Topic: Mysteries of the CB500 Clutch...REVEALED!

[number13]

Monsoon season has started here in Houston, so I finally have some time to write up
a few tips on taming the early  CB500 clutch. If you own one of these you know they
can be stiff more often than not, and the fix is not immediately obvious, as I found out.
Here is a step by step examination of the problems you may encounter.

 1) LIFTER SLEEVE
If your clutch is engaging and releasing harshly, here is the first
thing you will want to look at.
Right after I got my bike ('73 CB500) on the road the clutch action began to
degrade quickly. I found the problem to be a cracked clutch rod
lifter mechanism,specifically the lifter sleeve. If yours is cracked and replacements
aren' t handy, you can take it apart and spin it 180 degrees, but of course
replacing it is best. If yours is in good shape be sure to
clean and grease it while you have it out, use the grease fitting on the
outside of the case liberally as part of your maintenance routine.
I can still dig lifter sleeves up in a local junkyard, but
quickly discovered almost all were cracked in the same way.
Looks like that little bugger is weak link, so I snap
up good ones when I find them.

[number13]

 2) WORN CLUTCH RODS
Another fatal problem I soon discovered was the fact that my cable
cinch near the lifter was crashing into the sprocket every time I used the clutch.
It was obvious that the clutch rods had shortened with years of use.
This shortening of the clutch rods and consequent over-adjusting of the
lifter is probably why all those lifters I found at the junkyard were cracked and had
worn out cable cinches. It is a domino effect, the rods shorten, the clutch lifter
gets over adjusted to compensate, the compensation makes the cable cinch
crash into the sprocket and the crashing causes the cracking of the lifter sleeve.

[number13]

3) LIFTER ROD
After months of fighting a a stiff clutch I had replaced almost everything but
still had problems, the damn thing would stiffen up so hard I couldn't even
pull it in with both hands. I eventually found the culprit to be the lifter rod, the shorter
of the two clutch rods. What I found there was that after years of use, neglect and
bad adjusting, the lifter rod will begin to settle in eccentrically. If you look at the ends of this rod,
the circular wear patterns should be nicely centered. When they
appear to go off center the short rod is being forced into the clutch rod tunnel at an angle, causing near complete
binding. I see David Silver Spares still has these new at 20 pounds (40 bucks US),
but I just made one out of a steel rod and a sleeve from the hardware store. I measured
that the rods had lost about 3/8 of an inch (!!) and fashioned the new rod that much longer.
I then brazed the rod and sleeve together with a bench top torch.  I had to do a littler sectioning on the sleeve to get
a good fit. The sleeve keeps the lifter rod centered on the ball bearing in the lifter. I then spent some time
 polishing the completed piece with wet dry paper and a drill.
The new longer lifter rod  allows the lifter to remain low in the sleeve, minimizing cinch
crashing and sleeve cracking. Cost about 5 bucks. Replacing that short rod was easily
the greatest improvement, my clutch was never so smooth!!
I finally know what it must have felt like when it was a new bike!!

[number13]

4) OIL LEVEL
Lastly, if you have a ANY SOHC, your shifter shaft seal leaks. REPLACE THAT THING.
The wet clutch works best with the oil filled near the MAX line and
you can't keep enough oil in your engine if that seal leaks. My local dealer 
had them on the shelf, cost about 3 bucks. After you have replaced that seal,
use 4 stroke oil, it makes a big difference and my local Auto Groan carries
it cheap.

Lastly, two words about those "power levers" you see on e-Bay: don't bother.

Hope this is some help to those of you experiencing problems with your
500 clutch, no wonder they changed the design for the 550, eh?

[bryanj]

Sorry to burst a small bubble but the clutch push rod should be all in one piece not two. They get broken by a loose chain frequently. Hondas replacement part supplied now appears to be an all steel rod instead of the steel/alloy original.

[number13]

Ha ha, jokes on me then. I guess that would explain a lot!
I always thought it was in 2 pieces to isolate rotation between
the clutch and adjuster.

boy, am I embarassed now! 

[SteveD CB500F]

Number13.
If you would like to edit your post after Bryan's "additional" info, I'll post them to the FAQs.

Steve

[number13]

Will do , Steve.
Thanks to bryanj for the schooling.
I may never live this down.

[Bob Wessner]

I may never live this down. 

Not to worry, I think I have you beat in the embarrassment dept. 

[nickjtc]

Good job, 13. Interesting stuff.

[puppytrax]

Excellent analysis! Will you be making up a one-piece clutch push rod now??? If so, please post pic & measurement! (Will it still be 3/8" longer?)

[bryanj]

Pushrods have always been on the expensive side so all we used to do was put a ball bearing inbetween the two broken bits. Occasionaly you got a small weep from the pushrod seal but that helped lube the chain and it was never very much. Hope that helps.

[puppytrax]

number13 - could you explain a bit more on where these parts can be found??   

I've been looking at the Fiche diagrams trying to find that crashed cinch, and for the life of me, I can't find it!!!   

Where abouts on the CB500 is it??? I thought it would be under the left side chain cover, but I don't see anything like your pic...

[bryanj]

puppytrax, all the parts are on the left crankcase cover page and its called a THREAD COMP, clutch lifter part number 22810-323-000 and the outer part is called ADJUSTER, clutch part number 22841-266-000 (originaly not a 500 four piece but off a C77).
The part i find most difficult to get is the locking piece called ADJUSTER, fixing piece part number 22844-323-000

[puppytrax]

puppytrax, all the parts are on the left crankcase cover page...

Bryan - The problem is, there is nothing on this page that looks like number13's photo...(not his fault, of course)...



And the parts are named differently from your listing...

#3  THREAD part number 22810-323-000  $21.07

#5  ADJUSTER, CLUTCH part number 22841-266-000  $15.32

#6  PIECE part number 22844-323-000  $3.65

I'm not sure those are the wearing parts number13 refers to or not...but I did find the rod... 

#7  ROD, CLUTCH LIFTER part number  22850-323-000  $24.22

[bryanj]

Same parts mate i was looking at a number 1 parts book printed 71 (also got a very early Japanese parts book---Now that shows some interesting things like fixed footpegs!!)
The part number 3 is the one, its just the picture doesnt show the bit the cable end goes into (its the square lump just above the spring!)

[puppytrax]

I suppose I should pull mine apart and see how much is broken...   

Ah, well...That shifter seal should be replaced anyway...   

[number13]

Hello All -

I was fighting a nasty head cold this weekend, so I didn't
get anything done except holding the couch down.
To answer puppytrax question, yes, I will fabricate a new
one piece clutch rod which will be the same total length as the mythical
Two Piece rod, pics and measurements will be posted next weekend.
Honestly I don't know how I got the idea that part was
made in two pieces, it was like that when I got the bike but
I should have snapped to the fact that it was incorrect.
Perhaps too much time in the garage with the door closed?

#13

[puppytrax]

Perhaps too much time in the garage with the door closed?

In my case, I blame "oldtimers disease"...   

[puppytrax]

Number13...BryanJ...TinTin...TwoTired... -

Do any of you know what the underlying cause of all this snowballing damage is??? 

Slack chain snapping the rod??? Overtightening the clutch lever adjustment??? Lack of grease??? Kinked cable???

[bryanj]

Broken rod is usually loose chain,
Bad operation is usualy bad cable and/or lack of grease in mechanism ocasionaly bad mech

[Kevin400F]

I finally got to the stage of installing the lclutch lifter bits and left case cover on the CB500 engine I've been rebuilding and guess what....the original steel & alloy rod was in two pieces!  I had vaguely remembered this thread from a few months back, so quick search on "pushrod" is helping clear up the mysteries.  So, I bopped on over to the other garage where a spare CB500 botton end was stored, pulled out the rod and found it ito be solid steel and in one piece.   

I also found the adjuster piece 22841-266-000 broken, and noticing the "266" product code, dug around in an old CL305 basket case and found the identical part! 

The project continues.......

[canttuckmyshirt]

I will fabricate a new
one piece clutch rod which will be the same total length as the mythical
Two Piece rod, pics and measurements will be posted next weekend.

Any updates? I've been searching for a new rod with no luck... I work at a machine shop, so if I had dims or a print, I could make a new rod.

Did I also read somewhere that someone sells these?

P.S. Sorry for bumping up an old topic

Cheers!

[Master Ted]

I will fabricate a new
one piece clutch rod which will be the same total length as the mythical
Two Piece rod, pics and measurements will be posted next weekend.

Any updates? I've been searching for a new rod with no luck... I work at a machine shop, so if I had dims or a print, I could make a new rod.

Did I also read somewhere that someone sells these?

P.S. Sorry for bumping up an old topic

Cheers!

Try:
http://www.servicehonda.com/parts.php

Part# 22850-323-000

$23.86 USD

[puppytrax]

Try:
http://www.servicehonda.com/parts.php

...Uh...There's nothing on that page...   

But here's one you can look at...   

07     ROD, CLUTCH LIFTER
22850-323-000    001    $24.22



Unfortunately, being listed on the Fiche doesn't mean the part is available...