Swingarm Removal

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guzzijon
Posts: 62
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:55 am

Swingarm Removal

Postby guzzijon » Tue Apr 10, 2012 3:22 am

I've tried searching this forum and only found one thread regarding this, maybe there are more I missed? I also have the factory service manual, Mick Walker's restoration book and Tom Bailey's new book, but I can't find much about how to get a stuck pin out of the bushings so the swing arm can be removed. Can anyone give me some tips for this? I've made some feeble attempts tapping it with a hammer and brass drift and hammer and socket and it hasn't budged. Mick Walker's book says they sometimes need to be cut out and then replace the pin and bushings. Would heat help? What the heat from a propane torch do anything? Thanks for any ideas you can give me.
1963 (early) 250 Scrambler project
1964 250 Monza project
1981 Moto Guzzi Monza
1983 Moto Guzzi LeMans III

DewCatTea-Bob
Posts: 2897
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:53 am
Location: Near SE side of Lake Michigan

Re: Swingarm Removal

Postby DewCatTea-Bob » Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:46 am

" Can anyone give me some tips for this? Would heat help? What the heat from a propane torch do anything? "

____ Yes, that kind of heat-source can be helpful.
__ I'm sure I've posted before on this issue, so perhaps you've already noted & tried the following...
I've always removed such stuck S-A.pins using a suitable length of 5/8ths-inch threaded-rod along-with varying lengths of suitably sized tubing -(often sockets which just happen to be handy amongst my tools).
With the rod placed through the pin, (and nuts & washers on the ends of the rod), and with a steel-tube -(having a larger OD than the pin's ID, yet of-course also slimmer than the swing-arm eye's ID) on one side of the swing-arm, and another steel-tube -(with an ID grater than the OD of the pin, yet small enough to butt-up against the side of the swing-arm eye),
on the other side,, ya then tighten-down the nuts (on the rod) until the smaller tube presses the pin out-through & into the larger tube (on the opposite-side).
Once the pin has been pressed-out as far as your choice of tubing will allow, then hopefully you can then pull-out the pin the remainder of the way (from at least the frame's eye).


Hopeful-Cheers,
-Bob
PLEASE NOTE... If this-post is not-yet signed-off with '-Bob', then I'm still in the process of completing it,, and if not also included with 'DCT' near bottom as well, then I may edit this post's wording at a later time. - Dct.Bob

JimF
Site Admin
Posts: 1124
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:49 am

Re: Swingarm Removal

Postby JimF » Tue Apr 10, 2012 1:33 pm

I guess I got lucky because mine came out with no heat and I used a broom handle wooden dowel driven by a mallet so as not to destroy anything Ducat-related in the process.

The dowel did not survive but it did the job. Later I splintered the dowel to get it out of the inside of the pivot pin but the pin was completely reusable.

On a side note, recently I was using propane to do plumbing work when I was sweating some pipes that were such a large thermal mass they would not heat properly to make the solder seal. I remembered taking out some bearings at a friend's house using MAP (sometimes spelled MAPP) gas instead of propane owing to its ability to deliver much more heat. MAP gas did the trick!

Given the thermal mass of the swing arm and pivot pin, if a propane torch doesn't give you the desired results try MAP gas. You buy it, light it, use it the same as propane but it needs a MAP gas specific flame tip.

Rick
Posts: 340
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 1:12 am
Location: Northern Plains, USA

Re: Swingarm Removal

Postby Rick » Tue Apr 10, 2012 2:36 pm

The threaded rod puller is the way to go. if it's corroded solid, I usually use an internal pipe wrench to rotate the pin, breaking the bond, before pulling it out. The internal wrench has a hardened center section the rotates eccentric to the drive end, so rotating the tool pushed the inside jaw tight against the internal bore- an impact gun on the socket end will rotate the pin, or at least has for me on some parts that sat in a field for 25 years. Driving some little wedges into the split in the pinch bolts helps too.
Rick
internal pipe wrench.jpg
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double diamond
Posts: 555
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:20 am

Re: Swingarm Removal

Postby double diamond » Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:23 pm

These approaches assume you can actually get the swingarm axle to break loose and turn. Failing this, in the worst cases of rusted in place axles I've positioned the entire frame/swingarm in a 20 ton press with appropriately sized spacers and pins, and pressed the axle out. The problem is not so much the axle/swingarm bushing interface, but that the axle rusts to the frame tube it passes through. Matt

guzzijon
Posts: 62
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:55 am

Re: Swingarm Removal

Postby guzzijon » Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:26 pm

With my shocks off, my swingarm is moving freely up and down all through the available range of travel with no tight spots at all. So I take it that means the pin is NOT rusted to the frame then?

Is there a case to be made for leaving well enough alone? In other words, leaving the swingarm attached to the frame for blasting and painting? And then running it "as is" when it gets to that point?
1963 (early) 250 Scrambler project
1964 250 Monza project
1981 Moto Guzzi Monza
1983 Moto Guzzi LeMans III


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