Author Topic: Home Made Pin Spanner for Bearing Retainers  (Read 19174 times)

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Offline MCRider

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Home Made Pin Spanner for Bearing Retainers
« on: September 02, 2008, 08:19:38 am »
Hello All: After making a holy mess of a rear CB750 Hub, I decided to get a proper tool to remove the Bearing Retainer ring. (First I didn't know to drill out the punch marks that serve as a lock to the retainer, learned that from a searech on this site...AFTER I had screwed it up.  :( ) I did a web search on pin spanners. Came up with a lot of bicycle tools which may work but didn't seem beefy enough. Then some automotive ones which were way cool, but pricey in the $65+ and up range.

So following many suggestions here, I inventoried my resources. I came up with a length of wheelbarrow handle and two nails used to build concrete forms.

The nails are double headed, one to drive the nail and the second to seat the nail without burying it. That way the framer can get his pry bar on it and take the form apart easily. I cut the drive head off, leaving a pin of nearly exactly the right size. Then measured the center to center spread of the pin holes in the retainer with a caliper, transferred it to the wooden handle and drilled two holes slightly smaller than the nail. That way I could drive the nails in without them drifting apart or closer together. Sawed off the pointy bits and voila!



I tested it on a spare hub, which had no wheel making it harder to hold. By placing the hub on the neoprene floor mat, the tool in the retainer, my knee on the tool to hold it in, and a slight tap with a hammer, the ring turned easily and spun the rest of the way out with just the leverage of the tool.
I will rotate the handle 90 degrees and do it again for the front retainer, the pins are closer together.

« Last Edit: September 02, 2008, 08:22:54 am by MCRider1 »
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Ron
1988 NT650 HawkGT;  1978 CB400 Hawk;  1975 CB750F -Free Bird; 1968 CB77 Super Hawk -Ticker;  Phaedrus 1972 CB750K2- Build Thread
"Sometimes the light's all shining on me, other times I can barely see, lately it appears to me, what a long, strange trip its been."

Offline KRONUS0100

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Re: Home Made Pin Spanner for Bearing Retainers
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2008, 02:33:12 pm »
gee golly darn........why did I not think of that...I was lucky enough to save my hub.
MATT
current bikes:  1976 CB750F, 1981 GS1100E
bikes owned:1981 GL1100I, 1990 GS500E, 1981 GS850, 1977 and 1979 GS750, 1974 CB750, 1975 CB750, and a 1982 GS750E

troppo

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Re: Home Made Pin Spanner for Bearing Retainers
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2008, 05:23:01 am »
And who said wood was no good as a tool? ;)
Might pinch this idea and make one out of metal, never know when i may need one and you can NEVER have too many tools ;D ;D ;D

rhos1355

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Re: Home Made Pin Spanner for Bearing Retainers
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2008, 09:12:05 am »
Bugger, Bugger, Bugger, Bugger! I've just read this thread 3 months too late! Would have saved me 2 retaiiners and many sleepless nights!

Ps AND I've just read Terry's front hub retainer removal tool thread! :-[ :-[

Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: Home Made Pin Spanner for Bearing Retainers
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2008, 06:01:26 am »
Well I've just found a set of wheel bearings for my rear wheel Ron, so I'll be experimenting with a "Cheap Arse" rear bearing cap removal tool this weekend! Cheers, Terry. ;D
I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't afford new bike boots, until I met a man with no legs.

So I said, "Hey mate, you haven't got any bike boots you don't need, do you?"

"Crazy is a very misunderstood term, it's a fine line that some of us can lean over and still keep our balance" (thanks RB550Four)

Offline Brantley

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Re: Home Made Pin Spanner for Bearing Retainers
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2008, 11:32:54 am »
Great minds, etc... ::) I made something like that with a piece of pipe. Maybe I'm odd, but making tools is fun to me. Check this out- If yr workbench is made of wood screw a foot(ish) long length of 2X4 down on both sides of yr sprocket hub. Cheap, no mar vise that leaves yr hans free to use this tool.

Offline mark

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Re: Home Made Pin Spanner for Bearing Retainers
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2008, 09:21:19 pm »
Found at yard sale:

Adjustable pin spanner made from old monkey wrench.
1976 CB550K, 1973 CB350G, 1964 C100

F you mark...... F you.

Offline MCRider

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Re: Home Made Pin Spanner for Bearing Retainers
« Reply #7 on: September 19, 2008, 04:39:18 am »
Found at yard sale:

Adjustable pin spanner made from old monkey wrench.
That is TOO COOL!
Ride Safe:
Ron
1988 NT650 HawkGT;  1978 CB400 Hawk;  1975 CB750F -Free Bird; 1968 CB77 Super Hawk -Ticker;  Phaedrus 1972 CB750K2- Build Thread
"Sometimes the light's all shining on me, other times I can barely see, lately it appears to me, what a long, strange trip its been."

Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: Home Made Pin Spanner for Bearing Retainers
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2008, 11:23:56 pm »
That's pretty cool, I tried the same thing with a shifting spanner years ago to pull apart some shocks, but the moving jaw moved a tad too much and it didn't work. It might work better with that type of wrench though, if there's not much movement. Cheers, Terry. ;D
I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't afford new bike boots, until I met a man with no legs.

So I said, "Hey mate, you haven't got any bike boots you don't need, do you?"

"Crazy is a very misunderstood term, it's a fine line that some of us can lean over and still keep our balance" (thanks RB550Four)

Offline squire7986

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Re: Home Made Pin Spanner for Bearing Retainers
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2010, 03:49:04 pm »
I just took the rear retainer off last night with the Adjustable Pin Wrench from HF.  Check out the $3.99 wrench here: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=36554

It still took a squirt of liquid wrench, a firm grip on the rim, and a bit force to get it out.
1974 CB350f - Cafe Racer

Offline MCRider

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Re: Home Made Pin Spanner for Bearing Retainers
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2010, 05:15:58 pm »
I just took the rear retainer off last night with the Adjustable Pin Wrench from HF.  Check out the $3.99 wrench here: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=36554

It still took a squirt of liquid wrench, a firm grip on the rim, and a bit force to get it out.

That is by far the best value for a store bot pin wrench I've seen. I looked like crazy back when I needed one including HF and I never saw that one. The ones I was seeing were much more expensive.

I did make significant improvements in simplicity and effectiveness to my homemade wrench, actually copying the design mostly from someone here, as folows:




My first attempt at the wooden one was pretty lame.
Ride Safe:
Ron
1988 NT650 HawkGT;  1978 CB400 Hawk;  1975 CB750F -Free Bird; 1968 CB77 Super Hawk -Ticker;  Phaedrus 1972 CB750K2- Build Thread
"Sometimes the light's all shining on me, other times I can barely see, lately it appears to me, what a long, strange trip its been."

Offline fastbroshi

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Re: Home Made Pin Spanner for Bearing Retainers
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2010, 08:34:03 pm »
   Oh thank God I just figured it out.  I was having trouble with my retainer in part because my hub is off my wheel, making it hard to secure while torquing on the retainer.  I'm going to try this when I get home:  put to studs into a vise spaced apart the distance of two of the spoke holes.  Then run down two nuts on the studs to keep it from lifting when I try to turn it.   I really hope this works. 
Just call me Timmaaaaay!!!