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CB360 Swing Arm Collar Problem

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Oddjob:
That’s what I would have recommended you do.

The grease nipple in the ends of the bolt won’t work because the collar has no holes in to allow the grease to transfer inside the swinging arm. On bikes where they are fitted the collar has a spiral groove cut into its outer surface and holes inside the groove to allow grease to be spread around the bushing. It’s not a great system tbh as the holes sometimes get clogged with solidified grease and nothing gets past to lubricate the bushes, you squeeze the grease gun, see the grease come out of the end caps and assume it’s greased the bushes when in fact it hasn’t.

The construction of the Tourmax collar having no transfer holes would mean any grease nipples on the end of the bolt would just fill the space between the bolt and the collar but nowhere else. With the ends of the collar being crushed against the frame you’d start to see grease escaping there and again assume it had greased everything. On the Tourmax grease must be pumped in on the outside of the collar not the inside, this would then fill up the entire swinging arm tube, greasing not only the needle bearings but the end bearings as well, those large steel washers are actually needle bearings as well, the inside surface is resting on a small circular needle bearing cage between the inner and outer surfaces.

Tourmax do kits for the 500 and 550 Hondas but fail to point out the 500 needs to be adapted in order for it to work, due to having grease nipples on the bolt, whereas the 550 is fine as Honda fitted one roughly where you fitted one. It’s a easy job to fit a grease nipple in the centre of the tube, just drill 5mm and tap 6mm as you have done, normally you can get away with just a copper washer between the nipple and the tube to seal it. Best to test though with the nipple in place that it’s not hitting the inner collar, just in case. I’ve seam welded 6mm nuts to thin walled tubes, like the main stand for instance and fitted the grease nipple in the nut, so long as it’s seam welded the grease goes into the tube but any gap means it tries to escape between the nut and the tube instead.

I can recommend fitting a grease nipple on the main stand, stops it sticking after a while and means the bike just glides up and down on the main stand instead of you fighting the resistance a stiff stand can cause. I do it on all my bikes fitted with main stands.

As for the original collar, maybe try having it hard chromed, which should work very well imo.

cbxman:
Ken,

Thank you for comments.  The end bearings turn really smoothly and I wondered how on earth they could put needles in anything that thin.  I thought it may be ring of PTFE.

The grease was definitely coming out from the edge of the bearing and also some squeezing past the collar where it passes through the end bearing, which is good - where there is grease--no water.  A copper washer each end would increase the overall dimension and probably not allowed the S/A to fit the frame.  Nice idea though.

 I'm pleased how it turned out, but the total lack of instructions was rather unnerving.  Still maybe this thread can help someone else.

The original collar is shot with deep corrosion pits.  It could be turned down and a sleeves fitted, or bespoke brass bush maybe.

I had an old Mini Metro drive shaft which I thought I could turn down to duplicate the OE collar.  Hard work for my 1946 Milford ML7 lathe!!

The PO, or the restorer he used, probably thought he could get away with re-using it.

It is a safety component.  It would have failed an MOT.

Cheers,

Jerry

Bryanj:
Yes it would if it needed one, especially if i was doing it!  Any play is too much as far as im concered.
I did say that the pin would need drilling for 450/500 bolt.
I dont like needle rollers in that situation as the angle movement is not a lot so needles dont actualy roll, same with taper roller headstock bearings, they indent just as bad as the balls but are easier to assemble

cbxman:

--- Quote from: Bryanj on December 07, 2023, 07:48:40 PM ---Yes it would if it needed one, especially if i was doing it!  Any play is too much as far as im concered.
I did say that the pin would need drilling for 450/500 bolt.
I dont like needle rollers in that situation as the angle movement is not a lot so needles dont actualy roll, same with taper roller headstock bearings, they indent just as bad as the balls but are easier to assemble

--- End quote ---

Bryan,
The angular movement of the S/A is small...just a few degrees, so I sort of agree with you.  However it is common practice from I have seem for more modern bikes.

The CBX1000 Z (1978/79) model has plastic bushes and they were replaced by a large needle bearing on the chain side and opposed biased ball bearings on the right hand side to locate the S/A this development is proudly boasted in the "A" 1980 brochure.  The idea being that the wide/long needles could bear the load better than a ball bearing with point contacts carrying the thrust.

It seems it is common practice now.

The is the drawing from the 1980 CBX brochure

Oddjob:
My CB1300 has 2 ball bearings on the O/S but a long needle roller on the N/S, possibly because it will withstand the pull of the drive chain better.. Oddly enough it's not the bearing that starts to fail but the tophat bush that runs inside the needle roller. Due to lack of assembly grease no doubt, mine got an advisory on it's first MOT for swinging arm play.

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