F: Frame Removing Comet front seat bushes

[greg brillus]

While your at it, check the same set up on the rear seat stays to see if those small sleeves are free in their bushes, as these are often seized in the bushes as well. Make sure the sleeve is slightly longer than the bushes overall width, and lubricate all these parts with a coating of grease before assembly, remembering that all these parts are designed to move as the rear suspension moves up and down.

 

[poor1]

Is the U.F.M. on the bike, or can you lay it on a pedestal drill table? If so, carefully creep up on the bugger in small increments up to 1/2". Once at 1/2" you should only have the Oilite bushes to drive out.

The UFM is still on the bike. The sleeve would have to be drilled all the way through otherwise if it was drilled only from each end the sleeve would lie between the two bronze bushes.

As regards the 'Birmingham Screwdriver' method suggested by MartynG I read somewhere of the danger of distorting the the alignment of the UFM mounting points.

In the absence of any further helpful suggestions I will either have to somehow make up a double diameter drift or put a thread on the inside of the sleeve and gently tap it backwards and forwards aided by some 'PlusGas' penetrating oil and a bit of patience.

Do I take it that the bronze bushes themselves are difficult to shift?

 

[poor1]

The other thing which has just occurred to me: The beautifully made sleeve currently supplied by the VOC is made of stainless steel. It would be useful to know for te purpose of drilling out the sleeve whether anyone could tell me of what material the original sleeve was made. Was it mild steel or a hardened material?.

 

[chankly bore]

I do know it drills out easily enough. I did intend you to drill the full length, although you could get lucky once you go to 1/2" on the one end.You'll halve the resistance. A tip. First get a long bit of 3/8" rod in the drill chuck. It may give you "muscle memory" for the right position of your drill.Oilite bushes choke up with rust from the surrounding steel. On my bike, the sleeve is .012" over the lug width. Much more and the seat will clunk.

 

[shortun]

You could try useing penetrating fliud then heating up the ufm tube with a hot air gun , sheilding any thing you don't want heated with damp cloth then knock out the inner tube , then use a large tap to cut a thread in the bush and drift these out useing a drift from the other end of the tube .
There shouldn't be any need to drain the oil as it wont get that hot to be a problem .

 

[poor1]

Success gentlemen. Where needs must. Made a triple diameter drift with a hacksaw and file. Gently and patiently tapped the spindle sleeve from both ends, aided by plenty of PlusGas until the sleeve and one bush came out. They were absolutely welded together with corrosion. Then knocked out the remaining bush with the the drift I had made which came out easily. The original sleeve looks as though it is simply a mild steel tube, nothing like the quality of the stainless steel one currently stocked by VOC.
Not yet put in the new bronze/oilite bushes and not sure whether they will require reaming, or whether the bushes need soaking in heated oil if they are oilite.

Any suggestion as regards installing the new bushes would be helpful.

Thank you everyone for the encouragement and suggestions so far.

 

[poor1]

PS: I am intending to draw the new bushes into place with a large diameter threaded bar.

 

[poor1]

Bushes fitted and need reaming to allow sleeve to pass through.

Thank you everyone for your assistance and ideas