Swinging arm removal

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My bike is a 1974 MK11A and i've decided to overhaul the back end while the winter is here but how do you remove the swinging arm spindle.

The handbook tells you to remove the end cap rod and then the cap.

The rod is shown on the parts list but the caps at both sides are blank. There is also no sign of a grease (oil) nipple

One cap is only just below the surface and the other just under an 1/8" below.

Who can help?

Jim
 
jim it sounds like somebody has already mucked with this one :evil:. from what you discribe somebody used dished freeze plugs to close the ends. if so I would drill it than pull it out with a sheetmetel screw. the pin is held in with a 1/4 bolt that comes in from the top in the center of the cradle. you will probley have to remove the complete primary drive and case also to get to the left end of the swingarm spindle. dont be suprised if the pin is frozen in place. if you have play in the swingarm it will usaly be the pin is loose in the cradle and NOT swingarm bushings. there are severel ways to fix this. when you do get it apart post what you find.

bill
 
'74 swingarm

Jim, Bill,

The '74 is supposed to have "freeze plugs" at the ends. This was new for that year and there was no greese nipple or long bolt holding the end caps together. This setup was intended to be sealed for life, but you can drill the end plugs removing as you would a freeze plub. Check for excess play of the swing arm on the spindle. If this is ok, just add 140 or 90 wt gear lube and replace the freeze plugs.
 
swing arm remove

Jim
will try to post this one again..I just finished doing what you are starting last week. (74 commando) After much research on a faily simple subject. It is in my opinion easier done with the primary case removed. Guess it could be done with it on but believe it would be a pain. Besides there is a clearence between the arm hub and the case that must be maintained. The newer bikes did not have caps with grease nipples. Remove both end caps Be careful not to damage where the new caps will go.Remove the bolt on the top of the arm(set screw) Screw in the bolt as described by a earlier post.With luck it will come out fairly easy. If not be resourceful.
The bushing are inexpensive as is the shaft and seals.Phil Radford at
www.fairsparesamerica.com has the parts and will advise you if needed.
The manuel you are looking at is incorrect for this procedure(older models)
Old biker
Gus Hoefling
 
The keyword here is MKII A. This model had the felt discs held in by a standard "welch" plug which was swaged in. To remove these you usually must drill the center of the plug and use a slide hammer with a sheet metal screw. Then you can remove the felt disc and the felt plug from the center of the spindle and screw in a bolt to pull the spindle. I believe the MKII A still used the 1/4-28 cap screw to locate the spindle, the MKIII used the two tapered pins, so remove this cap screw if it hasn't fallen out and been lost already. The swingarm bushes are the short MKIII type so if you replace those make sure you use the right one.
To re-assemble, soak the felts in 140 wt (or 90wt) gear oil. Soak the bushes before assembling them in the swingarm. Re-install the spindle and push the long felt into the center and the disc shaped one against the outside. Use a new welch plug or silver solder the drilled hole in the old one. Tap the the plug into the hole with the dished side out. Strike the center of the plug with a drift to flatten it.
 
Thanks for all your replies, thats it out. It came apart quite easily. Drilled one of the caps and levered it out, was'nt tight. The spindle was clearly originally chrome plated, the chrome at the left bush had peeled away and there was quite deep corrosion on the shaft so the decision to remove it was good.

Ron, thanks for you very detailled assembly instruction, i was wondering how the lubrication was supposed to be achieved.

Jim
 
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