Help - Jeff's Northwoods airhead exhaust wrench

[ShutterPilot]

So, I'm being really, really careful, but I'm having trouble using Jeff's Northwoods airhead exhaust wrench.

Under just moderate hand pressure, in snugging up the finned nuts, they're getting dug into by the wrench (a laser cut design).

I've written Jeff to see what he says, but i don't see how I could be doing it wrong.

I'm making sure its seated way back on the nut and fully engaged, but it appears to be flexing a bit and biting into the nut surface. Its making a mess of the nut. Anyone experience this? Or, if it works just fine for you, any thoughts on that experience as well?

[Tony Smith]

An ongoing problem with any wrench. Made particularly worse since the nuts started to be made of alloy and not bronze.
 
Frankly you are best off regarding the (very necessary) anti seize treatment as being primarily to save you having to cut the nuts off (with the attendant risk of damaging the threads) rather than a strategy aimed at preserving the nuts themselves (if you are concerned as to the cosmetic appearance of your nuts at any rate).

I have both a laser cut wrench and a much older one made of cast iron. Neither of them have ever done much harm to the bronze nuts on the R100, or the one nut I was able to remove from the R80 (also bronze), but they chewed up the alloy nuts pretty badly on the r65 when I took the nuts off in preparation for them going to the engineers.
 

 

[Bob_Roller]

Are the edges on the tool sharp ??

If they are, take a fine file and  ' break ' the edges, file them down to where the are rounded .

I've got an old cast aluminum exhaust nut wrench and it's amazing the abuse it's taken and not failed  ( yet !!! ) .

[nhmaf]

I've used the official BMW "club" on R100 and R65 exhaust nuts with nary a mark induced upon them.   Some of the laser cut/machine cut "portable" attachments meant to go on a 3/8" or 1/2" drive might be sharp on the edges?    I'd think that they'd program the cut to make arcs instead of straight corners (also relieves stress) but I don't have one of the ones you mention to compare/experiment with.

But definitely - if the nuts are on there very hard and don't want to come off... stop!  Or risk ruining the threads on the alloy head.

I've planned to buy on of Ed Korn's (Cycleworks) tools that looks similar, but they have a good reputation for their airhead tools so I feel some confidence in ordering one from them.  Anyone else?

[Luca]

My cast aluminum wrench from Max BMW doesn't cut into the nuts at all.  The fingers of the wrench are smooth and pretty deep, so they engage a good amount of each fin.  The thinner the wrench is the more concentrated the force on each fin is.

How thick is the wrench from Northwoods?

[montmil]

My genuine, authentic reproduction of a "Lost Tribe of The Fugawee" war club has its teeth well rounded over from bashing the heads of many Comancheros. Makes a perfect Airhead exhaust butterfly nut remover. Must be cast from the soft silver conchos favored by the Western invaders as it has never left a bloody mark on my nuts.

Acquired for $20.00 from a California emporium displaying and selling vintage Motorrad and native American farkles.

[disco51]

I have the same problem with that particular wrench.  It's the only one I've tried.  The wrench doesn't exactly fit like it should in my opinion.  The R65 nuts are a different size than other bikes of the same year (different part number at least) and the wrench is a one size fits all job.  I've found that you really have to make sure it's seated well on the nut before you begin to turn.  If it starts to give at all, then I reposition before I keep turning.  
That being said, you might need to cut the nut off.  Now that I have new exhaust nuts with anti-seize, I don't have the problem of the wrench slipping as less force is needed to get them off.

[ShutterPilot]

Hey all,

Thanks for replies. I'm usually really really careful, and since I've worked hard to create a 100% stock rolling model, I hate that I keep buggering the finned nuts. The cast aluminum version, which engages from the front is a much different design than the laser cut model from Jeff. Jeffs is a quality tool, which is why I doubted me, it, the nut, everything, when it didn't work for me.
I don't doubt Jeff when he says he is flummoxed, and has had nary a complaint on these, - if you look at his photos of the wrench, you can see how well it engages what looks to be an R100 nut, and how shallow in comparison our R65 nuts are (?!)
And Jeff's been nothing but helpful and sympathetic in his emails. I plan on sending him photos, the wrench, and one of the buggered nuts when I replace it so he can research what's going on.

But, we're talking about tightening brand new nuts, on cleanly blasted head threads, and I was buggering them with just hand-tight pressure.
So, I go to order the cast aluminum version with nice round edges like some of you list here, from Max's yesterday and told they're on backorder for weeks.
But I did find a copy at Sierra BMW and its on its way.
Then I gotsta paint it up like Monty's - big and beautiful, so I won't lose it...
And yes, the new R65 nuts from Max's seem too cheap (like, $19?) so I wonder if the alloy's getting cheaper and cheaper, as I can score the fins with very little pressure. Or even if they're pattern versions...
Wish I knew Friday what I found out on Saturday...I'm losin' both time AND money, and I'm running out of both.
And re-reading this, I may have had too much coffee...
Here are photos of the bike, and the laser cut wrench:

[NC Steve]

I was always told on this site and elsewhere that the exhaust nuts on the R65 required their own specifically sized wrench, and using the tool for the larger Airheads would bugger the R65 nuts up. Has a tool been produced for all Airheads models so that this is no longer the case, or was the original info incorrect? :-?

[ShutterPilot]

Hey Steve,

Jeff's Northwoods site says:
"Airhead exhaust nut wrench.  This tool fits ALL airheads exhaust nuts
on bikes made from 1969-1995.  Long finned /5 nuts, the shorter
finned later nuts and the r65 nut.  It also fits finned slash 2 nuts.  It is
laster cut from 3/8' steel and zinc plated.  Much more durable then the
cast wrenches that are out there.  Approx. 13" long.
and
Cycle Gear says:
"EXHAUST NUT WRENCH - ALL AIRHEADS
For exhaust systems with the finned aluminum nut holding the pipe onto the head. It is about 2 x 4.75” (50 x 120mm), compact enough to be carried on the bike. Used with a 1/2” ratchet, a torque wrench, or in a pinch, the horror, the horror, a hammer. Renewing the anti-seize on the nut threads occasionally is a good idea."

But, yeah, maybe its still true that these won't really work for R65s all that well, regardless of what the actual tool designers think?

Oh - and be there a part number for an R65 specific wrench? Makes sense, as the nut ports are smaller (38 vs 40mm?)

[ShutterPilot]

This is the replacement I ordered from Sierra BMW, looks like some of you have, use and like this model:

[NC Steve]

I did a search back thru the archives here, and it looks like you're right. There were several references to the difference in size of the R65 nut itself vs. the larger bikes, but I could find nothing on the wrench. Needing a "correct" tool would have made the job much cleaner & easier! Guess I was dreaming.

Still, I could've sworn...

[ShutterPilot]

After my experience, I wish I had the "other" tool I just ordered.
We'll see how things work once I get the new tool in...I have to take the heads off in the field in order for scrutineering to verify displacement, so I'm hoping it goes a lot easier with the new tool.

[donbmw]

I have both the after market cast wrench and the real BMW wrench. Have used both on my R65 and R90. No problems with either one. Got the after  market will before I got the real one.

Don

[Matt Chapter]

I used Jeff's laser cut wrench on my exhaust nut when I was taking the head off for "exhaust valve spring renewal".


I damn near lifted the bike off the center stand getting the nut off, had to have a helper hold the bike down.  Not sure if the nut took any damage, but I don't recall any slippage.