XR400 Swingarm pivot bolt again

[jasonbc]

Sadly, none of those nipples will get the grease to the parts that seize solid and cause disassembly woes.

It will as there is a gap between the 2 bearings in each side of the swingarm, so grease will get pumped into the gap and travel along spindle, and it worked very well thank you very much.

[AlanH]

The parts that seize together and prevent disassembly are the spindle (or the bolts on the other bearings) and the collars that run inside the needle bearings. With your mods, the grease will get into the bearing cage on those with two bearings and a gap, but unless you have somehow drilled the collars, there is absolutely no way for the grease to get between the collars and spindle. So, like I said, none of those nipples will get the grease to the parts that seize solid and cause disassembly woes.

So, nice job fitting the nipples to keep the bearings in good nick, but anyone doing this will still need to remove all the bolts and grease them up regularly if doing something similar.

[jasonbc]

The parts that seize together and prevent disassembly are the spindle (or the bolts on the other bearings) and the collars that run inside the needle bearings. With your mods, the grease will get into the bearing cage on those with two bearings and a gap, but unless you have somehow drilled the collars, there is absolutely no way for the grease to get between the collars and spindle. So, like I said, none of those nipples will get the grease to the parts that seize solid and cause disassembly woes.

So, nice job fitting the nipples to keep the bearings in good nick, but anyone doing this will still need to remove all the bolts and grease them up regularly if doing something similar.

All I can say is the results I've seen from what I did to what you say are at opposite ends of the spectrums, when ever the bolt has been removed is is grey and saturated from head of bolt to nut thread with the white grease I've pumped into it. So it appears in this case you don't seem to be correct

[borris]

This is why I have suggested converting the bolt to a grease spindle. My military MTs use the sane method and I have never seen one seize yet.

[AlanH]

when ever the bolt has been removed is is grey and saturated from head of bolt to nut thread with the white grease I've pumped into it.

Are you sure the grease on the spindle isn't a combination of the grease you used on assembly and excess grease it has picked up from the end caps when you loosened everything off and removed the bolt? If you made no mods to get the grease that is pumped into the bearings to flow into the space between the spindle and the collars, there is no way for it to get there as it's sealed when assembled. Unless the spindle is modified as borris describes, or the collars are drilled with grease channels, the grease can't get in there.

Maybe you have magic Cornish grease that permeates solid metal. Make sure you keep it in a plastic container

So, back to the linkage photo below. It looks like the top nipple is fitted into a hole drilled into the linkage. However, won't this hole be blocked when the roller cage is fitted? Did you drill that top bearing to allow the grease to get through into it or does this also rely on your magic metal permeating grease

[phil w]

Got to be honest Im with alan on this one... grease will squirt out under pressure after these have been fitted but wont do sod all for the inner bearing area. Only way to know its been greased up tidy like... is to strip, clean and re fit