1986 Swingarm 'Socket Bolts'

[Saul76]

So mine are seized/rusted in pretty freaking snug. I'm pretty sure I'm gunna chew them up trying to remove them in order to adjust my chain (have been soaking them in pentetrating oil last 2 days - gunna heat em up good before trying to remove em)

Thing is - the heads are all ready started to strip out - so I'm still working on a plan to remove them - thinking I may have to actually JB Weld some allen key stock in the heads in order to get enough grab to work them loose.

Anyways - anyone have a couple of these kicking around? If not do you know the exact size? (I know they are 8mm socket bolts but what length are they?)

Good place to buy them besides bikebandit?

[IcutMetl]

Fastenal, Grainger, McMaster Carr, MSC Industrial Supply

[Saul76]

Originally posted by IcutMetl
Fastenal, Grainger, McMaster Carr, MSC Industrial Supply

OK thanks. Appreciate that.

Now if I could only get the two in there out. They are solid. Spent the last 45 minutes putting heat to one - won't budge. AND - looks like allen key area has stripped. *groan*

[Saul76]

Originally posted by TL250R
I got mine at Lowes.... 8mmx1.25 pitch and i think 30 or 35 long...

If it calls for a 30mm length and I use 35 it shouldn't make a difference I'm guessing?

[deathman53]

I don't think they are 8mm, The 85 sprocket bolts were 8mm. I believe they are 10mm 1.25 or 10mm 1.50 in 86-89. Also 86-89 have tapered heads with a 6mm allen on one side. The 85 just bolts into the sprocket hub, sprocket is on the outside and bolts from the outside. 86-89 goes in the inside, tapered bolt goes through inside to out and a 17mm nut goes on the outside. That is the way almost all honda's are.

[deathman53]

90114-HA2-670 Bolt (10mm)
90304-GE8-003 Nut, Flange (10mm)

86-89 sprocket bolt and nut

[Saul76]

Not the sprocket bolts but rather the socket bolts are what I need.

Those two bolts in the rear of the swingarm that you loosen to adjust the chain slack.

[Saul76]

Any got tips for me to remove these two little ba@#ards from my swingarm?

They are seized in and the allen key slots are stripped out. :(

[86 Quad R]

did you try the epoxy trick you mentioned?

[Honda 250r 001]

thats a steel swingarm, so you can weld a nut on it and turn it off.

[Saul76]

Originally posted by 86 Quad R
did you try the epoxy trick you mentioned?

Yep. The JB Weld broke free like a twig under pressure. :grr:

[Saul76]

Originally posted by Honda 250r 001
thats a steel swingarm, so you can weld a nut on it and turn it off.

Gunna be REALLY hard for anyone to weld a nut onto one of these reccessed socket bolts ... there is no room there to work with at all.

I might attempt to have someone tack weld a piece of allen key stock in there - but even that will be really tricky. And I certainly don't want them to mess up and tack the seized bolts right onto the swingarm itself.

*groan* I sure do get the lil headache problems. lol

[Saul76]

welp - I'm totally at a loss on ideas to get these stripped allen bolts out.

Maybe I should just get a 15 tooth front sprocket to take up the chain slack. lol

[deathman53]

heat the area around it, let it cool. Spray with pb blaster, do this 2-3 more times. Then get a torq socket that fits really tight in the stripped allen and hammer it in there. The bolt should then turn out. Repeat for the next. Don't get a 15t sprocket, 2 reasons, you can't use a case saver and most are thin and need a spacer, so it can strip the sprocket or countershaft.

Another thing you can do is get a american sized allen socket thats a real tight fit and beat it in there. You may have to grind some to "taper" the allen to lock in there.

[Saul76]

Originally posted by deathman53
[B]heat the area around it, let it cool. Spray with pb blaster, do this 2-3 more times. Then get a torq socket that fits really tight in the stripped allen and hammer it in there. The bolt should then turn out. Repeat for the next.

I'll give this a shot - I have done the sparay with wd-40 and another brand of penetrating oil (quaker lube) did this for 2 days straight.

I applied heat but maybe didn't leave heat on it long enough. Should I try to heat the bolt itself or heat the swingarm area of the bolt?



Don't get a 15t sprocket, 2 reasons, you can't use a case saver and most are thin and need a spacer, so it can strip the sprocket or countershaft.

Quick question - I'm using the stock sprocket cover and case saver - is it any good? Will it hold up or should I upgrade to something stronger?


Another thing you can do is get a american sized allen socket thats a real tight fit and beat it in there. You may have to grind some to "taper" the allen to lock in there.

Yeah - I'll try beat some kinda allen key or torx head in there.

I can only IMAGINE what I'm gunna have to do when time comes to replace the pivot bearings/remove swingarm bolt.

I'll for sure have to just cut it out. LOL

Grinds my gears too cause we've had some perfect riding weather last couple days - not too hot and not too cold.

But I'm not taking a chance on a loose chain flying off again like last time out - maybe next time it'll split my case.

[All250R]

Can't you pinch the heads with vice grips...?

[deathman53]

buy Pb Blaster, by the name, its a yellow can, not just penetrating oil. It works miracles. Wd-40 is garbage, it doesn't do too much.

[Saul76]

Originally posted by All250R
Can't you pinch the heads with vice grips...?

No. The socket bolts are very slightly recessed in the swingarm - almost flush I guess. Nothing there to grab onto at all.

[Saul76]

Originally posted by deathman53
buy Pb Blaster, by the name, its a yellow can, not just penetrating oil. It works miracles. Wd-40 is garbage, it doesn't do too much.

OK. I'll see if I can find a can next time I'm in the next town over. I don't remember ever seeing it (heard about it on bike forums many times)

Is it sold in Canada?

[IcutMetl]

Here's an idea; I've done this before- don't know if it's a possibility for you. If you have an oxy-acetylene torch, and a small enough tip (for better control), braze a hex key or piece of key stock, etc in there....then heat the area around it, pb blaster it, and try to back it out that way. When done correctly, brazing is actually very, very strong, and if the flux is applied correctly, the filler will flow better than you can get with a welder...in this situation.

Another seemingly simple yet helpful trick when working with steel/ss fasteners (in aluminum especially), is to get a punch & hammer, and strike squarely on the head of the bolt. Not only does this help close in a hex-pocket that's starting to strip, it also helps "shock" the threads of the bolt, which are most likely corroded into the tapped swingarm threads. This works awesome on flat head cap screws (countersunk heads) that are seized...works nearly every time for me.

Good luck!

[croat1]

my suggestions:
1. take it to your local machine shop and they will do the rest
2. use an easy out screw/bolt/stud extractor available from any industrial supply house. get the espensive ones. the cheap ones break

basically you drill a hole thru the exact center of the fastener you are trying to remove and then you hammer in the screw extractor. the fastener should back right out. i always heat it up before tring to turn the bolt.

done many times over the years

[ehorst33]

i second the easy out, I actually just used that for the exact same purpose last week. It worked for me, and like he said the cheap ones will break so buy the good ones, bc if you break one of those in there there no more drilling it out.

If that doesnt work you can take a saw zaw and cut the bolts in half, I did this to a buddys of mine and when i cut the bolts they both came out easy with the pressure off but i would do this last if all else fails

[Saul76]

Figured I'd update this and let you all know I finally got them out.

Hit the bolts/swingarm with oxy-acetelenye - hammered an oversize torx into the head and they twisted out with some effort!

Waiting on two replacements now.

[IcutMetl]

Nice...good to think outside the box every now and then. Heat makes all the difference in the world sometimes.

[Saul76]

Originally posted by IcutMetl
Nice...good to think outside the box every now and then. Heat makes all the difference in the world sometimes.

Heat - REAL heat - was the saving grace in this situation. I heated one bolt up for 25 minutes with a propane torch - didn't make it BUDGE.

Got the acetelyne on there for 2-3 minutes and twisted it right out.

I got two new bolts today and made sure to put never-seize on the threads this time!