Author Topic: Fork/shock oil changing tray  (Read 2317 times)

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Rick

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Fork/shock oil changing tray
« on: January 02, 2004, 04:37:01 AM »
It was time to change fork and shock oil on both the 125 and 500 (not to mention a KTM 380 with blown fork seals that's leaking on my shop floor), so I thought it was about time to make a tray that would control the oil, so here's something to think about if you're bored one afternoon:

1. I scrounged (read free) a piece of 16 gauge galvanized sheet that was four feet long and one foot wide.
2. Using a bender (with 16 gauge, I could have even clamped it to the bench with a 2x6 on top and used a rubber mallet to make the bends, but the bender looks better), I bent each side 2 1/2 inches in from each edge to a 60 degree angle (the angle is really not that important, just didn't want a 90).
3. I scrounged a couple of small pieces of the same galvanized plate to use as end caps, held them up to each end, marked a line, and sheared the end caps to fit.
4. After placing a large fan in my welding area to remove toxic vapors (welding galvanized steel creates toxic gas, and should only be done in a well vented area with a fan to blow vapors away from all the people), using a wire feed, I welded each end cap in place, and the ground the corners nice and round.
5. In one corner, I weled a 3/8 x 1/4 pipe union, with the 1/4 pipe side exposed.  I drilled a small hole from the bottom side through the union, and then drilled a 1/2 inch hole from the top side.  I installed a 1/4 pipe thread nipple for 3/8 tubbing, and fitted a three foot section of clear hose that allowed the used oil to drain into an old plastic bottle.
6. On each end cap, I welded a small 90 degree angle bracket that I used to clamp the tray onto the bench, and placed a piece of 3/4 wood stock under one end so the oil will drain towards the hole.

This little tray worked GREAT for all of the forks yesterday, but the shocks need to be held vericle in order to change oil, so one more jig was needed.

1. I had a small vice laying around, so I drilled and tapped a piece of 2x6x12x1/4 steel tubing, and mounted the vice on the steel.  This provided the needed stablility to the vice to keep it from moving around.
2. I sat the vice/steel in the tray, and performed my shock service.  All of the oil drained into the pan, down the hole, into the hose, and into the bottle.  Too cool!

I have posted shock servicing instructions on this site, and one thing I noted was that you are going to make a mess.  With the vice/steel tubing, the mess was contained in the tray, and did not end up on the floor as usual.  In the past, I have sat a bucket under the bench mount vice, but still made a mess, so didn't much like to service the shocks.  With the new tray, it's a snap.

This tray will work for anything that is going to make a mess.  For instance, my rear brake caliper is leaking, so when I replace the seals this weekend, the work will be done in my new tray to catch all the oil.

A final benefit to the tray is that the oil is caught in a container that can then be disposed of at an oil recycling center.  For folks that live in places like California, disposal of oil in anything other than an approved manner can bring huge fines and criminal charges.

Good project for an evening with no plans.

Rick

kawdude

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Fork/shock oil changing tray
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2004, 10:28:51 AM »
How about a picture?

Offline Paul

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Fork/shock oil changing tray
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2004, 11:29:47 AM »
Hey Rick, you ever thought of marketing some of these thingies you make? :wink:

Rick

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Fork/shock oil changing tray
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2004, 02:55:30 AM »
Actually, I have, but I would need to develop templates and quantity production strategies.  The one thing that has really caught a lot of attention is the removable foot pegs I built for the 500 that install and removes in less than 30 seconds. Two weekends ago when a rider broke his arm, we were about 10 miles from the truck.  My little removable footpegs made for easy transport on trails, as he could not ride his bike to the truck, so we had to retreive his bike from the desert.  

On a different note, I am toying with the idea of building my own street bike (although I have not told my wife yet, as she is against street bikes).  My son and I watch a lot of the biker build shows, and I have done a lot of similar manufacturing when I raced cars 1/4 mile and built jeeps for serious rock crawling.  Last week I even added capabilities to my wire feed to weld aluminum as part of the prep for this project.  Can't do structural work, but certainly sufficient for nonstructural projects.

I'll try and take some pictures of the tray and if anyone is interested, the footpegs.

Rick