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2006 preparing for the Doohickey

8K views 23 replies 10 participants last post by  RTW 
#1 ·
I have no idea if I need a doohickey on my newly acquired 2006 with 8XXX miles, but have read and seen enough to go ahead and do it for peace of mind. So the confusion I found is in the two different kind of springs. One YouTube video the guy said he didn't want the around-the-shaft torsion spring because it would allow some nearby part to rattle. So is it better to use the sturdier conventional coil loop spring from Eagle Mike, or drill and mod the part for the around-the-shaft torsion style tension spring. Thoughts before getting into it. Thanks.
 
#2 ·
The torsion spring is superior and should last the lifetime of the bike; the regular spring will need to be replaced with different lengths over time. Also, due to the design, the torsion spring has zero movement except during adjustment whereas the regular spring can move by the amount of play in the doohickey lever on the shaft (a particular problem with the stock doo lever).

I'm not sure what the reference to rattling is but I'd definitely stick with the torsion spring.

Dave
 
#4 ·
I just did the doo on my ‘16 and didn’t notice any looseness in anything once the adjuster bolt is tight. The EM Doo is a far superior fit to the center shaft it goes on than the stock Doo.
Far as I know, it’s the same case on Gen 1 KLR. Someone will no doubt correct me if not.
 
#6 · (Edited)
No correction offered! However . . . I think the question was whether the "torsion" spring invited "some nearby part to rattle," vs. the straight coil spring.

Which spring did you use?

FULL DISCLOSURE: No "nearby parts rattling" noticed on my Generation 1 with aftermarket doohickey and torsion spring.
 
#5 ·
#8 ·
I also saw the need to drill the part to attach the torsion spring, then in another video that is not necessary. Is the EM doohicky the one that does NOT require drilling a hole in the part? A number of you referenced Gen 2 in my question, but this is a Gen 1, so is there a difference in the fix?
 
#9 ·
You really must tell us where you are hearing this horse puckey. Cites would be nice.

Just watch the videos.
 
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#14 ·
Without self-generated YouTube video clip sustaining my position, I say: YES! If you're gonna do it, do the torsion spring! :)

The design remains superior to the straight coil spring. On drilling the hole, pay close attention to the, "o'clock" orientation; don't bite off more than you can chew when initially tensioning the spring.

Someone posted somewhere they had a shop install the doohickey with torsion spring; he wound up with BOTH torsion and straight coil spring! You won't need the coil spring when the torsion spring is installed.
 
#15 ·
I watched the video. The loose, rattling part he's referring to is the idler shaft lever, 13168A. I don't remember it being that loose on either of mine. I'd suggest removing it as it's redundant with the torsion spring but I think you'd need to replace it with a spacer or something......probably best to just leave it.

Anyhow, I'd still do the torsion spring as some movement in that part on the shaft shouldn't cause any issues nor do I think you'd hear anything when it's all buttoned up.

Dave
 
#16 · (Edited)
He did not advise against the torsion spring, he said he thought the spring lever would rattle and that would "drive him mental". He made the decision, for himself, to use the coil spring. I think it was a bad decision, but it's his bike.

That spring lever will not rattle. At least not enough to be heard. The KLR, like almost all big singles, sounds like a can of bolts being shaken by a chimpanzee under the best of circumstances. With the cam chain and the balancer chain whirring around and the exhaust chuffing and tweeting like Trump there's no way that the lever could be heard rattling.

By not installing the torsion spring the fella is missing out on the benefits that the torsion spring has to offer. This video explains how the balancer lever works, what it does, and addresses why the torsion spring is a better option.



By the way, I noticed that the guy in the video you cited was using needle nose pliers to install the spring. Never do that. The teeth on the pliers will nick the spring. That causes stress risers in the wire. That spring constantly vibrates and the spring is likely to break at the point of the stress risers. No spring should ever be handled with anything other than a smooth tool.
 
#19 · (Edited)
The YouTube space is filled with a lot of information, accurate and erroneous, so it often becomes a challenge as to what to believe....
Roger that! I try hard to be objective and factual on Youtube and on my website. I try to explain how and why and give reasons and rationale. Sometimes I go against the conventional wisdom, which is a hard row to hoe and often raises people's hackles. Meh.

I think there is a cultural problem today with people not being able to consume more than a Tweet's worth of information or a minute of video.
 
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#18 ·
The old spring lever must be left in position to control the lateral movement of the adjuster sprocket.
If I need to remove the inner cover to do the job (rather than just spreading the LH hook open & spinning the old spring out), I use a hacksaw to remove the angled tip off of the spring lever.

This shows any future mechanic that the spring was removed On Purpose.

As has earlier been stated, pay attention to the "O-Clock" position for the 1/16th" hole on the Label of the Torsion Spring (if using the torsion spring). Most of the newer Torsion Springs should have the hole drilled between the 5:00- 6:00 area.
I was surprised to see that BlueHighways drilled at the OLD 7:30 position. Too tight of wrapping of the Torsion springs has caused people to damage the torsion springs with pliers as Tom has warned Against on all springs.

I also try to remember to use an electric engraver to write "DOO DONE" above the adjuster locking bolt on the engine case.
 
#22 ·
I was surprised to see that BlueHighways drilled at the OLD 7:30 position. Too tight of wrapping of the Torsion springs has caused people to damage the torsion springs with pliers as Tom has warned Against on all springs.
You may recognise the picture from the website that EM's website directs folks for instructions.
Installing a torsion spring
If I recall, I drilled mine at exactly 5:37 PM. I must have grabbed the wrong image file. Even so, it's a real challenge to position the spring without using pliers. Using an exhaust spring tool or similar can be helpful.
 
#23 ·
I finally just ordered the Eagle Mike parts for my ‘07 after eight years of owning the bike and 25,000 miles. Curious to see the condition of the original. I’ve been reading and watching all I can to get comfortable with the job. This post has helped quite a bit and cleared some of my confusion.
Thanks to all...
 
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