CX500 GL500 650 Global

Quite a few times I've seen people ask about this on forums.This engine swap is the easier that than trying to fit a CX500 engine into a GL motorcycle whereby you need to hack or change the wiring harness.

For a GL engine that has an,"Automatic Tensioner" for the Cam-chain you will need the Starter flywheel and all the stator,Main pulsars,Advance and retard unit pulsar plate from the CX and put them in the back of the GL rear case.

Then it's a straight swap.

If the GL engine is a,"Manual" Cam tensioner you can just swap the Rear cover straight over to the GL engine but you still need the Starter Flywheel from the CX and possibly the Main pulsars but not certain about the Main pulsars as they may be the same

You need to use the Starter Flywheel from the CX because it has a brass timing trigger button on it that the GL engines don't have.This is needed for the CDI ignition.

I just bought a 79 CX500 and plan to put it together for my brother. I already own two CX's. This one came in boxes. I just noticed today that the back half of the engines are different. Maybe I got a GL engine. The new one has a motor mount hole at the top of the rear half of engine. I'll post some pics soon.

Is there a way to test to see if the stator is good while it is out of the bike??

There are some basic tests,

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=30

It's easy to tell GL engines and TAI engines(Transistor Advanced Ignition) from the CX CDI engines as the GLs will have a breather pipe on the right hand side of the Rear cover of the Advance and retard unit small back plate.

OK. What do I have here. Looks to me like a CX rear case mold on the left and I'm not sure about the one on the right.
It only came with one starter. I'm not sure how all this swapping needs to be despite reading sheps post above. Anyone want to point a beginner in the right direction?

Check the Starter Flywheels.If they have a Brass button on the outer casing they are a CX CDI engine.

The GL engine's Starter clutch/flywheel doesn't have this button as it doesn't use the same triggering system for the Ignition.

The rear case on the left is a CDI CX one as it has the,"Hall Effect" small Advance and Retard mechanism.The GL TAI engines use a Mechanical Advance and retard unit there.

Shane,

You are correct that the rear cover on the left is from a CX, the one on the right is from a GL.

In the first photo, the engine on the left is from a GL. (Notice the lack of vent tubes from the heads.) I assume this is the donor. All you should need from the CX is the rear cover, including the stator, and the flywheel, though you may need to improvise some crankcase ventilation.

I've got a possibly low mileage CX engine that you can try the stator from, if the static tests are OK (and it's actually there - I haven't looked yet.)

R

hmmm,

i thought you could tell the gl500 engines because they would read gl500 rather than honda on their side badges. never new to look at the heads.

Randall-in-Mpls wrote:Shane,

You are correct that the rear cover on the left is from a CX, the one on the right is from a GL.

In the first photo, the engine on the left is from a GL. (Notice the lack of vent tubes from the heads.) I assume this is the donor. All you should need from the CX is the rear cover, including the stator, and the flywheel, though you may need to improvise some crankcase ventilation.

I've got a possibly low mileage CX engine that you can try the stator from, if the static tests are OK (and it's actually there - I haven't looked yet.)

R

Engines may have been changed or parts of them so even heads can lie.

I have seen three different Cylinder head/Engine breather configurations.

1:A pipe from each head to a T-junction and then a long breather pipe to the Air-box.
2:Blanked off Breather tubes(with spring clamped bungs) on the heads and then the 17mm Inspection Cover extension used(As on one of my CX).
3:No Breather pipe in the casting on the heads and ONLY a breather pipe Inspection extension



and of course there are the blanked GL heads and the breather from the Rear case.

dean owens wrote:hmmm,

i thought you could tell the gl500 engines because they would read gl500 rather than honda on their side badges. never new to look at the heads.

Name plates are easy to swap. Of course, so are heads, as Shep pointed out.

But once you've removed the rear cover, alternator, heads and badges, everything that's left is identical.

R