How to remove a seized swingarm bolt?

[Graeme M]

Guys, I am posting this for a mate, so any help much appreciated.


"I purcased a RM500 and im having a bit of a problem with the swing arm bolt,

 I have been stripping down and cleaning parts and I come to removing the swingarm and the bolt is seizied tight and wont even turn with nut removed.

I quess the bolt is either seized to the frame bolt hole or seized to the swing arm bearing sleeves or worse seized inside the motor casing.

I have tried rattle gun, impact driver and carefully tried to tap it out with a hammer but its super tight and wont move.

I dont want to hit the bolt to hard as im scared it might crack or damage the engine cases if thats where it seized.

I dont want to use heat as it will damage the seals if the swing arm cant be removed.

I would appreciate any help or ideas in removing the seized swing arm bolt.

Mick"

[Sorelegs11]

I have had success with pouring boiling water on frozen parts, metal especially the alloys really soak up the heat without the risk of burning parts.

[TT5 Matt]

lay the bike on its side and keep squirting wd400 at the s/arm bolt for days/weeks everytime u go past it,then when u feel its got enough wd400 in it put a soket the same siz e as the head on the bolt with a hard wood block under it to support it.then with a solid big piece on round bar and a really big sledge hammer give it a big hit to break the rust,did it on a xt500 that was locked solid and got it out after wd40ing it for weeks

[Slakewell]

Buy some of this stuff you will wonder how you lived before you found it.

Heat Guns buy one at Bunnings for $30.00
Heat ( warm to touch )and apply roost off for a few days ( you do need both )  lay bike on side support underside with wood or rubber mat, use heat gun untill it's too hot to touch, now I would use a 4 LB hammer but go with what you have, a socket is ok if you dont have correct drifts now hit the sucker like you'd hit your EX wife's Lawyer. 

[mainline]

If it's not going to come out you're better off cutting the bolt with one of those thin grinder discs. GMC has posted pics before of what  can happen to your frame if you start belting things. Easier to just buy another swing arm bolt.

[OverTheHill]

probably said it before on here somewhere but had some bad cases over the years at work DT175 mono used as farm bikes were the worst for being rusted into the sleeves & same applies to those bikes that pass through the case as will have a steel insert in the ally case to rust into. Anyway--woffling--we used a steel pipe with a plate foot on it, slide pipe over head of s/arm bolt with bike laid horizontal on & resting on said pipe, all kept as square on as poss then something like a decent size old crank pin with something welded to it for the brave [holder person!!] to get out of the way a bit, then give it a F!@%n good smack with a 'big' steel mallet.[dangerouse i know hitting two high grade steels together but] Should give in straight away [yeah right]. Crank pin trick is just to save a direct hit on the bolt obviously but will stuff the thread anyway [just more slowly]. Wonder if a trick piece round with the bolt thread put up the middle & plenty of extra on top to smack with sledge hammer but being screwed onto the s/arm shaft [just not right up to frame] might save the s/arm bolt & still move it!!. If all else fails just use a good drill to drill in from each end bigger & bigger till it dissapeares pretty much. In saying all that, i have a YZF750SP with the bolt stuck in & can't get it to move so 'what would i know haha', Thanks. ps, if it 'does' move, hit it back after a bit then start again.

[mick25]

If all rest fails grind both ends of the axle down flush with the frame , then carefully spread frame apart 4mm or so on one side of the frame,
 then pull the swing down on a angle to remove swing arm.
 dont do what someone done on my frame and cut the frame around the swingarm bolt then weld it back in later

[Slakewell]

It is really in the prep work like most engineering. You can hit it hard but  it must be supported correctly.
I have done some really shitty ones over the years and the bike shop used to get me when they gave up so I think I do know this shit. 4 wheel bikes are worse. I have never had to cut the bolt but saying that I would have given the tools some people have. It is really how well you can hold the other side. In a over the top example I have used a 20lb hammer and a full on glowing red with oxy set banging.   

[GMC]

If it's not going to come out you're better off cutting the bolt with one of those thin grinder discs. GMC has posted pics before of what  can happen to your frame if you start belting things. Easier to just buy another swing arm bolt.

Depending on the frame design you may be able to spread the frame enough to fit in a thin cutting disc so that you are only cutting the bolt and nothing else.

Don't hit it so hard that it becomes like this...
(It's easier to buy another bolt than to repair this)

[dalesween]

What Slakewell said,if you'ne not in a great hurry then lie the bike down on one side,then every day walk past the bike and give it a decent squirt of crc,penetrine,wd40 or whatever tickles your fancy for a week or two,(the more patient you are the easier it will be), i then use a piece of key steel and mildly tap away with a 4 to 5 pound hammer,if that does'nt work then i use the heat as described above and that's about all it takes,patience is the key,dont just get a bigger hammer and smack as hard as you can or other "cracks" start to appear.

cheers Dale.

P.S. i have also used the thin cutter disc on a DT200 swingarm bolt,it worked but then i still had to get the rest out but yes ,definatley an option.

[evo550]

I once had a piston frozen solid into a cylinder all of the usual lube suspects (crc,wd40, ect) couldn't budge it. Then someone on this forum suggested brake fluid, talk about penetrative lubricant, 24 hrs later the piston just slid out.
Swingarms are a bit different, but it's worth a try.

[FAT-TOY]

  Have had this problem a few times over the years and a couple of them I have had to cut the swing arm bolt to get them out this can often be the easiest and best way.  I now have a 100 tonne press which helps a bit but you need to have the frame secured in the right position so you don't damage anything, not easy with the motor still in the frame.  Even using the press I still like to use plenty of lubrication and Wurth Rost Off is the best, in my opinion.
                                                                                                                                                       Zane

[Tomas]

I dont think it will be sized in engine cases. it will be frame or bushing (rust). in that case you may be able to drill the swing arm bolt out bit by bit. i would not bash it with hammer or use oxi torch (aluminium swing arm and cases) not sure about 100t press. WD 40, brake fluid etc will surely help. Just be patient and gentle and it will come out. Dont ruin your frame, swing arm or cases. Swing arm bolt is only $30. Good luck

[relfy]

Guys, I am posting this for a mate, so any help much appreciated.


"I purcased a RM500 and im having a bit of a problem with the swing arm bolt,

 I have been stripping down and cleaning parts and I come to removing the swingarm and the bolt is seizied tight and wont even turn with nut removed.

I quess the bolt is either seized to the frame bolt hole or seized to the swing arm bearing sleeves or worse seized inside the motor casing.

I have tried rattle gun, impact driver and carefully tried to tap it out with a hammer but its super tight and wont move.

I dont want to hit the bolt to hard as im scared it might crack or damage the engine cases if thats where it seized.

I dont want to use heat as it will damage the seals if the swing arm cant be removed.

I would appreciate any help or ideas in removing the seized swing arm bolt.

Mick"

had the same problem with 1981 rm 125 tried everything ,mine rattle guns etc in the end we heated it up and put a whole can of inox in it left it overnight an she flew out the next morning , that was after 3 weeks of belting / bashing and swearing

[Tim754]

If you can lay frame on side, construct a small funnel (plastic bottle neck and petrol resistant silicone is one way) to allow a larger pool of your soaking fluid .This used with the paint removing heat gun application has worked for me.