Topic: Honda cams stamped R9 and R11

[Tog]

I've got two cams, which came from a basket case CB500 Four.  One was carefully wrapped and stamped R9, and I suspect this is the 500 cam.  The other wasn't wrapped and stamped R11, and the seller did mention he had a few 400 Four parts which he'd lobbed into a box as well.

Both cams look exactly the same length and seem to have exactly the same bearing surfaces, and so on.

Does anyone know which is which, or are they both CB500 cams and just a different grind?  Would a CB500 Four cam fit into a 400 Four anyway?

[Bodi]

That number is a foundry mark to identify which casting pattern was used to form that cam blank. It means nothing else: no relationship to the grind or motor destined for. There are Rx cams for most all SOHC4 engine models.
The foundry makes a wooden (usually) "mother" pattern of the blank cam then casts several copies in alloy. Those copies are used on the production line making the sand casting molds for steel cam blanks. Each child pattern is identified so they can find it if the finished blanks start showing defects.

[Tog]

Thanks!