Help 400ex swingarm pivot bolt!

[duffman1483]

Does anyone have any ideas on how to make the removal of the swingarm pivot bolt easier? It's the only bolt I can't get out so that I can remove my motor. Please help!

[speedphreake]

I had the same problem. I used a long extension off my ratchet. I used it like a long punch. Wasn't too bad to get it out.

[j450rking]

well all you can relly do is spray PB blaster in all the places you can get it to and pound away with a sledge hammer here is a pic of what i did to my pivot bolt after i got it out. i drilled and taped bolth ends i put a greas fitting in one end and a pipe cap in the other and then i drilled two holes in the bolt where i could see that it was sticking and wala i have a greasable pivot bolt

[duffman1483]

thanks for the great ideas guys, I tried supporting the subframe and swingarm and pounded away on the bolt but still no luck.

[DF400ex]

try spraying it with some serious thread penetrator and let it sit. Just make sure that there isn't any pressure on the bolt when you try to pound it out.

[KJS]

Just got done putting on new swing arm. Install took less time than getting bolt out. Get the" Best" Sea Foam Deep Creep spray at Advance Auto "spray it then hammer" It took me two weeks. If it moves spray it hammer it back in then back out only 2 more hours from that point.

[Honda#4]

Mine poped right out on the first hit. What swinger did you get? got any pics?

[duffman1483]

It's just a stock swingarm on my trail bike, nothing special, but it has been submerged in water so I'm not surprised that I'm having this much trouble removing the bolt.

[Honda#4]

I C

[monstergt88]

ha yeah those swing arm bolts can be a pain.... One word with that.. well 2.



Torch and hammer.

[duffman1483]

I was considering torching it till I heard that there was bushings inside where the bolt goes in the back of the motor and that it could mess them up. At this point I don't care about the bolt, I just want to get it out and I'll just get another one and be more consistent with the maintenance on that one.

[tencentsshy]

I have worked on three 400ex's like that. All the lube and hammering in the world, and still no go. I ended up getting two of them out by heating up the steel bushing on the bolt that fills the gap in between the motor and swingarm on the right side until it was glowing, then had a friend hit it while I was doing that. They popped right out. If you don't take the bolt out periodically and lube them, sometimes that collar will rust to the bolt. I did have one that this didn't work on, the bolt actually got bent and wouldn't come out of the motor. That took a plasma torch, and a saw. Then had to machine the left over chunk out of the motor. I pull mine out every other oil change and put some never seez on it. Good luck.

[monstergt88]

well what i did is, i used the torch and i just cut enough so the bolt inside the motor would come out with the motor and then the 2 other pieces would stay in place. I did it and it was fine... Just dont do it too close to the engine. Oh and also, make sure theres no gas tanks near it. I had a 400ex gas tank near the torch spark flew and lit some gas that was on the ground on fire then almost my gas tank... Now that i think of it, it was pretty funny haha. But at the time no we were like OH SH*T OH SH*T.

[firefighterjosh]

I pull mine out about once a month and lube it. I have had no problems:D

Originally posted by monstergt88
ha yeah those swing arm bolts can be a pain.... One word with that.. well 2.



Torch and hammer.

I count three words there.

:devil:

Here's two words about removing the swingarm bolt -



sucketh mightily.



:p

[northwest Texas]

You're going to have to heat it. Probably the bushings are stuck to the bolt is your problem.

Invest in a proper sized "roll pin punch" That way you can drive out the bolt. In case you don't know what a roll pin punch is, it will have a ball tipped end that fits inside the hole on the end of your bolt and it won't move around on the end messing your threads.

You may be able to salvage your bolt if you buy a proper sized nut to fit on the end so when you hit it the nut is taking the brunt of the force and not the end of the bolt messing up the threads. Once you get it to the frame is where the roll pin punch is needed.

It's going to be easier with two people but you're going to have to heat the bushings and get them free from the bolt where they've rusted to each other.

You can cut them up but why if you don't have to? Heat is the only thing that will free the rust up in a reasonable amount of time.

When you get it properly heated, you need a 3# sledge and another large hammer. Have the new nut flush with the end of the bolt (so the nut takes the force from the hammers) and take the sledge and hold it flush to the nut. Take the other hammer and hit the sledge. What that will do will help prevent you from damaging the end of the bolt/nut. You can also use a block of wood but it has too much give and you're probably only going to break the block and put lots of indentions in it.

Last is patience. I was about ready to give up and it finally broke lose. It took about another hour of driving it back and forth before we finally got it out. It was moving in very small increments and I'll bet we drove it back and forth over 50 times easily.

One other thing to do is take a hammer and tap on the bushings the best you can without hitting the engine or any other detrimental part. When you strike that it will break some of the rust lose and should help in the freeing up. This same concept can be done with a screw that won't break lose. Take the screwdriver and get it properly seated in the head and hit the screwdriver with a hammer. Usually, the screw will break lose right away and come out, sometimes it takes a few more hits.

[northwest Texas]

Forgot to add use lots of WD-40 (or whatever else you want) With all the rust and such that will help the bolt slide through the bushings.

Also, learn lots of new swear words.

You'll need ALL of them.

[DF400ex]

Originally posted by garandman
Also, learn lots of new swear words.

You'll need ALL of them.

HAHAHA so true.

[kilabeez0]

doesn't anyone hear own an air compressor? i ride through rivers and crap all the time, just took the bolt out for the first time 2 weeks ago. bike is an 02. i used an air hammer, held it there in place for like 30 seconds and then it came flying out.

air tools for the win.

[itismejoshy]

i have posted on this subject a few times, i have tried all the methods mentions and sometimes they work and some times they don't, i know the last one i did i had to use a dremel and tiny cut off wheel and i had it out in about an hour. had to get a new bolt and the pivot works kit that comes with the new sleave i got it for $30 on ebay. good luck i think all quad owers will confront this problem at some point. but once they do it will never happen again, lessons learned!

[ceballos400]

thought I'd bump this up... having the time of my life trying to get this damn bolt off... question.... will the pivot works kit have everything needed (minus the bolt/nut of course) to install back. reason i ask is because im thinking about cutting the bolt where this sleeve is....

http://www.doublejz.com/images/forums/quad/pivotbolt.jpg

I would just like to make sure the kit will have that sleeve to replace. thanks

[grovesbm]

i spent 3 days messing with that friggin bolt.......ended up cutting out with torch.......and yes buying a new swingarm!:mad:

[grovesbm]

there is a guy who makes thease bushings ........he's in the back of dirt wheels mag. richards bushings....only place i know that makes them . perfect fit is still very tight after 2 years of hard riding.......

[eprovenzano]

I ended up cutting mine with a torch. The part of the bolt in the engine did not want to come loose. I ended up putting the engine in a press and it still took several days before it came out... The new bolt has been greased, and will be removed and regreased at least twice a year...

[offroadmania]

frequent grease, or a big hammer, heat and PB Blaster is what I've come across in the 12 that I've bought and sold. One never cam out and sold the frame, motor and swingarm to some lucky dude.

good luck to you on this one.

[DirtyBirdRacing]

I had to cut mine out with a cut wheel, I tryed to beat it out with a BIG hammer, tryed useing a punch to get it out nothing would work for me, when I put mine back together I think im going to lube it up several times a year. I dont ever want that to happen again!!

[400EXRAY]

I was patient with mine. I bought a can of liquid wrench a hardened bolt and nut. I squirted that thing every time I walked past it. About 4 times a day for 6 days. I half threaded the bolt I bought onto the end and then threaded the bolt in to the other side of the nut. That's so I could pound on it with a 10 pound sledge and not mushroom my pivot bolt. Right before every soak with liquid wrench I'd give the bolt a couple whacks. And sure enough on the 6th day it came loose like it was never seized up at all. Saved me your guys nightmare.

[kbnorth99]

I know that no body wants to hear this but I'm gonna say it anyway. Mine slid right out with a few light taps from a hammer and screwdriver. I am one lucky Sun of a ******

[400exwhipper]

I recently had to drill and cut bolt out with a sawzall and cutting wheel, just put it back together today with the hellhound racing kit off eBay, highly recommended, fit was perfect