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Swingarm shaft is seized.. planning to...

Posted: 04:50 pm Jul 24 2016
by black
do this due to a seized swingarm shaft
http://www.kxriders.com/forums/index.php?topic=11921.0


..thought I had previously posted this but if I can buy a used swing arm for 40$ the cutting it off might be worth it and not dealing with an aggravation.

Thoughts?


Bought a used 93 KDX200.
went about doing some due diligence on it( new chain/ sprockets etc)
Cleaned out rear wheel bearing, decided to replace them as they were rusted/ pitted.
Decided the swing arm needed some attention to be safe.
Took off the swing arm shaft nut and proceeded to to try to slide the shaft. Nothing. It spun by putting a ratchet to the bolt head( but was tight/ could feel resistance) Shaft would spin and spin but would not back out horzintally. Buddy said more than likely major corrosion to the races? or possibly bearings and thus wont let the shaft back out, if that makes sense.
Right now its on it side with penetrating oil. Will let it sit overnight or a couple days then try to basically sledgehammer it out.

Thoughts? if that doesnt work? or other approaches? thought about using a sawzall to cut the shaft but dont have a lot of space on one side unless I take the engine out.

Heat to the frame or swing arm? not a big fan of that as I've never done it. Dont have that type of heat ( other than a small MAP torch) and dont liek the idea of heating the frame maybe possibly weakening it( i guess?)

Re: Swingarm shaft is seized.. planning to...

Posted: 06:45 pm Jul 24 2016
by KDXGarage
DAMMMMMMN> That was an intense effort.

Keep trying penetrating oil. Don't pound on the end of the swingarm, get a nut on there if you must hit it.

Maybe heat and contract will shock it free some.

GOOD LUCK! I did one 7.5 years ago that still makes me shake my head.

Swingarm shaft is seized.. planning to...

Posted: 07:25 pm Jul 24 2016
by Fitterman24
Mine sat for a week with penetrant on it. Tried 3 or 4 different kinds. I was nice to it by just lightly tapping on the loosened nut every day, hoping to vibrate penetrant in. Hammer and drift? It just laughed at me. Cheapo air hammer? Moar laughter. Had to borrow a diesel mechanic buddies IR air hammer to get it out. The shaft was so seized on the bearings that no penetrant made it past them. Dry as a bone. I had to buy a shaft off fleabay as you can only keep the nut on for so long and the threads at the end took a beating.

Re: Swingarm shaft is seized.. planning to...

Posted: 06:34 am Jul 25 2016
by doakley
Don't cut it off as there is too much chance for collateral damage. Keep after it with penetrating oil. Use heat. I'd suggest getting a heat gun rather than the torch. Hard to overheat it with the electric gun. It will eventually let go. You will likely have to beat it out still though.

Re: Swingarm shaft is seized.. planning to...

Posted: 07:18 am Jul 25 2016
by Tyl3r
I would think the inner races of the bearing seized to bolt. I'd do the penetrating oil soak like you are doing (PB Blaster, CRC Knocker-Loose, Aero Kroil... something really good) for a few days... then take the MAP gas to it. Its not as hot as oxy/acy torches, but still gets pretty darn hot (I have a bottle as well that I use constantly). Your going to have to use a whole lot of that heat to mess up the frame, just concentrate the heat on the swingarm at the bearings. If the paint on the frame starts to bubble or mess up at all, then I'd stop, but I don't see that happening, you're not putting heat directly on the frame. I don't think a heat gun is going to get hot enough to do anything for you there. May have to take the airbox out and shock and stuff off to get better access. An air hammer would sure be a huge help too, but I know that I don't have a compressor at home to take that route.

Best of luck, let us know how it goes! I had troubles getting my swing arm bolt out on my 400ex a couple years back, can't remember what all I went through, but I remember watching some youtubes for some good ideas.

Swingarm shaft is seized.. planning to...

Posted: 08:39 am Jul 25 2016
by pumpguy
Published tests have shown a 50/50 mix of Acetone and ATF is a much more effective penetrating oil than any of those listed above, or anything available on the market.

I'm in the pump repair business, and there's nothing worse than a rusty leaking old cast iron pump that's been down in a damp basement for 50 years. This concoction has worked for me when nothing else would.

Swingarm shaft is seized.. planning to...

Posted: 01:04 pm Jul 25 2016
by canamfan
Plus. 1 on the acetone and trans fluid

Swingarm shaft is seized.. planning to...

Posted: 04:08 am Jul 26 2016
by cornishwrecker220
I would loosen the Swingarm axel nut a good few turns, then with a heavy lump hammer or sledge hammer give the nut a few good hits.....with a bar placed on the other side of the Swingarm axel , give this a few hits to try & break its grip ..replete the above procedure & add penetrating fluid as you go....

Good luck.

Re: Swingarm shaft is seized.. planning to...

Posted: 05:52 pm Jul 27 2016
by rparrish08
Use a bigger hammer :grin:

Re: Swingarm shaft is seized.. planning to...

Posted: 07:25 pm Jul 27 2016
by black
Been pb blaster last few days. Bought a new swing arm. Shaft and linkage for 80 shipped. Inspected right and its in. Great shape. Bearings are recently lubed. So I'll swing the BFH this wknd. If no go then I'm cutting the sucker off.

Re: Swingarm shaft is seized.. planning to...

Posted: 08:50 pm Jul 27 2016
by rparrish08
Ok seriously, get a pin punch where the small end will fit inside the swingarm bolt but the larger side will catch on the inside diameter of the bolt. Insert the the small end of the punch all the way into the the pivot bolt to where the thicker side of the punch bottoms out. Get somebody to hold the bike for you. Then, get the biggest sledge hammer you can find and knock the piss out of it. Not a ball peen or a baby sledge but the biggest sledge you can get your hands on. I've had this exact thing happen on my brothers yz125 this past December. I was pulling the engine to replace the crank and bearings and when I went to tap the pivot bolt out it stoned me.

Re: Swingarm shaft is seized.. planning to...

Posted: 07:43 pm Jul 30 2016
by 6 Riders
I used a press to get mine out. Bought a new one from RMATV for about $30....

Re: Swingarm shaft is seized.. planning to...

Posted: 07:15 pm Jul 31 2016
by black
Seized Swingarm shaft is off!!!!

Decided to cut it off, as I bought an ebay swingarm and shaft for 40$ shipped in better shape as well.
Chopped off the swingarm with grinder, then chiseled the rest of the swingarm off that was around the shaft. ( that took about 2 hrs, left was easy. Right was harder, had to pull off the airbox, rear shock and move some other bits around.) Sawz all for the left side of the shaft

With the swing arm off I also chisled off the the bearing sleeves leaving the swing arm and sleeves around the shaft.
Shaft could rotate, the left sleeve would rotate around the shaft but the right one was the sleeve that was seized to the shaft. worst spot with little to no clearance for a sawzall. I had to make 2 cuts to get the sleeve off. as 1 wouldnt do it.

PS did i say the linkage bolt was seized as well? I had to grind that off as well.


So the right sleeve was seized to shaft and was way to close to the case cover for a sawz all. Headed to Home depot and bought some cutting wheels for the dremel ( 20 pack) and some larger cutting wheels for the dremel with a EZ attachment. also bought MAPP just in case and right angle cutting attachment for the dremel. This would allow me to cut in a limited space

Headed home and did a test cut with the Dremel. Success!!!! So i put to the dremel to the shaft. Took some time and went thru 3 generic cutting wheels, then upgraded to the EZ attachment and larger wheel, I had to go real slow with this. or else they would break easier( went thru 8). But cutting into shaft, rotating the shaft, cutting the other side I made my way around and chiseled it out. Pushed through the shaft and I'm now seized free!!

Just need to put her back together and i"m set. took about 4 hours with taking items off and cutting. and about 50$ for material (diabl0 carbide saw blade, the right angle attachment for the dremel, cutting wheels, cold chisel.)
I'd rather have done it this way vs pb blaster heat etc. due to time constraints. Headed to Maine next week for 4 days dirt riding.