Exhaust Spring Tool

Most snowmobile exhaust systems are held together with springs.  The springs allow the the parts to move around with temperature changes and engine movement but always remain in tightly connected.

Removing and installing these springs is easy if you have the right tool.  Here are two spring tools that I made.  One of them is made from an old screwdriver that I ground two notches in the blade.  One is for pulling and the other for pushing.

The second tool is made from the wire handle from a 5 gallon plastic bucket.  The ell shaped bend on the end is originally from where the handle connected to the bucket.  It is just the righ shape to grab the end of a spring.  I put a piece of plastic fuel tubing over the wire to make a softer handle and then bent it into a loop.  This is my favorite spring tool.  It looks crude, but works great.

Shop Tip - Melting Snow

I frequently have to thaw out machines that are packed full of snow before I can work on them.  When the snow melts the water makes a big mess on the shop floor.

To avoid most of the mess I like to put a piece of construction type plastic sheeting under the machine.  I then roll the edges up to form a sort of dam and clamp the edges to the machine or some other type of support.  When the snow melts it is all contained on the plastic.  I then use a wet/dry type shop vac to suck up the water.

Shop Tip

Occasionally I need to change a leaking shaft seal on a vehicle or engine.  Normally this is a simple job to pry the old seal out and press a new one in.  The job is a little harder if it is on something that is not disassembled all the way.  With the shaft still in place there is no way to pry the seal out.

A method that I use is to drive two sheet metal screws into the face of the seal.  This gives you something to grab onto or pry on.  If there is room a small carpenter type claw hammer works great to pull on the screw heads.

I have to give credit to Dave R for showing me this years ago when working on our race car.

C.O.