CX500 GL500 650 Global

Hi folks,when i bought my cx a basket case and 2 engines were thrown in with the deal,so this week end i started pulling one of the engines apart to see what makes them tick and to have a spare engine So far every thing has gone pretty smoothly,heads off,water pump out,clutch out,i attacked a 26mm socket with my grinder to make a peg spanner(top tip DONT use a grinder whilst wearing a fleece,if you do just remember STOP DROP ROLL )When i took out oil filter i noticed it had quite a lot of copper coloured particles in it about 1mm square:o ,i'm guessing this is not a good sign
Regards Sean......

Hi Sean,

I am a first timer inside these engines so I'm no expert but during my research in the last few weeks I saw a comment about the copper coloured particles you describe. I have searched for about an hour to find it for you but can't find it anywhere.

All I know is that it is very bad! I believe the comment was along the lines of silver fillings or particles in the area concerned was fixable but copper coloured fillings/particles was the end of the engine!

Sorry to break that to you & I hope for your sake it's wrong but that is what I read. If I find the passage I will post it for you but in the mean time I would do more research.

Check out - Rob Davis' walkthrough guides at www.elsham.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Good Luck!!

Ross.

Hi Ross,thanks for taking the time to look,i think i read that copper filings were not good
Sean.......

Hi Sean, Thanks for the reply to my thread.

Here is the passage I was looking for "I recommend using a patch of old ladies' tights (or nylons) material to drain the oil through. This will immediately show up any engine debris. A few flecks of small "silver" aluminium particles, or a few fragments of gasket / sealing compound are ok, but what you really don't want to find is large pieces of debris, and - horrible! - any coppery or golden coloured flecks. The latter signifies serious engine problems, almost certainly a failing or failed big end bearing. If you get coppery or golden flakes, do not use the engine any more until you have investigated. Unfortunately, big end failure is usually fatal news for the engine, as repairs are prohibitively expensive.

It can be found in context here - http://www.elsham.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ ... 26_filter/

Good luck!

Copper flecks in the oil usually signify Big-end bearing shell failure.This could mean also that the engine has had a full or partial seizure.
Do not re-use the crank shaft or the Con-rods until you have taken them along with the work shop manual to a local engineering company that can check them unless you can see by eye that they are useless.In other words they need to be checked even if they look good.
I've had several basket case engines cheap off Ebay like this and have re-built them with good crank shafts and rods(Checked).
The two present engines in my running CXs have been re-built this way by myself.

If you need any more information about re-building from the crank up just post

Thanks Shep and Ross, i have two more suspect engines to pull apart,so by the law of averages i should have enough good parts to make one engine(i hope) will do more as time allows.
Regards Sean..........

Well i got a bit more done today,front cover and oil pump off i noticed the oil pump drive chain was very slack so that'll need changing .I made up a Frankenstienesque locking device for the pinion out of angle iron,not pretty but it worked a treat ,took the rear cover off and the generator bolts but i couldn't shift the generator,i'll have to borrow a puller for that.I wasn't expecting the cam chain assembley and gear change linkage to look so scary
Regards Sean..........

Just found this,dont like the look of the 2pence coin jammed in the gears anyone ever used that method?
http://www.honda-cx-gl.com/CX500-Rebuild.pdf

I use one of my spare gearbox sprockets,



You can move it either side to lock the crank either way and it does no damage.

Hi Sean,

I had great trouble removing an alternator rotor & sought advice on another forum.

Several people said catagorically "Do not Use a legged Puller!". (despite my manual telling me this was the way to do it)

The correct method is to get an M20 bolt with a "standard metric fine" thread (1.5mm) from your local agricultural / tractor workshop. This is screwed in to the alternator rotor which has a thread degined specifically for it around the outer edge of the whole where the centre bolt lives.

When this bolt is screwed all the way in it touches the shoulder behind & several sharb blows on the end of this bolt will dislodge the rotor. If it is still being a swine, tighten again & hit again. Keep repeating & it will work! Mine was a a pig & took me hours & hours until I was told this method & it took me 15 mins.

Also some people say "Use the oil filter bolt cos it fits" - Don't! The thread is different & you'll cause all sorts of problems - I did but luckily it was on a knackered engine I was using as a test run.

Good Luck!