hi all just got a rough 199 to rebuild and am having a nightmare getting the swingarm spindle out .wd40 and a big hammer have just mushroomed the end. am i missing something (brain) or is there a trick to get the bugger out?

hi all just got a rough 199 to rebuild and am having a nightmare getting the swingarm spindle out .wd40 and a big hammer have just mushroomed the end. am i missing something (brain) or is there a trick to get the bugger out?

Yes there is. By scrapping the spindle. They can corrode so badly to either the rear engine mount or one or both bearing sleeves that it's virtually impossible to salvage the spindle. I have only come accross one single bike where the spindle came out whole.

There are numerous methods to removing the swinging arm in this case. I prefer to drill both ends of the spindle to 1/2" diameter dead central so that the spindle ends can collapse and release the arm. It's then easier to work with just the swinging arm in a vice.

Others saw through the spindle, but whatever you do try not to cause any damage to the rear engine mount as it's width is crucial to the tolerancing of the complete system.

Wayne...

WD40 was never designed as a penetrating oil and is virtually useless for this task; you need to arm yourself with a proper penetrating oil, such as Plus Gas formula A.

Edited March 17, 201214 yr by Lorenzo

If you can rebuild the threads on the swing arm then mill away the counterside of the axle where the bigger shank end sits.

Then use some spacers and mount the nut again. The nut should by thighten the nut extract the axle at least turn the axle. which when it got loose a little bit mostly comes out with a round chisel and a small sledge. In my experience with swing arm axles this worked very good, when the axle has moved only some mm the worst part is over.

Mostly the corrosion between the innertube of the engine bracket and the axle is the issue, (likewise on other bikes where the swing arrm axle supports the motor). If there is corrosion between the two steel sleeves and the axle where the brass bushings sits you might need to cut an edge in the axle to have a possibility to counter the swing arm axle with a big srew driver while thighten the nut.

This procedure will scrap your swing arm axle but probably solve your swing arm bushings. (Sadly any maintaince to the swingarm is underrated).

if poss use hydraulic press, had same problem.after putting frame/swingarm in press horizontal use correct size drift and press out. to my suprise brass bushes where in perfect condition. slap some grease on and rebuild

I'm with wayne on this one. There is no alternative to a new spindle in many cases and with using presses etc you can damage the frame.

as long as there is no play between frame/swingarm/engine mount you won`t damage frame. agreed you may need new spindle & bushes but i found this by far the easiest way, if the spindle still refuses to move you could try a bit of heat while pressing

The problem is, mainly of these bikes have had neglected maintainance in this area for decades and these parts can become "as one"

The Inner bushes were not plated from new, nor was the engine mount. Add to that the plating on OEM spindles was dire and you have a recipe for the parts to literally fuse together over the decades.

It's so much less painful to just cut the thing out and change the spindle.

This problem is not restricted to Bultaco's either. Yamahas are prone to it too.

as long as there is no play between frame/swingarm/engine mount you won`t damage frame. agreed you may need new spindle & bushes but i found this by far the easiest way, if the spindle still refuses to move you could try a bit of heat while pressing

It might be so, but how many of us have a hydraulic press that will fit a bulto?