KDX200 swingarm pivot?

**BM-GS** · 18th April 2014, 18:31

I thought I'd bought a bike, but I seem to have bought a project!

Took it for a spin last weekend and found the rapid-sofa feeling that a decent KDX engenders was replaced by the feeling that my kidneys were being battered up into my ears. I took the long weekend as a chance to sort this out. Linkage-bearing kit safely on the bench, I started taking things apart. Linkage came straight to bits, but I was suspicious of the swingarm staying put, despite the fact it was only held up by the pivot bolt. Much pushing & pulling suggested I'd bought the wrong bearing kit, but the anal-retentive in me sees this as an opportunity to sort the back-end properly - once the shops open!

Mr Google suggests that this is not uncommon, and I suspect I'll be leaving the rubber cap off the nut-end of the pivot bolt after this is over. I can see that it could end badly, but I am putting my trust in 3-in-1 and time. Don't want to end up breaking out the grinder like this guy: http://www.kxriders.com/forums/index.php?topic=11921.0

Now I'm seriously wondering what's under the silicone sealer up inside the bottom-adjusters of the front forks and whether it may be better not to find out?

**barty5** · 19th April 2014, 09:17

If its the main swing arm bolt that wo t come out it will have rust to the sleeves that run through the bearings. It come down to brut froce youll have to use the Jeremy clarkson set of tools large hammer and some sort of driver then clean up thread afterwards. If its hoolw like some you could try getting some heat down it first.

**BM-GS** · 19th April 2014, 11:39

Bolt is solid, not hollow. Not sure what's keeping the damned thing in just now, but prefer to use Father Time rather than Jeremy Clarkson. (I note that the money he spends on the cars he batters is not his own!)

Obviously I shall give the end of the bolt a tap now and again to remind it that it's coming out one way or another!

**barty5** · 19th April 2014, 11:52

Originally Posted by BM-GS

Bolt is solid, not hollow. Not sure what's keeping the damned thing in just now, but prefer to use Father Time rather than Jeremy Clarkson. (I note that the money he spends on the cars he batters is not his own!)

Obviously I shall give the end of the bolt a tap now and again to remind it that it's coming out one way or another!

Can you get it to turn although odds are it will spin in the bearings. Another thought put it on its side and fillthe recess with crc etc might help soak throug.

**BM-GS** · 19th April 2014, 16:23

Yep, it turns, though not easily. You can feel it tighter in some places than others. Will contemplate the bike-on-its-side idea, but the garage is in constant use, might need to chuck some stuff outside, if I can trust it not to blow away!

Might try tearing the old seals out to help the 3-in-1 do its thing, though reluctant to try that in cease I bugger up the surface for the new seals. I guess that's why they invented sandpaper?

**barty5** · 20th April 2014, 08:46

Originally Posted by BM-GS

Yep, it turns, though not easily. You can feel it tighter in some places than others. Will contemplate the bike-on-its-side idea, but the garage is in constant use, might need to chuck some stuff outside, if I can trust it not to blow away!

Might try tearing the old seals out to help the 3-in-1 do its thing, though reluctant to try that in cease I bugger up the surface for the new seals. I guess that's why they invented sandpaper?

That and wet and dry you should have seen the last 2 bikes ive just done up the heads where the vakve bucket slide into had some bad marks due to bent valves ( one even managed to snap a valve shim in half ) small file and wet and dry almost back to new.

**Jay GTI** · 20th April 2014, 09:23

Don't mess around with CRC or 3 in 1, use this:

One of the rare products that witters on endlessly about being the best on the market, but actually is. Used it to free my stuck rear axle bolt (BFH and brute force was not working!).

You can get it from Smart Marine on Beaumont Street in town (funnily enough the boaties love it).

If that doesn't work, extreme case is taking the engine out, forks and wheels off, then down to an engineering shop to press out the bolt. Although I have seen even this method not work (frame was bending) and in the end the swingarm was cut off and a replacement brought in from the US.

**scott411** · 20th April 2014, 11:47

Originally Posted by Jay GTI

Don't mess around with CRC or 3 in 1, use this:

One of the rare products that witters on endlessly about being the best on the market, but actually is. Used it to free my stuck rear axle bolt (BFH and brute force was not working!).

You can get it from Smart Marine on Beaumont Street in town (funnily enough the boaties love it).

If that doesn't work, extreme case is taking the engine out, forks and wheels off, then down to an engineering shop to press out the bolt. Although I have seen even this method not work (frame was bending) and in the end the swingarm was cut off and a replacement brought in from the US.

me and a friends did this, we left the engine in, but subframe off to get it into the press,

**barty5** · 20th April 2014, 13:33

Originally Posted by Jay GTI

Don't mess around with CRC or 3 in 1, use this:

One of the rare products that witters on endlessly about being the best on the market, but actually is. Used it to free my stuck rear axle bolt (BFH and brute force was not working!).

You can get it from Smart Marine on Beaumont Street in town (funnily enough the boaties love it).

If that doesn't work, extreme case is taking the engine out, forks and wheels off, then down to an engineering shop to press out the bolt. Although I have seen even this method not work (frame was bending) and in the end the swingarm was cut off and a replacement brought in from the US.

There are a few versions of this stuff and yup it works repco and the like use to have it as well.

**Jay GTI** · 20th April 2014, 14:59

Originally Posted by scott411

me and a friends did this, we left the engine in, but subframe off to get it into the press,

Yeah actually engine in would help support the frame, we took it out just to make it easier to move around.

**BM-GS** · 20th April 2014, 18:52

Engine staying in: swingarm bolt goes through the back of the cases...

Will search for this stuff in Supercheap tomorrow, handily located next door to job. Popping in for a few bits anyway.

**ktm84mxc** · 20th April 2014, 22:43

You can use a gas torch to heat the swing arm around the bearings and a heavy sledge hammer to free the bolt , just be sure to support the frame when your belting it with the hammer.

**jasonu** · 21st April 2014, 05:20

Originally Posted by Jay GTI

Don't mess around with CRC or 3 in 1, use this:

One of the rare products that witters on endlessly about being the best on the market, but actually is. Used it to free my stuck rear axle bolt (BFH and brute force was not working!).

You can get it from Smart Marine on Beaumont Street in town (funnily enough the boaties love it).

If that doesn't work, extreme case is taking the engine out, forks and wheels off, then down to an engineering shop to press out the bolt. Although I have seen even this method not work (frame was bending) and in the end the swingarm was cut off and a replacement brought in from the US.

Yes this is good stuff.
My bet is your needle roller bearings are dried up and rooted. I have had this issue on 2 bikes. Had to beat the swingarm bolt out with a big hammer and drift. Both times the bearings just fell apart when the bolt finally came out..

**Jay GTI** · 21st April 2014, 09:40

Originally Posted by BM-GS

Engine staying in: swingarm bolt goes through the back of the cases...

Will search for this stuff in Supercheap tomorrow, handily located next door to job. Popping in for a few bits anyway.

You won't find PB Blaster in Super cheap, just get Clare to grab some tomorrow.

**drift77nz** · 21st April 2014, 10:54

This is how we get the seized swingarm bolts out of countless DR200's. It is very hard to get heat into the sleeve that is usually the culprit for the seized bolt. If time is on your side, soak the crap out of it with penetrating oil ( PB, CRC 556, WD40 etc etc.),and keep doing it for however long.
Then lie the bike on its side on a decent piece of pipe down, A; to support the frame an to stop spreading the frame and B; for the swingarm bolt to go into. Then get a large Hammer and a decent punch and try to knock it out. And a suggestion, use a pair of vice grips to hold the punch. I've hit my hand to many times to care about and it hurts the ego just as much as your hand cause you usually have someone helping you that won't let you live it down. Even better, get them to hold the punch...

We have had them bad enough that we have had to cut them out, but you will need another swingarm by the time you get to that measure.
Good Luck