SWING ARM BEARINGS

Bought 79 KZ650 C 10,000 miles very clear runs well but had not been plated since 88. So I decided to tear it down and go thru everything! Swing arm bearings rusted. Have new parts coming but can not get old bearings out!

Any tricks! Paint is perfect and do not wish to heat up.

Welcome Mick. Nice to see another Indy member here!
Swingarm bearings are one the most overlooked easily maintenanced piece on the bike IMHO. Unless somebody else chimes in on a way to get them out...heat em up! Once your riding, it will be so dirty nobody will notice anyway!

I gave up trying to get mine out many years ago and took it to a decent Kawasaki shop. They used a grinder and ground the bearings enough where they could be broken in two pieces by a hammer blow. I doubt you'll get them out any other way. Maybe a dremel tool could work.

We're talking roller bearings right?

Take an arc welder and run a single bead lengthwise through the bearing race after removing all the bearings. It actually works even better with a torch, but I don't think there is enough room for that.

Let it cool and the race should just slide out.

dropped it off at a shop. lets hope for the best. Talking bearings should I just go ahead and up date the steering bearings.

Kawasaki makes a tool for removing the bearings, but even my dealer(Skagit Powersports) does not have it. They were able to cut mine out recently. Rusty also. It's worth it to have them do this task, since there is still so much we can do ourselves.

I also needed to replace Stem bearings. Again, the lower had to be cut off the stem.

Good luck. I'm ready this weekend to sandblast and gun kote my swing arm. Got the new bearings, sleeves, etc. Who will reach the swing arm finish line first?

i personally like the weld method if i don't have a proper driver or puller. the heat from the weld actually contracts the body of the bearing making it easy to remove after i especilly like using that method on steering head bearings if for now other reason than it gives me something good and solid to use a driver or punch against.

Just use a BFH and a long bar.

I have pulled several swing arms and most look as if they had two pumps of grease from the factory and never greased after that. Roy

ya, while your at it i would do the steering stem bearings too. I always go with the newer style roller bearing setup, but many see it as unnecessary. I dont even know if the difference is noticeable i have just always done it.

my favorite tool in the arsenal,next to my torch!:laugh: just cut slow

how the hell could you cut slow with that monster.brute force and ignorance that is the key right.