550 swingarm shaft stuck

I'm trying to remove the swingarm. Initially there was a lot of stiffness in the swingarm movement. After a lot of spraying and soaking it's loosened up but it still doesn't fall under it's own weight. The shaft will not budge. I can't get that thing to move at all. I've considered drilling into the dust caps (a replaceable item) so I can get some spray in there. Is heat a possible answer? An even bigger hammer maybe...

I imagine the swingarm is more overlooked that valves or carbs and this issue is common on the 550s..

 

drilling the dust caps??? don't they pop off? 750's have a notch at the bottom to get a screwdriver in

 

Nope. completely different arrangement on the 550s. Actually, I misnamed the part. It's called a thrust cover in the Yamaha manual and it's between the frame and the swingarm on either side.

 

ok, i see. no heat there's nylon bushings in there. i'd drill 2 holes in the swingarm, like 1/8 inch and get a whole bunch of Kroil in there. can that pivot shaft turn? it'll turn before it moves out

 

I had that problem on one of my 550's. I used a 5 lb. mini sledge to hit the swingarm pivot bolt flush with the frame. I them placed another swingarm pivot bolt on the end and hammered it out the rest of the way. Most likely, the swingarm bearings are shot.

 

The 550 doesn"t have bearings, they have bushes but there are kits to convert them

 

Are you planning to replace the bushings with bearings instead?

Anyhow, wack it out, big wooden hammer should do the trick. (Metal hammer would work better but you don't want to damage the threads). Old bushings on the 550 can be a real PITA, I had to cut one of the forward engine bolts from th de bushings to replace them..

My swing however wasn't stuck..

 

Got me curious. I went and looked and I have one swingarm in my pile with bushings and another with bearings. No idea how that happened.

 

Somebody did a retrofit.

 

Since I'm down to the frame, wiring harness and triple tree, I laid it on its side on some sawhorses to try to get pb blaster in there. It's been a couple days of soaking and it still won't budge. Considering drilling into swingarm (tubular section around shaft) to get spray in there...

 

Go to a workshop where they have a big press, they should be able to push it out..
Drilling in to the swingarm is nothing i would do if wanted to re-use it, and i really doubt any liquid would help.. a big mf press is what you need.

 

Since it's all stripped down, could you maybe improvise a "press" using a large meaty carpenters' clamp (the kind that slides on a bar or pipe?) That's probably what I'd try.

Or find a machine shop with a big press; that's probably the least destructive way to do it.

I'm really curious to know why it's stuck, it being a metal-to-plastic "interface" we're fighting with here.

 

I'm darn curious too. Per my Yamaha service manual, there are 3 bushings, 1 inner, 2 outer. what material are these made from?

I've manage to move it 1/4". The shaft spins freely. The swingarm moves freely. They move independent of each other.

I have a theory but it seems counter to the bushings being plastic.

 

The parts diagram shows a inner sleeve around the bolt. I bet they are rusted together. Time for the BFH.

 

The Yamaha service manual calls that inner sleeve a bush but no mention of the material. mlew, I believe you are correct.

 

+1 on breaking out the BFH (big f****** hammer)

 

Hammers and presses never would have got it. The center sleeve was fused to the shaft. I managed to get enough space between the frame and the thrust covers for a hacksaw blade.

 

KROIL KROIL KROIL

at least you got it out though i guess :/

 

Oh, I plan on buying some kroil. Given enough time, it might have worked. The geometry of the thing didn't lend itself well to getting kroil or anything else where it's needed. The decision maker was the time factor. $9 shaft from ebay arrived; 90 minutes of careful sawing, swingarm out.

 

Kroil is your best friend!

 

Len carries the needle bearing upgrade kits...

 

Needle bearing kit ordered earlier in the week!

 

Cool. Wait until you see the instructions...

 

Len warned me about those. I can read German although I'm more fluent in Norwegian.

 

I'm working on getting them translated into something coherent.

 

Sehr Gut!

 

"'Time for the BFH."

ahhhh the imfamous "Flying press"