even cheaper when Sears puts them on sale - check the ads in the Sunday papers. Looking at the Sears catalog I see sets ranging from under $100 to $6,400. Send me a message if you want to know which one to get based on your experience, and what you want to do. And by the way, my birthday is May 1st. so if anyone wants to get me the $6,400 set - I have room for it in the garage

 

[Blexcroid]

Great ideas! I especially like the manual impact wrench. There are times my petite size just can't budge a persistent bolt or other fastener. It sounds like the right wrench for this wench! :lol:

 

[Ishabaka]

Here's some stuff to help you organize the fasteners when working on the Maj. And it sure has enough of them.
The first is a magnetic tool tray Sears part #0947830 $19.99 - this is a stainless steel bowl with a strong magnet that holds all your steel fasteners. You are working on your Maj, you have taken 25 tupperware fasteners off, put them in something - and then you stumble over it and spend 3 hours on your hands and knees in the garage looking for them - not with this tray, the magnet holds them in place.
A low-tech free way is to take a piece of corrugated cardboard and a permanent marker. As you take each fastener off push it through the cardboard and label where it goes with the marker.
Sometimes you are taking off or putting on a fastener and it gets away from you. Usually it will make a beeline for the deepest, darkest part of the bike. A magnetic retriever can save a lot of grief. This is a magnet on a bendable rod. Griots Garage www.griotsgarage.com sells a great one WITH a built in light at the end for only $10.99 which I think is well worth the money, part #25934.
Lastly, and this is from personal experience, there is a terrible sinking feeling when you have taken something apart - and then realise you forgot how it goes back together.
Now everyone has a digital camera so if you are doing a complicated job or one you've never done before, take pictures each step of the way.
Then review them when putting things back together.
May your special, Yamaha only, backordered for four months part never roll into the "parts eating" recess of your garage.

 

[Ishabaka]

Here is a relatively expensive tool that - if you plan on doing your own maintenance on your Majesty I think you have to bite the bullet and buy.
A torque wrench is for tightening fasteners to the proper degree of tightness (actually stretch, nuts and bolts are held together because they stretch when you tighten them, like a spring).
It should only be used for tightening fasteners - not loosening them.
Treat it kindly because they are a little delicate.
The one I recommend is Sears 3/8" drive Digitork wrench part
# 0944596. This will work on almost every fastener on the Majesty.
You set the torque in foot/pounds (S.A.E.) or Newton-meters (metric) - the wrench shows both - by twisting the handle. Then you tighten the fastener. When the correct torque is reached the wrench makes a distinctive "click" and gives a bit - that's when to stop. The torque for routine maintenance fasteners is in the Owner's Manual - for example oil drain bolt 20 Nm or 14.5 ft-lb - and the Shop Manual. If you put in a fastener too loose it may fall out. Too tight, especially a steel fastener into aluminum - you may ruin the aluminum threads which is a nightmare and requires the installation of a thing called a Heli-Coil, which is best done by a professional shop.
Proper torque is especially important for fasteners that hold really important things together - like your brakes.
This is one area where you can do a better job than a professional shop.
Pro mechanics are always in a rush and tighten things "by guess".
If you ever see one using a torque wrench please post a picture because I've never seen it.

 

[Ishabaka]

The Majesty has a lot of Phillips head screws. My wife says before she met me she used to use a butter knife on Phillips head screws
Anyways, gunsmith screwdrivers are really well made because gun nuts just hate to have a screwdriver lose it's grip and scrape the finish on a multi-thousand dollar gun. For example their regular screwdriver tips aren't "V" shaped, they are ground parallel on each side so they won't slip out of the screw.
http://www.mytoolstore.com/chapman/chaguns.html
I own set #1000 and also bought the hex key set number 1500.
The quality of these Phillips heads is just outstanding. And I've had mine for around 20 years and the tips haven't worn at all. And that little ratchet is a lifesaver when you can't even fit in a stubby screwdriver in a tight space. Worth every penny if you ask me.

 

[Ishabaka]

Carroll Smith probably has forgotten more about high performance engineering than most race car mechanics know. Or something.
Anyways, he is a genius and can explain really technical stuff so I can understand it. How about a 217 page book on nuts and bolts that is absolutely fascinating? Lean why lock washers don't work!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/087938 ... e&n=283155
I also have his book "Prepare to Win". I wish I had all his books.

 

[Ishabaka]

I found a link to how to make a variator tool that works:
http://www.scootertrip.com/reflex/FAQ/koehler/VPT.pdf
This is a pdf so give it a minute to load.
This is for removing a Honda Reflex variator.
The only difference with the Majesty is the two bolts that are M6 in the instructions may need to be a different size. When you get the covers off and have access to the variator find the two holes 180 degrees apart and get the largest longest bolts that will fit in them - they are not threaded.
The reason why you need this tool is because the variator is attached to the crankshaft - when you try to loosen the nut that holds it on the whole assembly just rotates.
Just looking at the diagram it's a little tricky to visualise what this tool does but when you are looking at the variator it will be obvious.
You can buy the steel bar stock at Home Depot or Lowes for under $10.
If you have never drilled a hole in steel here are some tips - get a centerpunch:
http://www.nobugs.org/engineer/woodlathe/IMG_1650.html
available at any hardware store, put the tip where you want to drill the hole and give it one good whack with a hammer - this creates a dimple in the steel that holds your drill bit in place. If you use the "next" feature in this link you will see how the person ruined an expensive drill bit!
To avoid doing this drill with a slow speed (you don't need a drill press, an electric hand-held drill will do), and put some oil where you will drill - this cools the drill bit. Regular motor oil will do. It will smoke and may evaporate before you are finished with the hole - just add another drop.
It is important to put a piece of scrap wood under the steel so when the drill bit goes through the steel it goes into the scrap wood. It is also important to CLAMP the wood and steel firmly to a workbench or put it in a vise - when the bit goes through the steel it may "grab" it and whirl it around with a lot of force - it if hits you it can be nasty.
With this tool you can remove the variator to:
change the variator weights
put on a Malossi variator
To get the variator back on you MUST force the clutch pulleys apart some to get some slack in the drive belt (the pulleys attached to the rear wheel).
Use a piece of WOOD to lever them apart - they are aluminum and the drive belt runs on them - you don't want to scratch them.
Use a drop of Loctite blue, use the variator tool again to hold the variator still so you can tighten the nut and torque it to 60lb/ft (83Nm).

 

[Ishabaka]

I am about tapped out.
Anyone else have any really nice tools they have bought or made for working on the Majesty?

 

[Blexcroid]

I learned that each Majesty is shipped with a very long T-handle allen wrench to tighten the allen bolts on the seat and a few others. Most dealerships do not give them to the owner. When I wanted to add some straps and asked how to remove the passenger seat, my dealership coughed one up, admitting they have hundreds in the shop. Next time you're at the dealership, ask for one saying you need the torque to remove the passenger seat (or some other viable excuse). If they know that you know your bike was shipped with one for assembly, you probably will be more likely to get one. :mrgreen:

 

[Ishabaka]

Check this out:
http://www.bob2000.com/
Dang, oil gets more expensive every day. A quart of Castrol GT-40 is about what a quart of synthetic oil was 5 years ago. Soon stuff like RedLine will be over $10 a quart. :shock:
If you ONLY own a Reflex this probably isn't for you but if there is a car or two in your household sooner or later this will pay for itself - even if you use cheap dino oil.
I find with a four quart oil change in the wife's Civic I get about 1/8th. of a quart back. I am a little worried about it getting dust from my dusty garage so I use it in my lawn mower - I told you I was cheap! :lol:
I also like to think that every little bit of oil & gas I save is helping our troops in the Middle East - have some friends and relatives serving there now.

 

[Ishabaka]

Check these out:
http://www.coastalmarineonline.com/coas ... NC+309003&
I hate the typical crimp on wire connectors. They are not waterproof and a good yank will pull at least one of the wires out.
You can solder each connection then apply heat shrink tubing - but these are so nice! (but expensive too)
You strip the ends of the wire(s), put them in the connector and heat the whole thing with a heat gun. It has special low temp solder that solders the wire together, AND thermosetting glue coated heat shrink tubing.
You wind up with a soldered, waterproof, tug-proof (I have tried) connection.
This is from a site that sells stuff for marine boats - generally if it's good enough for a salt water boat it is good enough for a scooter. If you look around you will find a nice waterproof cigarrette lighter socket complete with stainless steel screws for attaching it, waterproof fuse holders
And a waterproof toggle switch (actually you have to buy the switch and the waterproof boot separately).

 

[Ishabaka]

www.metalsdepot.com
is a very nice site for the do-it-yourselfer because they stock most metals in sheet, bar, tube etc. configuration and will sell you only what you need - no minimum one ton order (of course you pay a little more per pound than if you bought a ton).
http://totallystainless.net/totally.html
sells only bolts, nuts and threaded rod, all in stainless steel.
BEWARE! Your regular hardware store stainless steel nuts and bolts are VERY soft and should not be used for critical components. Totally Stainless sells cheaper fasteners for non-critical components, and grade 8 (the highest grade) fasteners for critical components. For example the bolts that hold your brake calipers to the scooter should always be grade 8 as you wouldn't want your brakes to fall off......bolts that hold on the tupperware can be the lower grade.
They have metric and S.A.E..

 

[Red Herring]

I am about tapped out.
Anyone else have any really nice tools they have bought or made for working on the Majesty?

You can order the variator tool from wwwbeedspeed.com under tools. Thats where I got mine, think it was $12.

 

[llrdhsktr]

What's a good electric impact wrench to have that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? Are the 12v types adequate for variator and clutch removal?

 

[abobotek]

What comes in the stock tool kit? My 2008 came with a screwdriver blade/handle, allen wrench, and a socket.

* Is there supposed to be a "T" handle for the socket, or do I use the screwdriver with it?
* The manual mentions a "spring preload adjusting tool" included, but I couldn't find one in the tool kit. But the screwdriver fits.

Also, what tools/spares do you carry when you ride? What tools have come in handy?

 

[PFirefly]

Hey !!!! When's Ish going to put his 2 cents in? :lol: ? :lol: ?

Humbly,

Rufus PFirefly<~~~~~~~~~~~~~clueless but not tooless

 

[martinpd]

Also, get a tube of dielectric grease at the auto store. Whenever you have your bike apart pull any electrical connectors and give them a shot of the grease. You'll never have an intermittent connection from weather again.
P.