77 XS Cafe Build

[DCrooks84]

Hey guys! I picked up an XS400 to build for my wife's first bike. My other bikes are Triumphs. I picked it up for $100! It wasn't in the best shape but as woth any project time will prove fruitful. I have stripped the bike and pulled the motor but I cannot get the swingarm pivot bolt out! The swingarm moves but does have friction. Ive soaked it with PB for days and also used a torch and mini sledge without a single budge... any suggestions?

 

[Wolfe_11B]

Support the bike from under the frame, take the shocks off to get some pressure off the bolt. If you can move the arm, it should come out. Take off the zerk fitting on the right side of the bolt, use some kind of drift punch in between the bolt and your hammer, and knock it out.

If it had plastic bushings in there, your torch for sure melted them up so be prepared to replace them (go with bronze or roller bearings)

 

[DCrooks84]

Thank you for the response. At this point the only thing left on the frame is the swingarm so there is no tension on it. It still will not budge.... no luck with a punch either... the swing arm will rotate but does have some significant friction in there. There was no zerk or even a point to recieve one. From what I have read the 77 didn't have a greasable pivot bolt...

 

[Wolfe_11B]

Oh that's rough. Well they learned from there mistakes apparently lol. One of the jobs of the grease is to push out moisture to prevent corrosion.

Since your bushings are already toast, I would continue with heat. Get it red hot and have at it. When I used to work in the auto repair industry, heat solved every problem

 

[DCrooks84]

Well I ended up having to cut the swingarm off... got another coming from ebay, this time with a greasable bolt!

 

[Wolfe_11B]

Might have been the best choice. Swingarms are easy to come by.