Topic: Swing Arm question, can I remove and reinstall bushings and drill for a zert??

[manjisann]

I am getting ready to sandblast and paint my swingarm. I've removed the sleeve and everything else but the bushings are still in there with a ton of old grease. My questions are thus, I know Hondaman likes to put two zerts on the outer area of the swingarm where it really needs it and I would like to do this as well. Since the swing arm was solid before I removed it, I'm gonna hold off on Hondamans special rebuild. I am wondering though if I can just drill through the bushings to add the zerts on the outer areas, also can I safely remove the bushings with a drift and hammer if I am gentle, or are these usually in there really good?

Also, the bushings that are in where the shocks go, can I remove and reinstall these with a drift punch without destroying them?

If I can't safely remove the bushings that are part of the swing arm pivot, are they the only area I have to be careful not to paint as that?

Thanks,

Brandon

[srook]

Those swngarm bushings are hard to get out without destroying them.  I personally wouldn't re-use them.  NEw ones are $36 bucks on parts-n-more's site https://www.partsnmore.com/cat_index.php?model=cb750_sohc&category=chassis 
Scott

[Frankenkit]

Hondaman makes some superior bushings, too.

[Bill/BentON Racing]

You can use an old valve shim from DOHC bikes,CB1100F ,900,750 and make a removal tool,not fun without one,take shim,its round and grind it down level to 10 & 2:00,then do the same @ bottom 5 & 7:00. Now you can push it thru bushing ,then it will fit down on top of old one ,use appropiate,drift,rod,extension and put it down on top of shim and drive them out!! You will be amazed how well it works...I think,Good Luck ,Bill

[Bill/BentON Racing]

They also make other/better alternatives: bronze bushings, needle bearing kits,I would not use OEM if I could help it,They wear quickly.Bill,I have had good luck w/needle bearing kits.

[Frankenkit]

*nod* Hondaman's bushings are oilite bronze i.e. oil-impregnated bronze, with super-low wear rates.  The only downside is that to absolutely guarantee the quality of the swingarm zerking and swingarm bushings, he requires that you send your swingarm in to him to be rebuilt.  I will still want to do this eventually when winter rolls around and I have the funds.  Due to the design of our 650s, our swingarm bushings in particular suffer badly.

[manjisann]

I measured the clearances on my bushing and it's not in need of a rebuild. I was mainly wondering as I don't want to damage anything when I sandblast. I have covered it all in thick duct tape, so I am thinking I should be good.

I've read about the hondaman bushings and if I had the money and needed to replace mine I would send the swingarm to him in a heartbeat. At this point though I think I am ok, and will just wait for it to wear a bit, at which point hopefully he is still making them.

Brandon

[the architect]

I'm in the process of a tear-down and rebuild of my swing arm, too.  Like most folks, I opted to cut my old steel bushings out with a hacksaw.  It worked like a charm:





Finished product:



I'm hoping to send the swingarm to Hondaman for his special rebuild, once I get it powdercoated.

For my shock mounting bushings, I used a large socket on the receiving side, and a combination of washers and smaller socket on the driving side, along with some nuts and threaded rod to extract the bushing.  I let them sit in penetrating lube for a few days beforehand, then I hit it with my impact gun at 100+ psi.  One came out practically unscathed, but the othe was a real bear, which was destroyed in the process:

[lynchj]

I'm hoping to send the swingarm to Hondaman for his special rebuild, once I get it powdercoated.

You may want to reconsider, my swing arm is at Hondamans now and he recomended NOT to paint it before sending. He doesn't want to mess up a nice paint job.

[MoTo-BunnY]

Definitely consider sending your swing arms to HondaMan - I have been rocking one of his rebuilt swing arms for over a year now and love it. It really seemed to 'tighten up' my ride, in that when I used to go over wear grooves and what not in the road, I could feel the rear end of the bike kind of 'boogie over' left and right. The rebuilt swing arm got rid of all that. His work was top notch at a more than reasonable price for the work involved.

I drilled and tapped the swing arm axle thingy myself, for zerks. Wasn't too hard (I have much experience in drilling and tapping) and works sooooo much better than the old style where if the grease gun didn't slip off the fitting first, the whole pressed-in fitting would just pop out.

[manjisann]

I know Hondamans rep, so I am sure it's top notch work. My biggest issue is cost. Right now everything seems to be pretty solid and my build is soooo over budget (I'm pretty sure I've hit the 4k mark by now  ) that I am trying to get only what I absolutely have to. Course this is really a safety thing, and it would be a shame to repaint it all pretty only to have to send it to Hondaman and have the paint job get marred (who am I kidding, I don't paint things that well  ) I think I'm just gonna have to ride on it the way it is and have Hondaman work his magic next year. If I get a chance to pull the engine and redo the top end, that'd be the perfect time.

Brandon

[cb650PK]

Clean it, grease it and put it back together. Next year repeat, or if you put on a lot of miles do it 2 times a year.My current OEM bushings have 17k miles and no play. I am waiting for them to wear, so I could install bronze, maybe I should stop greasing them.

[the architect]

I'm hoping to send the swingarm to Hondaman for his special rebuild, once I get it powdercoated.

You may want to reconsider, my swing arm is at Hondamans now and he recomended NOT to paint it before sending. He doesn't want to mess up a nice paint job.

When Hondaman returns the rebuilt swingarm, are all the pieces separate (i.e. appropriate for powdercoating at that point)? 

He's worried about messing up a nice paint job, but I'm worried about messing up his nice machine work and assembly!  I know he'll do a better job at putting it back together than I can.

[HondaMan]

I'm hoping to send the swingarm to Hondaman for his special rebuild, once I get it powdercoated.

You may want to reconsider, my swing arm is at Hondamans now and he recomended NOT to paint it before sending. He doesn't want to mess up a nice paint job.

When Hondaman returns the rebuilt swingarm, are all the pieces separate (i.e. appropriate for powdercoating at that point)? 

He's worried about messing up a nice paint job, but I'm worried about messing up his nice machine work and assembly!  I know he'll do a better job at putting it back together than I can.

No, it comes back to you assembled. You must get a 12" long piece of allthread rod and some flat washers and nuts, and install this through the pivot hole to cover the ends of the tube before painting. There must be no paint on the ends of the swingarm tube, and no paint down inside the holes, or the arm will lock solidly in place when you reassemble it in the frame: the collar must bolt between frame rails, and the arm's pivot rotates around that collar. The clearance is only about .010", so paint is too thick and jams the arm, if painted on the ends of the tube.
 

[manjisann]

Hey Hondaman, thanks for stopping by! The allthread and washers is a really good idea, trying to tape a round hole is not very easy. So the outside diameter of the bushings is ok to paint, ie the lip (not the part that goes against the frame). Sorry, not sure if I am explaining that question very well. I understand why you don't want paint between the frame and bushin, and why you don't want it inside as the tolerances are just to narrow.

Brandon

[MCRider]

Hey Hondaman, thanks for stopping by! The allthread and washers is a really good idea, trying to tape a round hole is not very easy. So the outside diameter of the bushings is ok to paint, ie the lip (not the part that goes against the frame). Sorry, not sure if I am explaining that question very well. I understand why you don't want paint between the frame and bushin, and why you don't want it inside as the tolerances are just to narrow.

Brandon

If I may, you may mean the OD of the pivot tube? The part of the swingarm in which the bushings lie?

Should be OK to paint that, the end caps have enough circumference to clear some paint. Good point though. I had to relieve the ID of the end caps lip with my dremel to fit over the chrome on my pivot tube. Chrome being thicker than paint.

[HondaMan]

Hey Hondaman, thanks for stopping by! The allthread and washers is a really good idea, trying to tape a round hole is not very easy. So the outside diameter of the bushings is ok to paint, ie the lip (not the part that goes against the frame). Sorry, not sure if I am explaining that question very well. I understand why you don't want paint between the frame and bushin, and why you don't want it inside as the tolerances are just to narrow.

Brandon

If I may, you may mean the OD of the pivot tube? The part of the swingarm in which the bushings lie?

Should be OK to paint that, the end caps have enough circumference to clear some paint. Good point though. I had to relieve the ID of the end caps lip with my dremel to fit over the chrome on my pivot tube. Chrome being thicker than paint.

I remember seeing that on your arm: that [most excellent] chrome was harder than anything I had to remove it. I tried (I'm sure you saw that), but could not get it all off!
 

[DurangoCB]

What’s the first course of action for removing the bushings?  IOW if I am lucky enough that mine aren’t seized, what is the standard removal method?

Regarding the hacksaw method... is there nothing inside the swingarm between one bushing and the other?  No inner collar/race/sleeve that I would be simultaneously cutting a slot in with the hacksaw blade? 

Ready to tackle the swingarm and don’t want to screw anything up.

[Bodi]

I don't know if there is a "standard" removal method... you can  try a strong steel washer that fits in the tube diameter with flats filed to allow it to be slid through the bushing, turn it flat to the hole and use a drift from the other side or a slide hammer if you have one. The hacksaw method is good if you can't move it, but you don't need to saw out a section. Saw through the bushings with the hacksaw as in the picture, stop before you make a deep groove in the tube (it won't matter if you cut into it a little). Take the saw out and the cut width is plenty wide enough to let the bushing collapse so it to comes out "easily". A flat punch against the inner edge, pounded from the other side, should do it but the washer trick is good then too. There are also special bearing puller tools - flanged expanding collets - made just to pull out such things, but they cost rather too much to justify buying for a one-off job.

[DurangoCB]

Thank you.  That's what I needed to know.