All PCX people - Swingarm Removal Issue

markz · Post by **markz** » Sun Dec 15, 2013 4:58 pm

Everybody who owns or wants to own a Honda PCX, do read my tail of woe....

I recently found a 2011 PCX 150 here in South Florida on Craig's list, with 6666 miles on it, with a rear worn out smooth rear tire....

Tickled to be on my new steed, I ordered a new rear tire, along with some body panels to fix this bike up.

(I've been dealing with Honda minis, since 1972, having restored over 20 bikes, so I have some experience and all the tools...)

I'm waiting on delivery of my shop manual, so what the hey, how hard can a rear wheel job be? Besides, I did watch the you tube video.....

Everything went great, until I tried to remove the swing arm, to gain access to the rear wheel removal.

STUCK, and I mean REALLY @#$%!#$ STUCK.

The inner race of the bearing is seized on the spline output shaft.

I had a nice 1 1/2" thick block of aluminum, that I drilled up, to mount on the muffler holes of the swing arm, and tried reverse press the swing arm off the output shaft:

Wouldn't budge. No damage to scooter, but there was enough torque applied, that it began to damage the bolt used to apply the pressure on the output shaft.

Recommendations to community:

1. - If you are looking at a used unit, with a bald tire, have the current owner get a tire put on it!
2. - If you current own a PCX, remove your rear wheel, and apply anti-seize compound to the area where the output shaft meets the inner race of the swing arm bearing.

So I had no choice yesterday, but to reassemble the bike, until I come up with a plan to deal with this issue.

Fortunately for me, I have access to a motorsports expert, who is 30 year mechanic at my local Honda shop. I'll post his recommendation, and continue my tail of woe once I begin to move forward.

Two thoughts I do have:

A: Use a slide hammer with my aluminum piece.

or

B: Disassemble the transmission and drive the output shaft with a hammer and brass drift pin, once the final gear is free to slide out, when the transmission cover is removed.

So it begs to be asked: Has anybody dealt with this issue?

Thanks bunch for your time....

gn2 · Post by **gn2** » Sun Dec 15, 2013 5:18 pm

Have you tried heating the aluminium A-backet around the bearing, you should be able to pull/lever it off the seized bearing then heat/pull/chisel/grind the bearing off the shaft.

chucktuna · Post by **chucktuna** » Sun Dec 15, 2013 5:45 pm

While I don't know of any trick or technique specific to the PCX, I had the exact same issue with a 03 Siverwing.
See pics

It basically was seized/rusted/corroded just enough to not come off like it should.
I ended up soaking it in PB Blaster or some kind of penetrant, and letting it sit for a day or two.
I did end up beating on the nut a bit.

I like your pushbar set up. That should do the trick with time and lube.

Mgalutia88 · Post by **Mgalutia88** » Sun Dec 15, 2013 6:12 pm

Here's a thought. Sea foam Deep Creep is formulated not to evaporate with heat. Spray some on the shaft and heat it wih a torch. This will allow the oil to penetrate further. Worse case scenario, pay the dealer to mount the tire on the bike and let them deal with it

markz · Post by **markz** » Sun Dec 15, 2013 8:19 pm

ChuckTuna: That looks just like the fun I'm into.... Nice pix, I appreciate you posting them.

Mgalutia88: I'm off to Walmart to get a can of that stuff. I haven't heard of it before... I have used PB Blaster for years, but I will try this stuff...

I'll check with my man at the Honda shop tomorrow. I'm leaning towards taking the transmission apart, but I'll see what his take is...

BTW, the collar behind the main nut was missing (item 3). Somebody was there before me....

I bought me a can o worms...

wingz · Post by **wingz** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 12:36 am

The 1st thing that came to mind was to use heat. As gn2 suggested.
You can also use the heat to draw in some lube.
I like your aluminium press device. I would tighten it up and then whack the bolt with a hammer after heating and lubing the seizure.

gn2 · Post by **gn2** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 5:49 am

What is part 15 listed as?

wingz · Post by **wingz** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 6:06 am

CIRCLIP (40MM)

gn2 · Post by **gn2** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 6:31 am

If that circlip is holding part 16 into the A-bracket, you might need to grind the A-bracket off if the heat/penetrating lube doesn't separate the spindle from the bearing inner race.
I had thought it might have been possible to pull the A-bracket off the bearing outer race.

wingz · Post by **wingz** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 8:13 am

Is it possible to remove the circlip first?

Alibally · Post by **Alibally** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 8:31 am

How about using a 2 legged puller?
I wouldn't hit the shaft too hard. It may damage the final drive. Obviously heating the bearing would render it useless.

markz · Post by **markz** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 9:56 am

gn2 wrote:What is part 15 listed as?

CIRCLIP (INNER) (47)

Which it is on the inside of the swingarm between the wheel.

I wonder what it's function is...

gn2 · Post by **gn2** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 9:59 am

It will be holding part 16 in place.

Mel46 · Post by **Mel46** » Mon Dec 16, 2013 11:47 am

By the way, Honda did not make a 150 in 2011, the first one came out in the summer of 2012. If the bike is white it is a 125. The colors in the U.S. for 2013 PCX 150 are red or black. Just a thought. Check the paperwork, and the history if you can find it. The U.S. version has turn signal lights that are not integrated into the body work like in Europe.

markz · Post by **markz** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 11:41 am

Mel46 wrote:By the way, Honda did not make a 150 in 2011, the first one came out in the summer of 2012. If the bike is white it is a 125. The colors in the U.S. for 2013 PCX 150 are red or black. Just a thought. Check the paperwork, and the history if you can find it. The U.S. version has turn signal lights that are not integrated into the body work like in Europe.

Oops, busted...

Sorry, brain fart on my end!

Mgalutia88 · Post by **Mgalutia88** » Fri Dec 20, 2013 1:26 am

If it just says pcx it's a version 1. All v2 pcx's have esp on the air box and either 125 or 150 after pcx on the badging.

markz · Post by **markz** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 8:34 pm

Update - Resolution....

This tire change morphed into a major DIY service event.

To stay on the topic of this post, I'll keep it pithy, on topic in regards to the stuck Swingarm Assy, that kept me from removing the rear wheel.

I will address the other maintenance items in another post.

Speaking with my friend at the Honda Dealer, who has been service Jap bikes since the 70's, he agreed that splitting the gear box was the only way to go... short of a Sawzall, and a blank check...

I don't like thinking too hard when pursuing a hobby, and let's face it, the PCX has more plastic than a trophy wife has in her purse, so I waited for my copy of the official service manual I ordered online from Helm Inc. to arrive:

http://www.helminc.com/helm/product2.as ... itemtype=N

It's the best $45.95 I've spent on this project...

To take the transmission off, 50-60% of the plastic needed to come off. The manual advised me of a speed sensor in the gearbox, that needed to be removed as well. That kept me from possibly breaking a $50 part. Thank you Mr. Manual.

Once I got it off:

It was simply a matter of beating the axle out with a 2 lb dead blow plastic hammer.

You can see evidence of rust on the shaft and inside the swingarm's bearing inner race:

This cleaned up with a wire wheel and wire bore brush.

For the morbidly curious, this is what the bike other half looked like disasembled:

Upon reassembly, I used a bit of anti-seize compound at the critical point.

As far as parts consumed, I sprung for a new transmission gasket for $4.00USD, and an extra qt of Honda 10-30 motor oil $9.00USD.

It turned out that item 3 in the parts beakdown (outer collar) was in the swing arm bearing, so that was a needless $2.00USD purchase.

As I sit here thinking about it, I think I will spring for a pair of seals for $13.00USD. It's obvious that water got in where it shouldn't have. The previous owner must have left this outside for a spell, do to other tell tale oxidation. Albeit minor.

This unit had 6700 miles on it, and since I was forced to remove all the plastic, I did a full service on the bike. I will report my findings worth sharing in another post.

Thanks a bunch for everybody's input on this P.I.T.A. ordeal. I learned a lot in the process.

gn2 · Post by **gn2** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 8:40 pm

I would bet real cash money that the previous owner cleaned it with a power washer.

Mel46 · Post by **Mel46** » Tue Dec 24, 2013 11:24 am

I would bet that ,also. I would also have to wonder if the previous owner rode it in the surf, which made him think that he was doing a good thing using a pressure wash to get all the salt off of it. That would be two wrongs in a row....:-[

markz · Post by **markz** » Tue Dec 24, 2013 5:26 pm

I live a mile from the beach. In 2003 I bought new Chevy Silverado, which I traded in last May with only 79k on it.

It was appalling the level of corrosion that truck suffered.

The steel brake lines rotted, and my wife lost brakes one day. That prompted stainless steel line. blah blah blah, which new owner now enjoys... (I'm not bitter, no)

Point being, this salt air is brutal on anything nice and shiny.

The PCX was out of Stuart, FL, and is close to the ocean too. White oxidation was evident on the MCU (which I painted), and the gearbox.

The cost of living in "paradise"....

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