How to remove a spring from a tight spring guide

JP806TX · Jan 28, 2023

Was working on my TX200 recently. I was again trying to pry a spring off a very tight spring guide.
Hope this can help others as I remember the first time trying to muscle it off was very frustrating.
Tools needed:
1. screw driver with a thin enough blade to get in-between the last coil and your spring guide.
2. open end wrench jus big enough to fit the diameter of your spring guide but small enough that it'll catch onto the spring.
3. 1/2" thick and 3/4" thick wood (or plywood board 4" x 5"). Drill a hole slightly bigger than the diameter of your spring guide near the 4" edge of the both boards. Then cut a Channel to the hole (so it resembles a U. basically going to use this as an open end wrench to lever the spring)

Now the fun begins. It's basically a levering technique
shove the flat blade screw driver between the last coil and the spring guide washer and try to lever the coil spring away from the end of the spring guide.
Once you get enough space use your open end wrench to lever the spring out.
Once you get more spacing, position either the 1/2 " or 3/4 " board at the end of the spring guide to still continue using the open end wrench to lever against the board to lever the spring off.

Big thank you to Motorhead for helping out with this problem in the past.

Good luck and try not to jab your hand with the screwdriver. (maybe get your buddy to do this and be ready with bandaids and beers)

Frank in Fairfield · Mar 7, 2023

When the spring is compressed it gets larger.
Compress the spring in a vice and the follower slips right out.

Motorhead · Mar 7, 2023

JP806TX said:
Was working on my TX200 recently. I was again trying to pry a spring off a very tight spring guide.
Hope this can help others as I remember the first time trying to muscle it off was very frustrating.
Tools needed:
1. screw driver with a thin enough blade to get in-between the last coil and your spring guide.
2. open end wrench jus big enough to fit the diameter of your spring guide but small enough that it'll catch onto the spring.
3. 1/2" thick and 3/4" thick wood (or plywood board 4" x 5"). Drill a hole slightly bigger than the diameter of your spring guide near the 4" edge of the both boards. Then cut a Channel to the hole (so it resembles a U. basically going to use this as an open end wrench to lever the spring)

Now the fun begins. It's basically a levering technique
shove the flat blade screw driver between the last coil and the spring guide washer and try to lever the coil spring away from the end of the spring guide.
Once you get enough space use your open end wrench to lever the spring out.
Once you get more spacing, position either the 1/2 " or 3/4 " board at the end of the spring guide to still continue using the open end wrench to lever against the board to lever the spring off.

Big thank you to Motorhead for helping out with this problem in the past.

Good luck and try not to jab your hand with the screwdriver. (maybe get your buddy to do this and be ready with bandaids and beers)

Not the way I would have stated to do it

Use a @ 18 to 24" plastic or wood dowel that fits spring ID loosely, clamp on end in a vice. Have this rod up against the guide, then using a 12" piece of @ 1" PVP pipe that gets placed up against the guide washer you lightly tap on PVC and washer is pushed forward compressing spring and the guide slides right off.

WalA

JP806TX · Mar 7, 2023

Frank in Fairfield said:
When the spring is compressed it gets larger.
Compress the spring in a vice and the follower slips right out.

Thank you Frank. You inspired me to take some pictures. This is a simulation. This spring isn't really tight against the guide. Apologies ...Scott, had to find another way to compress the spring.
1. use a strong thin blade flat head screw driver to wedge between last coil and the bottom of the spring guide. Try to gingerly pry/lever the spring out.
2. I was fortunate enough to find a very thin blade wrench that I can use once the screw driver creates enough of a gap. This gives me a safer way to lever the spring out.
3. Then use a progressively thicker wrench to lever the spring out.
4. If you have multiple wrenches, you can stack them together to lever the spring.
5. If you don't have multiple wrenches, you can cut a hole near the end of a piece of wood, cut a u shape. Then use the wood and wrench to help you lever out the spring. (cut this u shape in wood of varying thickness, you can stack them together to help you lever the spring out)