'87 lt500
Previous owner never lubed the swing arm bolt. I used some acetone/atf to soak. Other than heating the cases around the bolt/sleeves & beating the hell out of it anything else to try?
Hit it with PB Blaster and it soak for awhile.
Loosen the nut until its almost off then try to turn the bolt.
If it doesn't want to turn then jack up the frame near the back while trying to turn the bolt.
Usually that will take tension off the bolt then it will turn.
Once you get the bolt turning, spray some more PB in there.
Put a socket back on the nut with a short extension and lightly tap it while twisting the bolt back and forth.
If you have reduced the tension enough, the bolt will slide with minimal effort.
Nutec bolt-off works a lot better than PB.
If traditional methods don't work, call up a friend to help.
You'll need an impact wrench and an air hammer.
Install a pointed bit on the air hammer (like a center punch) and then position the bit directly over the center hole of the bolt on the nut side.
Use the impact wrench on the other side to turn the bolt while the air hammer is pushing the bolt out.
If the quad is on a stand without anything else holding the swingarm on or you're some kind of spiderman/stretch armstrong lovechild you can do both at the same time.
It takes a good amount of time to really get it loose enough to remove, and you may have to use a long center punch if it gets hung up halfway through.
Would probably be a good idea to replace both the swingarm bolt and the bearings if it's that difficult to remove, but at the bare minimum at least replace the bearings.
The reason I recommended using the center hole on the bolt is just in case you somehow can't remove it, or the bolt itself is fine once you get it out...then the bolt isn't a completely lost cause.
Repeated bashing against a nut covering the threads of the bolt will still damage the threads, so try to use that as a last resort.
1) Hit it with PB Blaster and it soak for awhile.
2) Take Nut off
3) Jack up the frame under the rear shock bridge until you reach a point there is no or little tension on the bolt (there is a point)
4) try to turn the bolt. If to does not turn try turning the bolt while someone moves the jack up and down to find the sweet spot. If you take tension off the bolt then it will turn.
5) If it won't move spray some more PB in there.
6) At this point I usually use a long 3/8 extension, put it on the end of the bolt (not the threads) and use a dead blow to start tapping it out. Make sure you have the bike at the sweet spot on the height so when the bolt comes out the swinger & motor are not under tension and pop apart.
If you have reduced the tension enough with the jack, the bolt will slide with minimal effort.
If it's as bad as you say it'll be new bearings and hopefully the sleeves are in tact and not grooved up from being stuck and rotating on the sleeves and not the bearings.
It can be a job the first time but do it right and keep it greased and it'll be much easier next time.
I pulled all the other mounting bolts, using a socket wrench I could pivot the motor on the swing arm bolt. So it's stuck pretty good. Gonna need to soak for awhile. Thanks for all the suggestions gentlemen...I hope I don't mushroom the end of that bolt!
If just soaking it dosent get it loose you can drill a hole big enough to get a spray tube in the top side of the case at the bolt hole so you can fill the cavity with penetrant. If that doesn't get it to move you need to cut it out and have a machine shop remove it from the cases. Pretty much going to ruin the swingarm to get it out, but better than ruining the engine cases. There is a steel bushing cast in the case if you make it rotate you will ruin the cases. Trust me I have done this it sucks.
Yagerzzz on the old site said that he drilled the bolt all the way through with a bit just a tiny bit smaller than the bolt diameter.
Said it was thin as a beer can in spots, but didn't damage anything other than the bolt itself.
We ruined the threads getting ours out. I think the new bolt was $40 and the nut was $7! Not good.
I pulled all the other mounting bolts, using a socket wrench I could pivot the motor on the swing arm bolt. So it's stuck pretty good. Gonna need to soak for awhile. Thanks for all the suggestions gentlemen...I hope I don't mushroom the end of that bolt!
Yeah I was thinking that if I F up the bolt I'll be drilling right up to the engine case bushings. Oh what fun that'll be...
I have a spare swinger bolt and nut if anyone needs it. Pay for the ride and its yours.
I soaked one with penetrating oil, removed the nut, had a friend turn the bolt while i took an old Philips and put it in the small hole on the nut side and hit it with a hammer. Came right out.
I let it soak (pb blaster/liquid wrench) for about two weeks. Smacking the bolt on both ends daily.
Very generous of you Rich thanks for the offer! I was able to remove it with out to much damage.... A thread file took care of it! Greasing that bolt is so easy to do compared to the hell of trying to get a stuck one out.