Swing arm pivot bolt caps

Dudes, 

My caps arrived, it's a pack of 4 which is cool, as you have spares.  They look great, but are not a snug fit and I suspect they'll fall out pretty soon, I would get the exact same thing 2 mm bigger so they jam in.

Before:





After:

Perhaps a few rounds of ptfe tape on the threads would help to keep them in?

They look good.

WeeTony wrote:Dudes, 

My caps arrived, it's a pack of 4 which is cool, as you have spares.  They look great, but are not a snug fit and I suspect they'll fall out pretty soon, I would get the exact same thing 2 mm bigger so they jam in.

Before:





After:

 Sweet man. So what size did you end up getting??

I think they look good Tony!

Im going to order THESE to give them a go

They are 45mm so might not get em in but for £1.75 im not going to be too upset if the dont, will let you know if they fit when i get em.

Hi,

I have had the same problem with the caps on my bike - teeth broken and one cap about to fall out - God knows how it is still there!!

I think the 45mm size of blanking cap that steady eddy is going for should be spot on - it states that they're designed for a tube with outer diameter 45mm and a tube wall thickness of 1-3mm.  That means taking off up to 3mm off each side of the diameter - i.e. a minimum internal diameter tube/hole size of 39mm which as Crash Elmit states is the actual size of the hole.  Should therefore be a snug fit!

Gonna order some myself!

Jim

I got the 40mm ones as posted above, I think 45 would be cool but even 42 would probably stick tight.

I'm going to bodge them in somehow to get my £2 out of them but interested to know how good the 45s fit, or if I'll order 42 for when they fall out.

Concerned by all of these horror stories about rusted swinging arm bolts, I very gently prised the cover off mine for the first time, half expecting to find a nest of birds in there..!

Thankfully not! I think I win the prize for the cleanest hole and cap, and these were taken BEFORE I gave it an extra clean and protect!!

WeeTony wrote:I got the 40mm ones as posted above, I think 45 would be cool but even 42 would probably stick tight.

I'm going to bodge them in somehow to get my £2 out of them but interested to know how good the 45s fit, or if I'll order 42 for when they fall out.

I didn't see any 42mm listed, so went for 45mm.  As you say, the may well stick tight - I'll let you know.

Jim

When I replaced the off-side one on my CB500 (somebody nicked it whilst it was parked at work in London) I bought the extortionate Honda one and found it fitted fine but to be sure I used a small smear of silicon sealant to keep it there and unwanted water out. It is still there after 2 years ... Next time though I will probably buy the 45mm black ones from ebay!

Got my 45mm caps today and when i first tried i didn't think they would fit, but with a few extra slots cut in the gasket rim,a quick soak in some boiling water and a bit of brute force they went in... as tight as a scot too so they wont be coming out in a hurry either.

Got the pipe caps myself from e bay after reading this thread,I cut the first "skirt" off and cut extra slots on the remaining two,the first one went in with a tap or two from a rubber mallet,second one broke so I've sent for another two,at £1.75 for two it ain't breaking the bank and look pretty good

BTW I'm a Scot but I've never came across anyone as tight as a Welshman-I kid you not,I have family that are Welsh  

derek1922 wrote:BTW I'm a Scot but I've never came across anyone as tight as a Welshman-I kid you not,I have family that are Welsh  

Ha ha yeah im not far from Wales and i can agree totally.

Sorry to hear you broke one of your caps, im thinking of getting another set myself while there available cause i recon i might break them if i ever want to take them out.

I've bought a pair of 45mm caps. I can't the VFR ones I was gonna use.

I got 42mm ones and they're just too loose. Gonna get some 45mm jobs, fill the recesses with grease, and bung 'em in.

I got the 45mm ones, and it was a real squeeze to get them in, even having cut away some of the rim ridges, but in now so hopefully not a lot else can get in there!

Jim

Okay - final word on the swing arm caps. The 45mm ones work awesomely. But - you gotta cut away at the stopper grippy ring thingys. Attack them with a relatively sharp knife. Cut your thumb. Then the side of your index finger. Bleed. Over your clean trousers, and young child. Get a plaster. No - not one of those pathetic plastic ones. This will require a large fabric one.

Go back into the garage, complaining of pain and blood loss. Attack the caps again. This time more carefully. More resolutely. More determinedly. Take at least 2mm off them all round. Maybe 4mm.

Now they'll fit. And fit very well. Having blobbed in a big two or three finger scoops of axle grease into the recess, tap the caps in with a hammer. The fit will be almost perfect. They're going nowhere and it's very unlikely any water's going to get in - but even if it does, that grease will keep the bolt and thread safe, etc.

So yeah - the 45mm ones are excellent once trimmed down a bit.

Well done Trevor! 

I'm sure it will be worth the blood loss!!

Jim

Nice one. I got the 45mm ones a few weeks back but haven't fitted them yet.

Thanks for the tip, now my bike has brand new black plastic caps.

I am usually tight so I glued the loose one in with gorilla glue and prefabricated the lost one with plastic bottle top and sprayed black after the gorilla

I can't remember what size mine were, but I didn't need to cut them down and they've been in for a couple of thousand miles now. I did have to use a rubber mallet to get them in though!! :-)

Just get two of these in 40mm, may need some trimming of the inside flanges - but warmed up, and with a plug of oily grease on the inside of the recess, they'll go in. Tap w/ a rubber mallet. I think 43mm might be too big - which is the next size.

this is the listing description of the ones I bought off ebay.





2 x Plastic Black Blanking End Cap Caps Round Tube Pipe Inserts 45mm 1 3/4"
I can't get a link to the site because the seller doesn't exist anymore.

If its any help Holland and Barratts echinacia tablets (they do others in the same pots) come in bottles with an aluminium screw on lid which is the perfect size. No adjustment needed. Wife did wonder why I bought 2 bottles!