My budget RM250 build (and how to cut out a swingarm bolt from Hell) Final pics*

NorCal 50+
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NorCal 50+ 6/26/2017 9:01am
6/26/2017 9:01am Edited Date/Time 6/26/2017 9:02am
Turbojez wrote:
You're slightly derailing this build thread bros. Wink
I want to know more about that pivot bolt. Did you force it into submission?
Heh- I had a lull while my bike was shipped out here. I had to slap the wheels on her to get her shipped, but I hope to get back at the bolt this week.
I have to get mentally prepared. I'm like Arthur pulling the sword from the stone...if I am the chosen one I get to ride Cali!
FTB
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FTB 6/26/2017 3:29pm
6/26/2017 3:29pm
I bought a 2nd hand KX 80 F1 back in the day, luckily I bought it for parts, the swingarm bolt had to be cut out of the frame. After getting it out, cutting it out was the only way it was ever gonna come out.
DPR250R
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DPR250R 6/26/2017 7:30pm
6/26/2017 7:30pm
Had to cut the bolt out of my 97 RM250. I was the original owner so I couldnt point the finger at anyone but myself. I was young and didn't know you had to pull a new bike apart and grease it.

Anyway, I had to cut it out then find some used cases for the collars that the bolt slides into. They were the only thing I damaged.

Lesson learned.
bsward423
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bsward423 6/27/2017 5:45am
6/27/2017 5:45am
I just had this same issue with the linkage bolt that goes through the frame on my RM. Just got it out last night, so tonight I'll be starting on the swingarm bolt. Not real excited about it, but it has to be done.

To get the linkage bolt out, I soaked it in PB Blaster first. Then I would switch between beating with a 3lb sledge, air hammer, 8lb sledge, heat 3lb sledge, air hammer, heat, 8lb sledge, turning with a wrench, more heat, more beating...you get the idea. After two full afternoons of doing that, it finally came loose last night. What a pain, but it felt so good to get that done. Just keep after it. Keep soaking, hitting, heating, and so on. It WILL eventually come out. Just gotta keep on it. Good luck!

The Shop

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kwenske321
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kwenske321 6/27/2017 6:51am
6/27/2017 6:51am
Or you can just use a hydrolic press.
m1ke2001
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m1ke2001 6/29/2017 7:44am
6/29/2017 7:44am
NorCal 50+ wrote:
This won't be one of those "ooh and ahhh" builds. My goal was to get my bike into respectable shape to get back into riding after...
This won't be one of those "ooh and ahhh" builds. My goal was to get my bike into respectable shape to get back into riding after five years off. (I have three-year old so that is where most of my money goes).

Here she is. (2004 RM250) Has six mx seasons on her, and a lot of sand riding. I parked her when I got my RMZ450, which I raced for two seasons and sold. Fork seals (and pretty much every other seal) are wasted, seat is sacked out etc.


She needs some work







The tear down part is easy, right?




But the swingarm bolt is stuck! (I have seen this problem before). I have pounded on it, heated the frame, put dry ice on the bolt...and took it to two shops. No luck so far! The arm actually moves okay, but now of course the end is flared and I can't get the nut back on.
Anybody know a shop in the Sacramento area that could handle this?






Yea thats the great thing about dirt bikes and motocross. Riding in off road conditions much wear and tear will apply to the bike so getting them to function is number one priority but cleaning and making it look nice ahould come second and with all the dings and nicks bikes will collect over the years you shouldnt spend to much time on it unless it will be one of those pointless show bikes whifh never hit dirt. Nice bike over all though. I am buildig an RM my selt.
billyslad
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billyslad 7/4/2017 10:32pm
7/4/2017 10:32pm
I cut mine out with a grinder and a thin blade and bought a new swing arm

You could try someone with a hydraulic press
Slosh 112
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Slosh 112 7/10/2017 1:49am
7/10/2017 1:49am
Why don't you try tapping out the non threaded end in the pivot bolt to the next size up then threading a bolt in that has an attachment for a big slide hammer. If it hasn't been suggested already.
NorCal 50+
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NorCal 50+ 7/10/2017 10:36am
7/10/2017 10:36am
Dick Trickle wrote:
The left hand side that you have mushroomed... just use a dremel with a burr bit on it and grind the mushrooming down so that it...
The left hand side that you have mushroomed... just use a dremel with a burr bit on it and grind the mushrooming down so that it can be knocked through (eventually).

The right hand side where your rear brake is. Your pivot shaft should have a hole running through it. Tap this hole and fit a large bolt. Now get a rattle gun on the bolt you fitted to the shaft and start spinning the shaft. Spin, PB blast, spin, blast until the whole unit is sloppy and loose. Now try banging it out from the left side. Bang, spin, blast, bang spin blast.. you get the idea..

Hey Trickle (or anybody)- do you have any more specific advice for tapping this bolt. I haven't done much of that.
Link to a video or anything? Obviously I need to get the hole threaded and get bolt head in there. Maybe I can do both sides and wiggle it.
NorCal 50+
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NorCal 50+ 7/31/2017 8:45am
7/31/2017 8:45am
Update- there is now nothing left of the bolt beyond the end of the swingarm. Woohoo It is chiseled off from all the hammering.
Last night I had an epiphany. Why not just leave the fugger on there the way it is? The swingarm moves fine and I don't think there would be any difference in performance. And it DEFINITELY is not falling out.
I am going to be light trail riding, not hucking 90 footers.
It's kind of ghetto, but I just want to ride around. It's either that or drag the frame to some shop for a job that nobody wants.
Aceofspades 7/31/2017 2:25pm
7/31/2017 2:25pm
NorCal 50+ wrote:
Update- there is now nothing left of the bolt beyond the end of the swingarm. :woohoo: It is chiseled off from all the hammering. Last night...
Update- there is now nothing left of the bolt beyond the end of the swingarm. Woohoo It is chiseled off from all the hammering.
Last night I had an epiphany. Why not just leave the fugger on there the way it is? The swingarm moves fine and I don't think there would be any difference in performance. And it DEFINITELY is not falling out.
I am going to be light trail riding, not hucking 90 footers.
It's kind of ghetto, but I just want to ride around. It's either that or drag the frame to some shop for a job that nobody wants.
If you ride it with the nut or bolthead missing, you will absolutely fuck that bike up. Dont do it
NorCal 50+
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NorCal 50+ 7/31/2017 3:39pm
7/31/2017 3:39pm
NorCal 50+ wrote:
Update- there is now nothing left of the bolt beyond the end of the swingarm. :woohoo: It is chiseled off from all the hammering. Last night...
Update- there is now nothing left of the bolt beyond the end of the swingarm. Woohoo It is chiseled off from all the hammering.
Last night I had an epiphany. Why not just leave the fugger on there the way it is? The swingarm moves fine and I don't think there would be any difference in performance. And it DEFINITELY is not falling out.
I am going to be light trail riding, not hucking 90 footers.
It's kind of ghetto, but I just want to ride around. It's either that or drag the frame to some shop for a job that nobody wants.
Aceofspades wrote:
If you ride it with the nut or bolthead missing, you will absolutely fuck that bike up. Dont do it
Maybe if I ride it, it will come out. Sideways
Actually once I thought about it- that would be stupid to run it as is. This stuck bolt has me beat. It pretty much brought my build to a screeching halt.
There are plenty of suggestions on here, but it seems to take something in the way of tools, elbow grease and something else I don't have. Maybe I can find the right guy around here to pull this sucker.
NorCal 50+
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NorCal 50+ 7/31/2017 3:55pm
7/31/2017 3:55pm
I dumped about a gallon of PB Blast and WD down there. Pounded and pounded with the bike on its side and braced...didn't budge.
I don't see how to fit a saw in there to cut it, if I had the skill to do that without wrecking the cases.
I could tap the bolt and try slide hammer, but after all this, I really doubt I can just yank it out with arms.
First pic is sheared off bolt, second is the socket extension I have been hammering the crap out of. As you can see, the frame is getting dinged. Good times. And, yes I am replacing the prehistoric front sprocket.



NorCal 50+
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NorCal 50+ 7/31/2017 3:57pm
7/31/2017 3:57pm
My banging tool- socket extension bought for the purpose-t goes all the way through the swingarm bolt. I have never seen a bolt this stuck.

NorCal 50+
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NorCal 50+ 7/31/2017 4:01pm
7/31/2017 4:01pm Edited Date/Time 7/31/2017 4:07pm
The other side is twisted a bit and that is maybe not helping. The little crack in the bolt head is from me trying to jam a chisel in there and break it loose.

b8res
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b8res 7/31/2017 4:55pm
7/31/2017 4:55pm
NorCal 50+ wrote:
The other side is twisted a bit and that is maybe not helping. The little crack in the bolt head is from me trying to jam...
The other side is twisted a bit and that is maybe not helping. The little crack in the bolt head is from me trying to jam a chisel in there and break it loose.


Have you tired to loosen all the motor mounts, the front and the bottom engine mounts? I only mention as the rest of the engine mounts may be "binding" on the swingarm pivot bolt.... With the motor "free" it may "relax" the shaft.

Just a thought.

NorCal 50+
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NorCal 50+ 7/31/2017 6:38pm
7/31/2017 6:38pm
Yeah, all the motor mount bolts are all the way out.

Pit Row

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captain.olives
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captain.olives 7/31/2017 7:58pm
7/31/2017 7:58pm Edited Date/Time 7/31/2017 7:59pm
I've had a few swing arm bolts seized up over the years. How heavy of a hammer are you using? Might be redundant, but a regular hammer isnt going to break a really stuck one loose. A heavy ball peen or even my sledge while choking up the handle gets most of my stubborn ones out. I have had to use a machine shop service with a heavy press only once.... and it did eventually POP with out damaging the cases,frame, or swing arm. If you arent getting it out with a heavy hammer, worth a 1/2-1hr of labor at a machine shop. Good luck!
NorCal 50+
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NorCal 50+ 7/31/2017 9:34pm
7/31/2017 9:34pm
captain.olives wrote:
I've had a few swing arm bolts seized up over the years. How heavy of a hammer are you using? Might be redundant, but a regular...
I've had a few swing arm bolts seized up over the years. How heavy of a hammer are you using? Might be redundant, but a regular hammer isnt going to break a really stuck one loose. A heavy ball peen or even my sledge while choking up the handle gets most of my stubborn ones out. I have had to use a machine shop service with a heavy press only once.... and it did eventually POP with out damaging the cases,frame, or swing arm. If you arent getting it out with a heavy hammer, worth a 1/2-1hr of labor at a machine shop. Good luck!
I'm using a 4 lb. sledge. I am going to look around for a machine shop.
wsc96
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wsc96 8/1/2017 5:02am
8/1/2017 5:02am
I'm going to follow this build just to hopefully see you show this bolt who's boss. Good luck! Evil
kwenske321
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kwenske321 8/1/2017 8:28am
8/1/2017 8:28am
For f*ck sake, take it to a shop and put it in a hydrolic press. It will press out, I've done it before on a rm125 that was seized just like yours.
NorCal 50+
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NorCal 50+ 8/1/2017 10:10am
8/1/2017 10:10am
kwenske321 wrote:
For f*ck sake, take it to a shop and put it in a hydrolic press. It will press out, I've done it before on a rm125...
For f*ck sake, take it to a shop and put it in a hydrolic press. It will press out, I've done it before on a rm125 that was seized just like yours.
Taking it to machine shop tomorrow. Not looking good. The guy kept saying he needs the bike apart to get the bolt out. I am trying to explain I can't get the bike more apart without taking the bolt out. Eeesh. Says he can't get a bike up on the press but I am going to strip it down and haul it over there.
Thanks for the tips.
Mr Happy
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Mr Happy 8/1/2017 1:11pm
8/1/2017 1:11pm
We've done it a few times with a little 10 tonne bench top press and if no one will touch it then buying one of those well be cheaper than a replacement frame. Makes swapping suspension and steering bearings a breeze too.
Kx125rider 8/1/2017 6:56pm
8/1/2017 6:56pm
Im on the edge of my seat waiting to find out how this swingarm bolt finally comes out.
kwenske321
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kwenske321 8/1/2017 9:34pm
8/1/2017 9:34pm
Mr Happy wrote:
We've done it a few times with a little 10 tonne bench top press and if no one will touch it then buying one of those...
We've done it a few times with a little 10 tonne bench top press and if no one will touch it then buying one of those well be cheaper than a replacement frame. Makes swapping suspension and steering bearings a breeze too.
X2
NorCal 50+
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NorCal 50+ 8/2/2017 8:45pm
8/2/2017 8:45pm
Mr Happy wrote:
We've done it a few times with a little 10 tonne bench top press and if no one will touch it then buying one of those...
We've done it a few times with a little 10 tonne bench top press and if no one will touch it then buying one of those well be cheaper than a replacement frame. Makes swapping suspension and steering bearings a breeze too.
Can you recommend any brand or size? I see a wide variety of 10-ton presses from a few hundred bucks to a few thousand. It doesn't look like H-style would work.
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Mr Happy 8/3/2017 2:52am
8/3/2017 2:52am
They're all the same Chinese made press with different brands on them. Over here they're branded as Sealey. The floor standing and bench top versions have the same appature width iirc, you can remove the crossbar and rest a bit of wood on the bottom to give half a metre of room, which is enough. Get the version where the top bar is bolted on so you can remove it to position the press through the frame.
NorCal 50+
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NorCal 50+ 8/3/2017 4:37pm
8/3/2017 4:37pm
Mr Happy wrote:
They're all the same Chinese made press with different brands on them. Over here they're branded as Sealey. The floor standing and bench top versions have...
They're all the same Chinese made press with different brands on them. Over here they're branded as Sealey. The floor standing and bench top versions have the same appature width iirc, you can remove the crossbar and rest a bit of wood on the bottom to give half a metre of room, which is enough. Get the version where the top bar is bolted on so you can remove it to position the press through the frame.
So I assume you are talking about the "C" type and not the "H" type (thanks for the help btw). If I can press bearings with it too, it would probably justify cost.

C type


H type



Mr Happy
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Mr Happy 8/3/2017 5:06pm
8/3/2017 5:06pm
We have a H type one shown there yet the construction is totally different. It's fairly old and the only ones I can find for sale are used. In order to position it around the frame the C type one would be better as the type we have doesn't seem to be made anymore.

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