Swingarm Removal

[Glyn Pickering]

Duri 8)ng the "quick" clean and paint job on the vision I decided to paint strip the swing arm in situ. I was amazed at the rot under seemingly perfect and unblemished silver paint. I dread to think what the rest of the frame could be like?

Anyway I'd really like to take the swingarm out to do a decent anti rust campaign on it. I wondered if there was any special tricks to this, or problems I may encounter. I know manuals are often very sketchy about the harder tasks. Also is there anything I should replace once dissembled?

Regards
Glyn

[ofstone]

Hello glyn,

I have just removed the swingarm some weaks ago to give it a new paint. and what looks easy is not so easy as i found out.

The real reason for removal of swingarm was a damaged leaking seal in the rear differential causing oil to leak out of the rubber boot over the drive shaft. After removing the final gear i found out i was not able to remove the seal without removing the swingarm.

So a started to remove rear wheel, final drive, drive shaft, and then started to remove the big M16 Bold that holds the swingarm to the bushing and the bearings. (after 'unlocking' the locking plate. This gave the first problem because the bold was rusted I almost bended my wrench trying to remove the bold. I decided to spray the bold with penetrating oil and let it stay over the night.
Next day trying to loosen the bold with a large wrench with a pipe on to give more power, and with a loud bang the bold came loose. But after one turn it was not turning anymore easy and i found out the bold was turning out of the thread but not out of the bushing. in other ways, i was bending the fork now at the moment. Nothing helped to get the bold loose.
I kept on turning the bold slowly until it was out of the tread (and bending open the swingarm) and then drilled a hole in the bold and tapped tread in it so i could make a pulling device to pull on one side and hammer on the other side (other side you can see an inspection hole just behind the rubber boot under a rubber cover, if you look thru the hole you can see the tread of the bold. After removing this verry very badly rusted bold I was able to remove the swingarm with the spring damper attached to it.
As i looked to the bushing i saw this was totaly rusted and also my bearings where only rust dust, NO GREASE VISIBLE AT ALL! So a had to replace the bold, bushing, bearings and dustcaps, wich are still available at the yamaha dealer for about 100 Euro. After this i tryed to remove the pin were the shock adsorper is attached to the swingarm. I was not able to remove it even after pressing it with a press to about 500 bars.  Next step was drilling the pin out and that it came loose. Also verry much solid rusted together. This pin was still availabl at the dealer for about 8 Euro.

Now i started cleaning the bridge and i soon found out that there were some holes rusted in the swingarm,also a design failure because water can get in but not out, which after removing the biggest part off the rust were welded and then everything was covered with a new layer of paint.

I have to say here in holland we have a lot off rain in some seasons, but if a new it was so rusted i was never started this. Probably on my bike it could not getany worse but it costed me for about 2 weeks every day 4 hours to fix everything.

Be verry careful when you are removing rust and protect the bearing and spring seal inside the swingam, because they are not available anymore by the dealer or yamaha japan! Also a specialized bearing shop was not able to find a replacement one.

[Glyn Pickering]

Hi Of,

Thanks for that advice. Sounds like a definite no go area, unless as you say there is an oil leak which forces you really
to take it all part. I'll probably continue stipping the paint and rust off the swingarm with it still on the bike although the lack of space in there makes it really a tricky and not really 100% good job.

Interested with your comment about water inside the swing arm. Was it in the central bridge area or in the right hand fork  (opposite shaft side) - that supports the rear wheel? Have you  drilled any small drain holes in the arm to allow future water to come out? That may be a good idea - although it may allow water in also. Perhaps a small tapped hole which you could open up occassionally may be the way to go? Better still put a grease nipple in the swingarm and pump it full of grease like the recommended mod for the steering head. I think Yamaha really skimpted on the painting
by the look of it, but these bikes were never really made to last this long I suppose.

I've never ridden my bike more that 30 meters up my drive before dissebling it. How do you find it to ride - compared to other bikes you've had? Also have you done all the other mods recommended by the group?

Regards

Glyn  

[ofstone]

Hello glyn,

I hope i did not scared you to much about the bikes swingarm, but mine was really rusted. This does not mean yours is also that bad rusted. Just try to loosen it and re-greasing the swingarm bearings is a good idea to prevent the bearings from rusting.

The water was in the central bridge area and rusted a hole on both sides left and right. This is because it is completely closed exept on the side of the wheel, and that is just the place were the water sprays around wen driving in the rain. If they had just welded the central bridge close there, then there wouldent be any problem.
As yu say putting some holes in it wil prevent in from filling up, but i am going to put some tar coating inside to prevent it from rusting, and seal of the openings in the central bridge with silicone kit or something like that.

I have bought the bike i think now about 3 months ago and i am totally reworking the complete bikes outside. that means all exept the engine. I bought the bike for 300 Euro and it looked like a mess.
So i am verry busy in rebuilding the bike at this moment.

Things i encountered during this was:
Damaged oils seal in final drive.
Rusted bearings swingarm
Rusted frame
rusted holes in swingarm
Leaking YICS box
Bad wiring and rotten connectors
Bad battery
Broken Thermal sensor cooling fan.
Broken side covers.
Bended fueltank
ETC.

It looks like the 300 Euro was to much, but the engine has only run 22000 KM. Bike had brand new tires and a costom made LASER exhaust system.
And I really like this bike, because it is different and a lot of people do not know this bike. It also rides verry good, and if it is running great it is huge fun to ride. I also have a yamaha XS400 DOHC wich is also nice to ride, but the driver position on the vision is more relax and the vision has more power, also on low rpms. The XS is only fun to ride, and rides like a beast between 6000 and 9500 RPM.

I have already painted the frame and sidecovers. (after repairing it) and the swingarm. Now i am busy in repairing the fual tank and some other small mechanical, electrical issues.
The only thing i dont like the bike is the possibility of a failing stator, and i am also trying to find a solution for it, together with all other vision owners i suppose. I will aslo do al lot of modifications like other vision owners reccommend.

All i can say more is look to this forum and the homepage, and learn a lot about your bike.

[Don Minor]

Glyn,
   I just removed my swing arm the other day.I used a air chiesl to bend the lock.Then I used an impact to remove the bolt.It all came apart very easily.Once off I did notice that the frame holes,for drainage, had been painted over.Not too much rust on mine.I removed it because one of my friends with a new bike said mine had too much rust. I'd like to see his at 23 years.I don't know how much things rust where you are, I live 3/4 of a mile from the ocean,and work next to the water.Mine does not have alot of deep rust.Just a new paint job and it will go back on the bike.So don't be afraid to take it off for painting.
Good luck,
Don

[JaBey]

Just a reminder for everyone...things covered in grease don't rust:-) Keep your bearing surfaces clean and properly lubricated and you'll never make a post like ofstones. Good intentions do not good and proper spring maintainence make. So hit those garages in the up coming weekends guys...and don't forget your good friend, the swing arm.

[Walt_M.]

When I first read ofstone's post, I started thinking about another post a while back about a 'high speed wobble'. Everything was supposed to have been checked for tight but I wonder what the swingarm bearings look like? Sounds like another project to me.

[Glyn Pickering]

Thanks for all that good info. I've now managed to completely strip the s/arm in situ. Going to rust prime and paint today. I can't see any drain holes at all even with all the paint off. I Think I will drill a small hole in the base of the central bridge under the bike and put a grease nipple in there. Hearing the posts I'm a little dubious now that there may be water in the right hand swing arm also. I'll drill a small hole here, near the end which I can just silicone closed to see if any water comes out. Will let you know my results. I can't actually see where water can get in? it must be at the point where the central lower bridge is welded to the two main s/arm forks . There are two openings here, which they really sould have welded up .


Can the s/arm bearings be lubricated without taking the whole lot apart? Yamaha havn't provided a gease nipple anywhere that I can see. Would it be possible to put one centrally under the bottom of the s/arm shaft do you think? I guess doing this whout taking it all apart would be dodgey since you may get swarf inside. Anybody put a grease nipple here?

Regards

Glyn ???