Stuck swingarm bold

[ofstone]

During a long testride, i found that there was gearbox oil leaking out of the drive shaft.
After looking at the workshop manual i found out that there are 2 oil seals.
So i removed the wheel and the final gear including drive shaft.
I found that the oil seal in the swingarm was heavily damaged, possibly during a reassembly by the old owner of the bike.
Before this seal can be replaced (still available at yamaha dealer) the needle bearing (not available anywhere!) needs to be removed carefully, but the workshop manual says nothing about how to remove. I think it is pressed in there. So i asked the dealer about how to remove, and he said to push it out from the engine side, and than you have to remove the engine or the swing-arm.
I choose the last one, and the swingarm is badly rusted so i thought it is a good moment to give it a new layer of paint also.
The first problem was to get the damper loose, but the damper pivot shaft is rusted and not removable, so i sprayed him with WD40 to give it a rest over the night and started removing the swingarm bold.
It was almost not possible to loosen it. and with a loud crack it loosened ...a little bit. After turning the bold i think 4 times with big tools i found out the bold was turning but not loosening as i would expect, and i noticed the swingarm was bending at the side of the bold (To late).
I think the bushing inside wich is in the needle bearings is rusted on the bold, and is pushing the swingarm open.
I have already sprayed it with wd40 and gave it a real big smack with the hammer, but it wont come loose.

Is there someone who nows how to loosen the swingarmbold?

[Lucky]

Big Huge tip: use PB Blaster to loosen rusted bolts it's 1,000 times more effective than WD40.

[Rick G]

Lets hope its available in Holland , if not I can be persuaded to send some! There no comparison to wd 40  , it is far superior.

[Lucky]

I'm not sure that's something you can mail...

[Humber]

I expererienced the same last year. Lean the bike on the TCI side, remove rubber boot from final shaft U joint. Look carefully and u will see a hole for hammering pivot out. It is deep in the u-joint housing, just where the pivot threads in.

Spray a lot wd 40 in it... don't wait a night since wd40 becomes oily and blocks it even more... wait maximum 20 min, take a thin, hard steel rod, put it in this small hole - but be fragile - u may damage the thread for the pivot (make sure u hammer it in the center) Strike as forcfully as u can.... hit hit hit on the rod until it drops out from the other side...

U may do it with the bike on the center stand but u wiull need another person. One for keeping the bike upright, the other one for hammering and another one for pulling the pivot out with some wrench... hope this will help....

later on use a lot of grease while assembling it....

[Rick G]

you would be surprised what you can mail.

[ofstone]

Yess, finally after drilling a hole in the bolds head and tapping thread in, a made some kind of pulling device and pulled/hammered teh bold out.
Then the next problem came.....
As i removed the bushing a saw the bushing was heavilly coroded and dameged and i was supprised that there was totally no grease visible.
As i looked tho the neadle bearings, the only thing visible was a lot of rust powder and some metal parts wich were probably the needle bearings. Also tried to remove them but they are rusted stuck also.
When i looked at the rear bridge itself i found 2 rusted holes in the bottom of the connection piece between left and right bridge arm.
 This is i think because it is possible for water to get trapped in the connection piece, and it is posssible that a small amount of water stays in there and causes corrosion.
Now i also have to find new bearings and bushing.
I found nearby about 250 KM a scrapyard for bikes, and they have a complete rearbridge for about 100 euros.(without drive)

[Humber]

how do u know that the bushings are OK??? I would rather restore an old swingarm than buy another one which may come out out of order...

100 euro is damn dear... I can sell it cheaper.. I have a swingarm here... interested?? I can bearings if u want...

[jasonm.]

If you are speaking of the needle bearings in the swingarm? The only way they rust is because the end cap seals are NO good. The lower shock pin comes out as Humber said. The needle bearings may not be available. In regards to the internal shaft seal.... spare swing arms are everywhere, Often cheap. The needle bearings in the frame, once out may be bought from a bearing supply store.

[ofstone]

I now got both needle bearings(whats left of them) removed, and i went to the dealer, and he is going to look for new bearings, bushing, bolds, dustcaps etc to rebuild the bridge.
The scrapjard wich has a new bridge can also deliver a complete rebuild kit for the bridge for 120 Euros so thats why the dealer is looking for the ooriginal parts and he thinks that they all are available for a lower price.

I also will look to the bridge if it is possible to restore it and carrefully bend the mounting fork back in position.

So thanks humber and jasonm but i will first look and see if i can buy new bearings and restore the old bridge.

The only problem i now have is that the spring seal in the bridge, to seal off oil from the final gear needs replacement because it is badly damaged. I already have the new seal, but to replace i have to remove the needle bearing. But i do not know how to remove it without damaging it. This bearing is not available anymore and also a bearing specialist is not able to get a replacement one at the moment.

[Bruce]

I managed to remove that bearing by inserting a long bar from the other end, and wedge it diagonally across against the seal. I then tapped it on each side a little at a time. It destroys the seal, but the bearing did pop out eventually. An extra set of hands helps. (I did not have them, so you can get by without)

Hope this helps

Bruce.

[ofstone]

I made some kind of puller to remove the seal and the bearing.
I made an oval shaped disk wich slides in the bridge then turned and i large bold so the bearing and the seal is gently pulled out. Also the seal is then a lttle bended but the bearing is stil in good condition.
Now only the shockbreaker pivot is jammed, so i think i also need to make a puller for that to.