| Author | Message | ||
     Duncan_v |
If anyone can point me to a thread already started that explains this I would be grateful but if not, here goes. I am going to change the belt on my 2000 M2 and wondered if it it is worth replacing the swinging arm bearings at the same time. The bike has done 10k and as it is 19 years old and it has never had a belt change, I figure that time may have degraded the belt like Ducati cam belts! The manual is not very clear about swinging arm removal in that after isolator (which have been replaced) removal, I do not know if the whole swinging arm mount block needs to come out. It just says remove the isolator bolts and lift the frame enough to release isolators and then remove bearing adjusters. Instead of lifting the frame, could I undo the mount block and slide it back and out complete with the swinging arm, leaving the isolators still in the frame. When replacing it, will the assembly just slid in or do the isolators need compressing as it says in the manual. If anyone has experience with this whole procedure I would be grateful for a step by step instruction because the manual appears to contradict itself | ||
| Upthemaiden |
The swingarm doesn't need to come off to change the belt, just the isolators. In all honesty though, at the point you're only a couple bolts away from removing the swingarm. If you're debating changing the bearings, I'd definitely go for it. No need to undo the mounting block. It's a little bit of a pain to get the wrenches in there to undo the bolts, and it's very easy to loosen up the pinch bolts and unscrew the bolt holding the cups in. After that the swingarm will drop right out(unbolt the rear shock and brake line first). The rear isolators are actually bolted to the cuts that hold the swingarm in, so if you pull the swingarm, they'll just drop out, nothing holding them to the frame. Your two options are to make a scott-free tool(instructions are on here somewhere), remove the isolators, then unbolt the swingarm.... or to unbolt some of the tie bars and isolators, and lift the frame straight up off of the engine/swingarm, and then remove the swingarm. Removing the swingarm will be the same procedure with way, it's just a matter of how you want to get the isolators out. | ||
| Duncan_v |
Thanks for this, if I remove the isolators, will the bearing bolts come through the holes in the frame, When I did the isolators, I didn't lift the back of the frame because my garage roof would collapse! I turned the rear footrests upside down and jacked it up so I could put axle stands under each side. Then I could support the engine, remove the outer nuts.compress the LH isolator and remove the right one than the left. I will take the chance to get the swinging arm powder coated at the same time. Any thoughts on the state of the belt, it is 19 years old but has only done 10k and it hasn't got any cracks in it? | ||
| Upthemaiden |
Yes, they'll come straight out of the holes in the frame. Mine was a little tough because my old isolators were so worn that the engine had shifted a little so the two weren't perfectly lined up anymore, but I eventually got them in. If you have the money to replace it, you might as well go for it. At this point I'm still using me 22 year old 14k belt and it seems ok, but they do seem to break at the most inconvenient time, are a bit of a process to replace, and the new ones are supposed to be a lot stronger than the old ones. I'll replace mine someday when I get the chance, but there's already 30 other things on this bike that want my money first.  | ||
| 46champ |
I changed my belt isolators and the bearings at approximately 80,000 miles. Belt was still good isolators we're starting to crack and the bearings we're Rusty pieces of scrap metal. I put on a XB belt instead of the stock one. I will not do that again. I have to run the belt tension tighter than I like to keep it from skipping on the sprocket teeth. If you are in there to replace the belt definitely do the swing arm bearings you are way over 1/2 way there. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
+1 on the XB belt. I tried one of those on my X1 and it ended up eating the teeth off. Best to stay with the "sporster" belts I guess. | ||
| Duncan_v |
I took the bearing bolts out but only the RH one would come through the isolator hole in the frame, the left was probably a paint thickness too tight and I dont want to take the paint off the frame, As there is a grommet in the hole, it may be worth it because it is much easier than lifting and lowering the tail. | ||
| Upthemaiden |
I'm not sure what you mean by there being a grommet in the hole. Is the piece lined up perfectly with the hole? Like I said with mine, the hole in the frame and the hole in the swingarm block weren't lined up anymore, so I was having a hard time getting it to slide straight out. I may just be catching one edge, and could be convinced to come out if you shift the engine slightly. Otherwise, it sounds like the next easiest step would just be to remove the swingarm block from the engine so you can remove the piece without it having to go through the frame. It takes a little time to find the right combination of wrenches and angles to be about to get one on each side of all of the bolts, but it can be done. | ||
| Duncan_v |
The 2" plastic grommet that hides the isolator bolt that has to be removed to get the 1/2" socket head bolt out. I had to wiggle and jiggle a bit and shift the engine a bit, the right one came through the hole fine but the left wouldn't. I moved the swinging arm about and it came out but the bearing nut had to come out through the pinch bolt hole in the block. I got the block out tonight, ready for powder coating but what a job I had getting the top left bolt out, even the crows-foot spanner kept jamming because of the lack of clearance below the nut. I will have to make a special tool for tightening them up. What is the correct torque for these bolts? I will use red loctite as well on re-assembly |
