Honda-SOHC
SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB350/400 => Topic started by: Bradders on December 17, 2021, 10:25:39 PM
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Evening.
I would like to grease the swingarm on my bike but am not sure how to do it. I know where the nipple thing is but do I need a grease gun and do I need a special sort of grease?
Do I need to unscrew the nipple and just put the grease in until it comes out? Any info would be much appreciated.
Chris.
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Chris - just a general auto grease gun like this will work (I’m basing this on the 500/750):
https://www.halfords.com/tools/garage-equipment/garage-essentials/laser-grease-gun-500cc-589004.html
No need to remove any fittings - just fire the grease in until you see it coming out at either end of the swingarm where it sits against/buts up to the inside of the frame.
This is all assuming your existing swingarm isn’t full of hardened / dried up grease.
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Thanks JamesH for your reply. I’m hoping it’s not too gunged up in there as I think the Previous owner rebuilt it all about 4 years ago. Do I need to use any particular grease?
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Any bearing grease, used to be Castrol LM from memory. Needs greasing every 1000 miles idealy or before you go out if you ride infrequently
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Thanks Bryanj, I better get greasing, it’s not been done for 4 years!
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Well i say more often than Honda ever did, but then i also spent tpp much of my life getting swingarm bushes out and frightening customers with the cost of the collar!
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Talking of those plastic swing arm bushes, there used to be a time when M&P used to sell phosphur-bronze ones for less than £20. I bought a bulk load & fitted them to my 550s, my 750F2 & to a friend's CBX1000ZA. They certainly improved the feel of the back end after fitting.
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Talking of those plastic swing arm bushes, there used to be a time when M&P used to sell phosphur-bronze ones for less than £20. I bought a bulk load & fitted them to my 550s, my 750F2 & to a friend's CBX1000ZA. They certainly improved the feel of the back end after fitting.
I sell the bronze swing arm bushes on my ebay page for £26.00 ( when I haven't run out of stock like I have this week 🙄🙄🙄) Lots of forum members have bought them from me and have fitted them with excellent feedback. I have also fitted them to all my bikes as well.
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Had two sets...................spot on they are!
Commision check to the usual address Julie ;)
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Evening. Am trying to grease my swingarm. When I put the grease gun on the nipple and pump the gun the grease just squirts all around the nipple. Has anyone any tips of how to get the grease in? Many thanks.
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tbh the best greasing I have experienced is when I use an industrial one that is pneumatically powered with grease out of a drum. When using a DIY manually operated gun it's been a very hit & miss experience for me. I've tried cartridge types with mixed results. One week a gun can be brilliant next time it's useless. An adjustable nozzle that is the right size for the nipple head is a must so you can lock it in place. I waste more grease than I ever get into the right place.
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Inside the grease nipple is usually a little ball bearing backed by a spring to keep it closed and prevent dirt getting in, sometimes that can get stuck with the grease squirting outside and not pushing the ball in to open the route to the bearings. Ordinarily, leaning really hard on the gun so that it seals tight and squeezing thw grease in gets it through.
Failing that. Pushing the ball in with a small cross head screwdriver may move it.
They can also be unscrewed from the arm to inspect and clean too. Just a small ring spanner or flattish pliers to grip it and turn anti clockwise to get it out and inspect it.
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Thanks guys. Ted I think I will have to get an adjustable nozzle as you suggest, mine doesn’t seem to fit that well. K2 -K6, I managed to get a small screwdriver and push the ball bearing in and out so I think that’s fine. If I removed the nipple could I grease the swing arm and then replace the nipple? ( maybe a daft question).
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Not so easy to get the grease in without nipple in place, you'd still need to seal the supply to the arm.
The nipple when it interfaces correctly (good fit gun) effectively makes a high pressure resistant pathway into the bearing cavity, the pressure is quite high as you are pushing the old grease out of the end of the bearings with the new you are forcing in, hence the demand made on the sealing as you apply it.
As already mentioned, the best fit of gun etc should make it the most effective in working through this.
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The 500 has push fit grease nipples on the shaft, not sure if the 350 is the same, bitch to get a new one in without damaging either the outer surface or the ball bearing.
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Thanks very much for the information. Sounds like I need to get myself a adjustable nozzle.
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750 is the same Ken, one missing from one end of mine so managed to tap new one in with a small socket that just fitted over nipple. Definitely tight!
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To go back to the start of this thread the type of grease gun needed depends on the type of grease nipple fitted….[attach=1]
[attach=2] Hope the pictures have appeared!
The 350/4, 500/4, CB750 (up to about the K5), and other earlier Hondas used an earlier type of grease nipple fitted in the ends of the swing arm pivot bolt which was effectively a simple domed head with spring loaded ball in its centre. This type of grease nipple requires a “push type” grease gun (Mine is labelled as being made by Kennedy) to insert grease, relying simply on pressure between the concave end of the grease gun and rounded end of the grease nipple to achieve a seal. These type of nipple are often damaged due to people using hammers to knock the pivot out when removing the swing arm, or chewed up by attempting to use the more common pistol/lever type grease gun with its claw like adjustable fitting to get grease in to them. I have never had much success trying to use the pistol type grease gun to lube this earlier nipple type.
The later more commonly recognised grease nipple type (400/4, 750/K6, 750F, etc usually found somewhere on the centre on the swing arm behind the engine) is the one that requires the pistol type grease gun for which the grip of the gun’s end fitting can be adjusted to improve its seal on to the nipple.
Chris R.
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OR, you can thread the end of the swinging arm bolt and fit the threaded later type.
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Most of the time i drill and tap 6mm then fit standard grease nipples
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Bought a new flexible hose for my grease gun and to my surprise it worked! Nice new grease in there now. It was a sod to get back off the nipple though. Thanks all for your advice. Now on to the calliper pin.
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For the caliper arm, if you undo the two caliper fixing bolts (they hold the two half of caliper together) you can then assess the arm by pivoting it in situ. It'll give you a good idea if it's stuck initially and give some idea of what's needed.
The caliper only has fluid in the outside half, so no leaking. Just don't pull the brake lever while dismantled.
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Thanks K2-K6. I took the caliper apart and the arm was moving quite freely. Should of put the caliper back together but instead took it all apart but couldn’t get the pin out of the bracket. Bryanj said it may need drifting out but will have to do that another time, I didn’t want to break something.
Have put it all back now , just having slight issue stopping the pads rubbing on the disc.