I took the image of the factory tool and made a copy today.
I started with a $4 awl from Loweâ??s. I cut the tip off and ground about �¼ inch of the taper into a diameter that fit into the guide rod hole. Then I heated and bent it.
When I tried it I could not believe how much better it worked than the way I was trying before. I literally had the spring out and back in within a minute or so with little to no struggle.
Thanks for the valuable information.
Chris