Help with paralever bearing issue please.

[casperfelix]

OK, I tried tightening the adjustable bearing and the noise came back. So I've got new bearings and today I started stripping everything down.
All went well until I got to the (non adjustable) paralever bearing bolt. As per when I initially adjusted the other side I heated it to 105%c and then gave it a strong heave ho. Nothing. I let it cool and tried and then re-heated and tried - exerting serious force. Still no movement.
I'm now scared I'm going to do some damage.
Question - the thread is a normal clockwise one so you turn counter clockwise to undo? And just how much force have people found themselves using to undo this bolt? Other ideas would also be welcome.
Thanks.

 

[RW1102]

Hi

Did mine last year, its just a normal thread, ie clockwise to tighten and anticlockwise to loosen.

I give it loads of heat, a couple of taps with the hammer and used a decent allen socket and bar.

It was tight, and had to give it a big handfull to crack it.

Also used the wife's nail varnish remover to get ride of the locktite, once the thing was removed

 

[DrAlf]

Blow torch, a big breaker bar and some grunt should sort it. However be warned, I have managed to strip the thread out of the swing arm before which required a new swing arm Get the pins very hot

 

[casperfelix]

Thanks for the tips guys - went back out there and heated it up (haven't got a blowtorch so used a heat gun) and then really gave it some grunt plus some 'taps' with a lump hammer. Didn't move a tad. I was about to put a metre piece of scaffold pipe round the allen socket to give it serious leverage, but thought that was OTT.
My nerve has now gone. So I'm drinking a beer and waiting for SWMBO to cook the Sunday roast. I may then decide to take it to a dealer to break the seal.
I'm an experienced mechanic who's now a broken man.

 

[Stanley Knife]

I am having exactly the same problem on my 2003 GS.

Heated the pin up with 2 blowtorches at once,used a brand new Halfords Pro 12 mm Allen socket and 2 foot breaker bar with no joy whatsoever,then resorted to a Snap-On 1/2 drive impact wrench, gave it a few belts with that and all I succeed in doing was rounding of the hex socket on the iside of the head,it just crumbled like cheese.

My plan now is to weld a 12mm hex bit into the pin and use a battery powered impact wrench on the 10mm drive end of the hex bit while it is still very hot.
I was going to have to replace the fixed pin anyway (£16 odd +vat) as it now looks a right mess.

I think the problem is getting the pin hot enough to soften the Loctite.

I feel your pain!,what should have been a simple job has turned into a nightmare.

 

[Timolgra]

So the next time Steptoe or I suggest not using Loctite on reassembly you'll understand why

If you're heating it and it still won't undo, get a longer bar

 

[Pekkavee]

Maybe a stupid question.
But did you losen the lock nut ( 30 mm ) first?

Your experiences seem to be quite unbelievable.

Pekka

 

[boxer]

That's not Loctite; it's green concrete.

Heat until you can smell the Loctite.

Scooter Boy - not sure about your welding plan as the pivot bolt it made of something fancy. An alloy, maybe titanium, I don't know, but I remember thinking it ain't steel.

 

[DrAlf]

Scooter Boy - not sure about your welding plan as the pivot bolt it made of something fancy. An alloy, maybe titanium, I don't know, but I remember thinking it ain't steel.

I think the pivot pins are titanium. I’ve also managed to round off the hole before. You can try hammering a torx bit into the mess and see if that fixes it. As mentioned – apply loads of heat before attempting to undo – you’ll only get one chance at it. My old 1150 had burn marks on the swing arm as a result of this. Good luck

 

[Stanley Knife]

I'm going to give it one last go with the battery impact wrench first as there is just a bit of the hex on the pin left and the 12mm bit is just a bit longer than the Halfords socket so might just grip and if I get plenty of heat into it who knows it might work!

Green Loctite,The Devil's Spunk!

 

[Pekkavee]

The temperature should be 120 degrees Celsius in the pivot pin.
According to the maintenance manual

Pekka

 

[beermonster]

As others have posted get it bloody hot, it will come out without murdering it you just need to melt the thread lock. Turn it then turn it back to free it off - don't just force it. If you take some of the paint off with the heat just touch it up with smoothrite if it bugs you

Simon

 

[MattW]

As others have said - heat is your friend (together with a well fitting hex driver). With the original loctite on mine, I had to get it bloody hot and it takes a surprising amount of time - it's bolted into a big alloy heatsink. Even then it took a 36" breaker bar to get it moving and I had to stop several times to apply more heat.

The gold coloured adjustable pinions are titanium, the black fixed pinion is steel obviously you'll have trouble welding anything to the titanium ones (unless you're geared up to weld ti of course).

When you finally get it out, spend time cleaning all the old loctite off the pinions and swingarm threads with acetone (nail varnish remover will do - obviously not the solvent free stuff - but pure acetone is better). I had to replace both the fixed pinions (paralever and swingarm) on mine (a knackered bearing had trashed the steel paralever pinion and the ti swingarm pinion had cracked. I converted these into thread cleaning taps by making a sawcut down them - this helped with cleaning the fixed side of the swingarm threads (obviously no use for the adjustable side). However it still takes ages with acetone and toothpicks.

Having ignored the sound advice from Timolgra and Steptoe, I reassembled mine with standard blue loctite 243 (not the super strong green 270 which is specified) - it was till a sod to disassemble when I had to take the swingarm off for the second time. Next time I won't use any

 

[Steptoe]

Maybe a stupid question.
But did you losen the lock nut ( 30 mm ) first?

Your experiences seem to be quite unbelievable.

Pekka

It's the R/H side. The side that doesn't have a locknut.

 

[DrFarkoff]

Sometimes salt get at the inside edge and corrodes one to the other never mind the green concrete

I have been doing this stuff for quite a while now and even I have the odd Fail!

The one below is the fixed pin at the gearbox I needed to change the boot and it had to come out

So I heated and I heated and I used a 3 foot bar and I heated some more and the snap on 1/2 allen key just suceeded in tearing the inners out of the pin

So I carefully hacksawed off the back side then drilled thru in 3 places and released the pressure and it all fell out!

Thank Feck!

 

[ELIMINATOR]

Make note to self to see Steptoe when these need doing.

 

[casperfelix]

Make note to self to see Steptoe when these need doing.

That could be where I end up going. But reinvigorated by all your various tales (some of woe) I intend to have another crack using a blowtorch (remembered there is one in my plumbing kit). Am planning to this with a neighbor on Wednesday or Thursday. One to aim the flame and one to heave ho. I'll keep you informed.

 

[Steptoe]

You think a seized paralever pinion is giving you grief.

Wait until you get a drive shaft stuck onto the short bevel/UJ shaft.

 

[casperfelix]

Eureka

1) Neighbor on the end of a 3 ft piece of scaffolding which is over a solidly fitting hex socket.
2) Moi with a Butane/Propane Mix plumbing gas torch.
3) Heat up the Paralever bearing pin to about 120c then shout, "Heave-Ho" while continuing to heat.
4) Bearing pin moves ................
5) screw out bearing pin before Locite sets again.
6) Job done.

Thanks everyone.

 

[MattW]

1) Neighbor on the end of a 3 ft piece of scaffolding which is over a solidly fitting hex socket.
2) Moi with a Butane/Propane Mix plumbing gas torch.
3) Heat up the Paralever bearing pin to about 120c then shout, "Heave-Ho" while continuing to heat.
4) Bearing pin moves ................
5) screw out bearing pin before Locite sets again.
6) Job done.

Thanks everyone.

Great stuff
Now you've got the fun of cleaning off all the old loctite