another froze swinger bolt thread!!! OH NOES!!!!

**oscarmayer** · 10-14-2010, 11:34 PM

I've replaced about 2 dozzen swing arm bearings on these old honda, and i have YET to be able to bang one otu with a sledge no mater what I spray or soak it with and no matter how long. the best tool I ever used was an sawsal with the metal cutting blade. do it right and it cust w/o but a few minor scratches to the frame. those can be repainted over and then install new bolt and sleeve and bearings. 1-2horus later your back riding. if not you'll spend hours or days trying and failing. I used a 16lb sledge with fiber gladd handle on all of them first and none worked. the last 3 i just cut after 4 taps with the sledge. the reason they get stuck is honda was not smart enough to make the spacer sleeve thinner walled so the bolt was smaller in it and rust would not cause them to weld together like it does.

**Iprefer3** · 10-15-2010, 04:00 PM

Arizona bikes don't rust out too much so that might be the difference I don't know. All I can say is what's worked for me. Sorry u could not get them out my way

**rdlsz24** · 10-15-2010, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by ATCrider42

P.S. rdlsz24........nice 200x. That thing is mint. All original too isn't it? Is your swingarm polt in backwards though? it looks like the head of the bolt is on the chain side.

Thanks man. They are original parts, but all from different bikes lol. Does it matter which way the bolt goes through? I guess I do have the head on the chain side. It was so long after I cut the old one out and put the new one in that I didn't remember which way it went, and figured it didn't matter. Next time I pull it out to grease it I will flip it around.

Rob

**Dirtcrasher** · 10-15-2010, 04:38 PM

If I have to cut one off, I measure the frame width inside 1st, then use a auto scissor jack to spread it a hair and use a sawzall; Then deal with it in a press.

Once removed, put another bolt back in and pull the frame in, trust me, it will spread and come right back..........

**Xhumeka** · 10-19-2010, 04:42 PM

Those bolts sure can be a major PITA.

Just finished reading this thread - seems us trikers are not the only ones with this problem: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...php?p=11606512

I don't understand why the guy had to cut the swingarm with the sawzall before cutting the bolt... I've sawzalled out a few swingers and never had to damage the swinger.

**Dirtcrasher** · 10-19-2010, 05:07 PM

He should have removed the motor and used a sawzall or cut off wheel on it. He ruined the swingarm; Maybe he had a spare?

**ATCrider42** · 10-19-2010, 05:12 PM

F.Y.I. the reason the bolts seize in there so bad is because the sleeve is aluminum and the bolt is steel. Those two metals don't age well together. Just ask any metal man. It's common knowledge that you don't put aluminum and steel right next to each other, they will seize into one eventually.
So depending on how much your bolt and sleeve have seized together depends on how hard it's going to be to remove. So every bolt is probably a little different in how much pressure it will take to remove it after sitting for X amount of years with X amount of grease.

**JasonB** · 10-20-2010, 10:26 AM

bought an air

for my compressor. I dont know wtf but those things aren't as effective as I once imagined they would be. It successfuly wedged the punch bit into the bolt but didnt budge crap. attempting to return the air

tonight lol

Going to just finish stripping EVERYTHING off the bike and have it just swinger and frame and see if I cant find a local with a press we can use to smash it out. I dont even havea suitable bench vice that would press out small sawzalled chuncks of bolt out of a swinger removed via sawzall

**ATCrider42** · 10-20-2010, 10:30 AM

I took mine down to the frame and swinger. It's not as bad as it seems, especially after spending abunch of time on your own to

it out. You should have listened to "oscarmayer" when he said he's never got one out with a

. I have seen few people post here who actually had that work themselves. Once I got my ATC apart and in to a machine shop they had to cut the head off the bolt so the press wouldn't bend the frame. That means I had to find a new bolt.......NOT EASY FOR ME cuz I have a 84 200x.

**Jerm1179** · 10-20-2010, 10:49 AM

you can get 1st gen 200x swingarm bolts from any dealer.... about 90 bucks

**rdlsz24** · 10-20-2010, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by ATCrider42

F.Y.I. the reason the bolts seize in there so bad is because the sleeve is aluminum and the bolt is steel. Those two metals don't age well together. Just ask any metal man. It's common knowledge that you don't put aluminum and steel right next to each other, they will seize into one eventually.
So depending on how much your bolt and sleeve have seized together depends on how hard it's going to be to remove. So every bolt is probably a little different in how much pressure it will take to remove it after sitting for X amount of years with X amount of grease.

Yep this is what happens. I now use the pieces welded together by corrosion as a steel punch lol.

Rob

**ATCrider42** · 10-20-2010, 02:27 PM

I didn't even ask a Honda dealer if they could get the swingarm bolt for me. I just assumed they couldn't get it. I ended up buying a used on on ebay for $25 that was in perfect condition. Some how somebody got the bolt out without even having to hit it cuz this bolt had NO hit marks or anything on it. You could tell it was used from the caked on grease but after cleaning it up it was in perfect shape; I was very lucky.

**Yamaha_Rules69** · 10-20-2010, 09:24 PM

Atcaddict, if you got the punch stuck in there, you are using way too small of a tool. You need somthing beefy, that wont give under a heavy blow. That skinny punch will likely get stuck in there under a heavy hit, get bent, then break off inside the bolt. The bigger the sledge

the better in this situationalong with a thick solid rod for a punch. I dont know how much the sledge I used on my R weighed, but it is HEAVY, at least 30 lbs I would say, and took about 100 hits to finally get it out - after soaking. If you hit it enough times, and hard enough, it WILL come out. I mentioned it before, but have an assistant hold the punch with a visegrip and hit it as hard as you can with a heavy, long handled sledge.

**JasonB** · 10-21-2010, 10:46 AM

Yamaha rules, I am not using a 'punch', i was using an air

with a hardened steel bit. The bit is large enough that its not going to get permanantly stuck or broken off. I need to get a real sledge

, the one I have is a mini sledge and only a few pounds.

**Dammit!** · 10-21-2010, 11:45 AM

You need a BIG sledge and if you need a punch, like mentioned before it has to be something real beefy. The last one I did I didn't even use a punch. I leave them on all three wheels and swing the

like a putter (but with a lot more force obviously). I find it easier to get an accurate hit on it that way.

Always put the nut on backwards to protect the bolt and give you a larger surface to hit. Always spin it loose and get as much penetrating lubricant on it as you can.

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