Author Topic: Unity Equipe swing arm bronze bushes - they fit!  (Read 947 times)

Offline mikeb

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recently i posted a tale of great sadness about buying some silent blocs that fell apart in very little time: https://www.a7a10.net/forum/index.php?topic=13650.0
as i couldn't find any of guaranteed quality someone suggested I try Unity equipe (thanks TT) for a bronze bush conversion kit, so i did. not cheap and a very polite conversation required to order them. after 2 to 3 weeks they turned up here on the other side of the world having been freshly made to my request. they look well made - see pics below. one thing to note no O ring like ive seen on some others, but not sure it that matters.

I ended up getting someone to narrow the swingarm and press them in (turned out the original swingarm end faces weren't square!). being sintered bronze one side tightened up a fair bit (when pressed in) and needed reaming out. and a grease nipple added through the swing arm. then they just fitted  *smiley4*.  result - a solid fit and an enjoyable test ride today

so the verdict so far... not cheap, a bit of work to fit and.... good!  *smile* so no more silent blocs for me
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Offline Norsa1

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Re: Unity Equipe swing arm bronze bushes - they fit!
« Reply #1 on: 15.09. 2019 00:20 »
What is the story on keeping these bushes lubricated. They go in with grease but how do you lube them after a couple of years? If you put oil in the swing arm it will drain out through the bushings. I do hope I get an inspirational reply.

Online groily

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Re: Unity Equipe swing arm bronze bushes - they fit!
« Reply #2 on: 15.09. 2019 07:25 »
Dunno about 'inspirational', but having just had to redo the bushes on an AMC twin - bronze bushes, steel pin - after 40 years of entirely blameworthy neglect in my hands, I wouldn't worry too much.
The AMC type have felt seals just outboard of the bushes, and a long thin 'spoke' which holds 2 steel end caps on the open holes, one with a screw to remove for lubricating with an oil gun now and then. More a case of 'hardly ever' in my case, but it lasted from 1978 to 2019 before they started to graunch. And - better still - pin and both bushes cleaned up perfectly OK after seizing, with no play at all, and it has been working a treat this past few months again. I thought that having taken over 8 tonnes on the hydraulic press to get the pin out, things would be seriously fubarred - but not a bit of it.
No idea whether there's any not-too-complicated way of blanking off the ends with something on the A and using oil through a nipple somewhere handy, haven't looked to see on mine, but if it could be done  . . .??
Bill

Online morris

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Re: Unity Equipe swing arm bronze bushes - they fit!
« Reply #3 on: 15.09. 2019 09:15 »
What is the story on keeping these bushes lubricated. They go in with grease but how do you lube them after a couple of years? If you put oil in the swing arm it will drain out through the bushings. I do hope I get an inspirational reply.
I think mikeb mentions a grease nipple added. Anyway, that’s what I did on mine when I modified to bronze bushes. I drilled and tapped a hole below in the middle and screwed a grease nipple in. A squeeze from a grease gun every now and then keeps things well lubricated
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Offline mikeb

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Re: Unity Equipe swing arm bronze bushes - they fit!
« Reply #4 on: 15.09. 2019 09:36 »
i'm often learning what to do after I do it. hence now know sintered bronze bushes get clogged up with thick grease and are better oiled. hence i guess your question Norsa with the issue of no 'o' rings on these bushes. i used a 'fairly' light grease and hope its not going to clog the pores. it would be nice to have a suitable grease specification but i don't have one.... anyone?

Quote
I do hope I get an inspirational reply.
i'm finding Groily's reply inspirational - do nothing for 40 years. just as well as i located the grease nipple behind where my oil filter lives  *problem*
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Offline BSA_54A10

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Re: Unity Equipe swing arm bronze bushes - they fit!
« Reply #5 on: 16.09. 2019 10:11 »
You go to a tractor ( real ones not HD's ) shop and get a drum of 0 or 00 lithium grease.
This is also called liquid grease ( 0 ) or semi fluid grease ( 00 ).
It is quite thin and will never cause the sinter to clog.
Those who play with AMC or Burman boxes will be familiar with this stuff hopefully bought for $ 5 /Kg and not $25/ kg from a car or bike shop.
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Offline mikeb

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Re: Unity Equipe swing arm bronze bushes - they fit!
« Reply #6 on: 16.09. 2019 10:27 »
thanks Trevor - just what i wanted to know!

btw what do you call a stationary engine with wheels?
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Online groily

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Re: Unity Equipe swing arm bronze bushes - they fit!
« Reply #7 on: 16.09. 2019 10:32 »
Blistering-ly Slow?
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Offline mikeb

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Re: Unity Equipe swing arm bronze bushes - they fit!
« Reply #8 on: 16.09. 2019 10:43 »
HD
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Offline Swarfcut

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Re: Unity Equipe swing arm bronze bushes - they fit!
« Reply #9 on: 16.09. 2019 16:04 »
That's not much petter!

Online Triton Thrasher

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Re: Unity Equipe swing arm bronze bushes - they fit!
« Reply #10 on: 16.09. 2019 17:49 »
Amanco’n only take so much of this!

Offline BSA_54A10

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Re: Unity Equipe swing arm bronze bushes - they fit!
« Reply #11 on: 17.09. 2019 12:12 »
thanks Trevor - just what i wanted to know!

btw what do you call a stationary engine with wheels?

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