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Swingarm woes

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pompousporcup...
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PostPosted: 16:27 - 18 Mar 2018    Post subject: Swingarm woes Reply with quote

My thundercat failed its MOT on the swingarm bearings.

Now i have ordered replacement bearings and seals, which are yet to arrive and i have removed the swingarm from the bike... its absolutely filthy after 52k miles of commuting.. the needle bearings have just fallen apart and the sleeve is completely fk'd, so much so it looks like an output shaft spline

Now the issue.. the inside of the swingarm is rusty.. whenever i remove the rear wheel there always seems to be a bit of rust coloured water that leaks out of it. i'm trying to find where the water is getting in but can't see any holes.. any ideas where it would be getting in

also, what can i do about an already rusty swingarm.. im going to paint the outside of it but short of pouring a shite load of oil inside to coat the rust i'm not sure what i can do
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Itchy
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PostPosted: 17:01 - 18 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

The easiest option is to buy another one and or look/ask around on forums about compatible swingarms.

I found them quite cheap when I snapped my CBR one.
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 19:45 - 18 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pour water in the top, see where it comes out. There's your hole(s).

If you're worried about internal rust, you could bolck up the holes, fill it with vinegar for a couple of days then blast it out with a pressure washer. Then dry it out thoroughly and bung some sort of corrosion inhibitor in there (waxoyl, ACF50 etc).

I once filled one with expanding foam... Fuck that was a stupid idea. That shit gets everywhere and doesn't come off!
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Chris45
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PostPosted: 20:29 - 18 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
you could bolck up the holes, fill it with vinegar for a couple of days then blast it out with a pressure washer. Then dry it out thoroughly and bung some sort of corrosion inhibitor in there


Or, run a spiral brush inside it thoroughly to clear all the rust an shit out (bit like doing a chimmney pot) then leave to dry for a few days and then slap a ton of grease in there. If the spindle is similarly corroded, I'd advise you get a replacement. I had to do mine recently and was shocked at the corrosion.
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pompousporcup...
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PostPosted: 12:05 - 19 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

ok so i've ordered a new bearing sleeve/collar bit. £35 didn't seem too bad

Now your comments about acf-50 made me remember i actually have the stuff bottled rather than the one you get in an aerosol can, so i think i will use some of that after getting the worse of it out with a brush.

ive stared at the thing for hours now and there are no holes i can see. the only place i can see water getting in would be the where the axle bolt goes through the swingarm. there are gaps to allow the bolt to slide back and forth for adjustment.. i may need to get creative about letting the water drain out.
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 12:17 - 19 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

pompousporcupine wrote:
i may need to get creative about letting the water drain out.


So a hole then.
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I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.
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pompousporcup...
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PostPosted: 12:58 - 19 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

stinkwheel wrote:
pompousporcupine wrote:
i may need to get creative about letting the water drain out.


So a hole then.


Laughing Laughing well when you put it like that, yes, a hole.
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Kawasaki Jimbo
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PostPosted: 13:54 - 19 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

My Kawasaki has a small hole just behind the bobbins mounts and I assumed all bikes must have them. I'll have to take a squint at the underside of the R1's swingarm. *

Aside from the bearing seals the only place where water could get in is via the screw-on plastic bracket which guides the rear brake line and secures the hugger. Humidity might also cause condensation inside.

Needle bearings

* Edit: Yep, drain holes in the same place on the '03 R1 too.


Last edited by Kawasaki Jimbo on 18:44 - 19 Mar 2018; edited 1 time in total
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bugeye_bob
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PostPosted: 14:35 - 19 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Find the hole and spray this in ?

https://www.dinitroldirect.com/product/dinitrol-1000-transparent-cavity-wax-rustproofing/
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neptune8
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PostPosted: 19:15 - 19 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Best way to find the hole. Immerse the whole thing in water, and watch the air bubbles escape, just like finding the puncture in an inner tube. Dry it out on a radiator for a couple of days, Then put ACF fifty inside it and swill it around.
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pompousporcup...
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PostPosted: 21:40 - 19 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

definitely doesn't have drain holes so i will remedy that.
The left hand bearing seal was broken from the little cage it sits in and caused the needle bearing to rust/break up.. water may have been getting in there.. i spose.



DINITROL 1000 is good stuff. i used it in the sill cavity on a couple of Honda Crxs. Probably overkill for this bike though. It has 52k on the clock and rising..
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 23:35 - 19 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wouldn't use ACF50 for that. You will have to shove loads in to guarantee coating the whole insides.

FS365 is a lot cheaper and oil based. I would go with that.
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talkToTheHat
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PostPosted: 04:31 - 21 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

FS365 needs reapplication, waxoyl is probably the thing for internal use.
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 14:20 - 21 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

talkToTheHat wrote:
FS365 needs reapplication, waxoyl is probably the thing for internal use.


Agreed, but only because it washes off in the end. I doubt that will happen inside the swing arm.

Anyway, I expect any oily waxy substance will do to reduce corrosion.
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pompousporcup...
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PostPosted: 09:52 - 23 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

for the inside of the swingarm i went with this stuff in the end:

https://www.pedparts.co.uk/c/products/lg/Chain_Lube-_Rock_Oil_1.jpg

Reason being (and the reason i don't use it anymore on my chains) is it is SUPER sticky and once you've coated a surface its quite irritating to get off. Must have sprayed half a can into the swingarm cavity and then swirled it around.

Looks to have done the job for now.
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