Swingarm and Linkage Bearings

[skid jackson]

my 06 300 still has the original oem linkage bearings in it. probably only has about 150 hours on it. I do at least a once a year tear down, clean and grease. I used some kind of spectro grease. It was very wet and muddy this past summer and when I pulled them about this winter everything looked fine. cleaned them up and stuffed some new grease in there and put it back together.

[GMP]

The OEM bearings are uncaged with more needles than some of the cheaper aftermarket stuff. This is important in the high load linkage pivots, less so in the swingarm. Less bearing needles over the same area equals more load per needle, not the way you want to go. Its also important to properly pack the grease into these bearings, and due to their design of tightly packed needles its harder to do. Just smearing the visible side is not good enough. The moly paste is the best as moly wants to stick to steel and is a very high load lubricant.

[blitz11]

Are the OEM swingarm bushings soft? I see on GoFasters web site that they offer hardened (more hardened? Carburized?) swing arm bushings. Is that the hot ticket?

I am also going to make a grease injection bushing. All of these bushing are 22 mm OD. This will allow the pressurized injection of grease into the bearings. once you inject it, you pull the injection sleeve out, and insert the new/good sleeve.

This is getting fun now.

Thanks for the feedback.

blitz

[GMP]

Never had a problem with OEM sleeves, but a bad batch is not inconceivable I guess. I tend to think that if you had cheap bearings that failed they damaged the sleeves though.

The moly paste is not available in a cartridge, just a small can (1lb). This IS NOT the same as moly grease from Autozone, MUCH more moly. It also makes a good assembly lube and anti-seize. The Castrol is available in a cartridge. Its a waterproof grease for heavy equipment.

[blitz11]

Thanks for sticking with me here. I have a few more questions.

0. The Jet Lube can was understood. I have a grease injector which you load manually, and can inject. I forgot i had it. However, if the Jet Lube is like Honda Moly 60 (which i use on the input shaft splines of my old bmws), it won't inject. Too thick. Thinking out loud, I guess.

1. The bike is a 2002 EC 300. I bought it as "low hour," but I think it had been raced hard. If my memory serves, when I first serviced the linkage and swing arm, I seem to remember o-rings, not lip seals. This would indicate that the PO swapped out original parts for less expensive bearings and o-rings as the 2002 would have come from the factory with lip seals. The Moose kit came with seals, which i (incorrectly) interpreted as better (see more below).

2. The 2003 parts book / .pdf shows P/N BE25610011 for the vast majority of seals, which is a 28x22x4mm lip seal, selling for $5.50. The 2005 fische shows O-ring, priced at $0.78, and dimensions of 21 x 3.5 mm (which is 28MM od, 21 mm ID, and 3.5mm O-diameter). Close to 28x22x4.

O-rings and these seals are interchangeable in the fische (item "6" in the drawings).

3. Looking at a 2005 EC 250 parts list on GoFasters, the swing arm was changed in 2001 (P/N BE250112002). The swingarm bushings were changed in 2003 (P/N BE250312007). Other parts haven't changed (i.e., rocker arm, pull rods, setting washers, etc.)

The bearing sizes/PN's are all the same, so that hasn't changed.

The question I now have is whether the hot lick is to upgrade to the O-rings. It appears cheaper, and from what I read here, they seal better.

However, what is a bit confusing is that the FSR 450 uses the same bearings and other components, and they use the lip seal, NOT the o-ring.

So, what I surmise is that

1. Unknown (either OEM or kit) bearings in suspension which first failed.
2. Moose kit failed due to poor quality and less than optimal choice of grease.
3. Replace w/OEM components, running o-rings and new setting washers instead of lip seals is preferred to lip seals (why else would GG change)?
4. Jet Lube.

Does that make any sense? Things really don't stack up as I've found them through the years.

Thanks in advance for your insight.

blitz

[GMP]

The moly paste is much like that Honda moly, maybe a little thinner. If you have that stuff use it, just pack the bearings with your finger.

O-rings replaced the seals in '05 or so. Maybe for cost savings? Not sure but I think the o-rings are better regardless. From installing both on mutiple bikes, the compression fit and contact area of the o-ring (and sealing) to the bushing is much greater than the seal lip. Stiction is greater but at the forces were talking here its a non-issue. I bought a bulk bag from an o-ring supplier and I'm set for life. Same with the lower shock bearing o-ring.

When installing the o-rings, wipe excessive grease from the area between the bushing and link with a Qtip, or the o-ring will hydro lock and not seat against the bearing fully. You may have to use a feeler guage, card, film. etc, between the o-ring and the link to burp or vent it as you push it in, mostly with the second side o-ring.

Once you do this you'll see how tightly sealed it is and should have no more issues.

Oh, don't sweat the GG parts manuals as they have had errors in the past.

[blitz11]

That is the ticket. It all makes sense now.

I'll run the O-rings everywhere, and follow your installation tips. That should solve the linkage "opportunities."

Thanks for your help.

blitz

[eff]

Where can you get the Jet-Lube Marine Moly?

[blitz11]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QF9PEA?...0&linkCode=asn

But i think that they mean "paste" and not "taste." I am guessing that it wouldn't taste that good.

blitz

[blitz11]

Oops. This might be the stuff. I think i pasted (no pun intended) the wrong link:

http://www.amazon.com/Jet-Lube-28003...9654170&sr=1-9

Maybe GMP can let us know which is better.

blitz