Topic: Splitting the cases on my cb500

[75 honda]

Well i have the engine pulled, bolts out, flipped over and the case is loose but I noticed the cam chain (im guessing its that) is attached around the shaft and I cant lift the bottom half off because of this. Whats the trick to dealing with that chain so I can lift the bottom case off?

[brycegp]

Remove the valve cover.  Remove the cam sprocket, cam chain tensioner and cam....then the cam chain will come out with the bottom case, still attached to the crank.

If you haven't removed the top end yet.  You probably should have done that first anyway...

[75 honda]

Thanks.. Thats alot different then a 750. 

[75 honda]

well I went and took off the valve cover and the cam and what not but thats the wrong chain. I figured out I need to take off the oil pump and knock the shaft through the other side to let the chain loose. So when I took the cam off I didn't really mark anything. I put it back in to what I thought was the same position but does it matter or did I just probably make things worse for me?

[phil71]

You don't have to mark anything if you understand what the factory marks are for. I pray you didn't try to turn this thing over

[75 honda]

All I did was take off one of the nuts for the chain sprocket, then used a wrench to turn the crank so that it would spin the other bolt around. Then slid the sprocket off and removed the camshaft. But when putting it back in I wasnt sure if it was the same way when I pulled it off. Bolted the sprocket back on and put the cover on and then got to wondering.

[brycegp]

Oh...you need to research how it goes on and make sure it is on correctly. 

Asking if it matters is like asking if having air in your tires matters.  Yes...the entire function of the motor depends on the cam being positioned correctly.

[dave500]

the primary chain was hanging it up,download the manual for the cam timing.

[phil71]

Why did you take the thing apart in the first place?

[75 honda]

I need to put new shift forks in it. Ill have to research the info on the cam. I ordered a manual so Ill have to go through it all before starting it back up. ..sigh..

[dave500]

man dont go backwards in going forwards!id just strip and clean the entire engine having gone this far with it,i hope your dogs arent worn enough and the new forks are just a waste of time?

[75 honda]

Dogs? what do you mean by the dogs being worn?  HAHA.. I'm new to the honda if you couldn't tell. I'm very mechanically inclined, just in the dark on these things. I've split cases on a 750 and was much easier. The bummer here is that I didn't even need to go into the top half of the engine.

[75 honda]

Okay so I think I'm good on the upper end. Timer is the T mark on the notch, 1 and 4 cyl TDC, and notch in the cam is facing towards the front. Hopefully the timing is good and its on the compression side also. Now I'm having issues getting the shift fork drum out. forks are free and the screw on the side is out but I can't get it out. Any ideas?

[75 honda]

Nevermind.. Overlooked the screw on top of the case.. Drum is out.. waiting on new one. God I hope this is the fix. When I would try to shift the gears by hand while still installed, nothing would move. Pull the gears out and they slide on their own. I don't get it..