Hey, All!!
I have a 2010 280 Pro TXT I've been working on. I just replaced the lower shock spherical bearing, along with all of the linkage bearings & seals. I also replaced the swingarm pivot seals, and greased the swingarm bushings. That part of the job went really well, but on reassembly, I found out something a little odd, & please forgive me, because I'm having a tough time writing what I feel is a decent verbal description here.....
With the rear fender/airbox off, the fuel tank off, the muffler off, & the shock off, I have the swingarm back on the bike. The swingarm axle/pivot bolt is on, & tight. The swingarm itself pivots easily, and is nice & tight to the motor, or actually, to those stamped steel washers that fit on either side of the engine cases, where the pivot bolt/swingarm axle goes through. But on the outside of the swingarm, where the outer seals are, close to the inside of the frame, I have gaps on each side of around 2.5 mm or so. Between the inside of the frame, and the outer portion of the swingarm itself, where the outer seals are, is where these gaps are.
It doesn't appear I can "compress" the frame together any more than it is, as the swingarm axle essentially "bottoms out" on the right inner side of the frame, and can't really "pull" or compress the frame together. I don't think the frame sprung out any on me. I'm wondering if the engine just sort of "centers itself" on the swingarm axle, and then hold itself there with the pinch bolts on the engine cases back there?? I didn't see any gaps there when I took the bike apart, but wasn't really looking for any. These spaces, or gaps, are where my mx bikes typically had a washer/radial needle bearing washer setup, but the Gas Gas has nothing like that.
I haven't been able to take a good enough photo with my digital camera that would help out, so I apologize there.... And like I said above, I wouldn't have noticed this back when the bike was in one piece & rideable. You need to have the tank, airbox, muffler & shock off the bike to see it, unless it's noticeable from underneath. It does appear they might be visible from directly behind the kickstarter on the right side of the bike, and possibly just behind the countershaft sprocket on the left side. I simply never noticed this before, if it actually was there. If it's not normally there, I'm really perplexed about what to do about it....
Has anyone else noticed this, or does anyone know if this is "engineered" in?
Thanks,
Jimmie
