Topic: A little advice :)

[JonZ1973CB500]

Hey again everyone!

Well, the bike runs! woo hoo but it's leaking a fair amount of oil and now that school is on break its time to get down n' dirty. It's leaking oil from the top half down the sides and into the spark plug holes. I think a top end o-ring job is in order!  My questions are:
-Which brand should I go with for the top end rebuild kit and where should I buy it?, ebay?
-I haven't pulled the head yet. . . should I do a head gasket just to be "safe" since I'll already be working on it, or just stick with the rubber gaskets/o-rings?
-The bike has 23,000 on it,  and the chain is a little rusty, time for a new one? brand? where to buy?
-What brand tires do you guys like, just for normal street driving, cheaper is better
-Any recommendations on brake pads and what about stainless brake lines?
-Should I stick with the stock airbox/filter or go with pods Kn'N style?
-Cam chain? get a new one or how do I adjust the one on it?

Ok, thats all I can think of for now.  My goal for this 1973 CB500 is just a daily driver for summer time, save gas and have some fun at the same time.


Thanks again, this board has helped so much!!!

[TwoTired]

The head gasket is a one time use item.  If you remove the head, replace the head gasket, too.

The oil galleys going to the cam, etc. run up though the head near each end of the cylinder bank.  These o rings have been known to leak from the heat.  They aren't part of the head gasket, but are right next to it.  Without doing research on gasket materials offered by aftermarket suppliers, I find that Honda Genuine is a good bet.

Replace a rusty chain.  And, if the rusty chain has been run on the sprockets, or if the sprockets are worn, replace those along with the new chain.

Trust me, you don't want cheap tires, you want inexpensive ones.  Particularly ones that won't evoke curses from your hospital bed.
I happen to like Metzlers; 4.00 18 rear and 3.25 19 front.  However, Dunlop, Continental and others still make tires in inch sizes that fit on your bike.  Don't let a tire salemen sell you oversize metric tires they have in stock.  You won't be happy with the tire wear or the bike's handling. Your front and rear rims are only 1.85 or 1.95 inches wide maximum.  Have the salesmen prove with manufacturer printed data that the tire they are trying to sell you is allowed for your rim size. I do recommend you use the same Brand tire front and rear.

If your brake pads are not worn out or contaminated with oil, fluid, etc., just use those.  I do recommend stainless brake lines.  My local shop here in California makes them for me to fit perfectly on the bike.  Very nice improvement.

Unless you want to be very intimate with the subtleties and nuances of your carburetors, I recommend you stick with the stock airbox.  I do change the air filter from the stock paper type to a UNI NU-4055 foam type using their spray oil and cleaning solvent.  You can amortize this cost out over ten years as being way cheaper than buying a $50 air filter from Honda every year.  This filter works fine for normal street RPMS encountered.  However, if you think you need extra power above 8000 RPM, you may wish to explore K&N alternatives.

Cam chains ought to be good for at least 50,000 street miles.  Sooner if racing.  Search this site for Jonsey's thread about noisy cam chains. you'll find a non- book procedure that works if the Shop Manual procedure doesn't quiet it down.

Cheers,