How to remove the Honda CX500 and GL500 manual cam chain tensioner, blade and guide – Honda CX500, GL500, CX650, GL650

Once you have taken off the flywheel, starter driven gear and the needle bearing inside the starter driven gear you should be able to get a clear view of the cam plate, tensioner blade, chain guide and tensioner apparatus:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

The cam chain plate that goes around the crankshaft and bolts onto the block is part number 14623-415-010 (eBay), and it is held in by a number of bolts with 10mm heads:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

Let’s start with the one at the top of the chain guide, top left:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

Again, a 10mm socket is used to undo this one – and this bolt is unlike the others holding the set plate in. It’s a 6x30mm bolt, part number 90011-415-000 (eBay) or 90003-KN7-671 (eBay):

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

The remaining three are also removed with a 10mm socket, and are shorter bolts – 6x16mm – part number 95700-0601600 or 95701-0601600 (eBay): Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

All up you should now have four bolts and a loose cam set plate:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

At this point the only thing still attaching the set plate to the motor is the spring:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

Carefully – without stretching the spring any more than you have to – remove the set plate and then separate the spring from the plate. Plate removed:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

Now we can turn our attention to the cam tensioner lock bolt:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

This takes a 10mm socket:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

Note the O-ring around it – CHANGE THIS OUT IF YOU HAVE THE MOTOR OPEN. It’s really, really tedious having to take engine out and the back cover off just to change one tiny O-ring a couple of months after you did a triple bypass… don’t ask how I know. It’s part number 91312-415-000 and is available from Partzilla or David Silver. There specs of it are on this page.

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

Here it is partially undone – you can see a metal collar inside the tensioner arm, part number 14539-415-000 – it’s a 7×13.2mm collar. Don’t lose it. The arm’s
part number, incidentally, is 14510-415-000.

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

Bolt removed:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

Now you should be looking at this:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

Looking at the guide side first – photo left:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

These should lift away without too much hassle:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

The cam chain guide is part number 14600-415-305 (eBay) or 14620-415-014. Don’t buy used ones – they’re available new, see the triple/quadruple bypass parts list page for links. The little metal plate – called the Set Plate A – is part number 14624-415-000 (eBay). In case you forget which way the cam set plate is supposed to go back on, here’s a photo:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

Onto the other side, the tensioner blade, little collar, spring and tensioner arm can usually be slid off as a single piece:

Here's how to remove the cam chain plate, tensioner, guide blade and tensioner blade on a manually tensioned Honda CX500 or GL500 as shown on MotoFaction.org.

The tensioner blade is part number 14500-415-013 or 14500-470-751 (eBay)- same as with the guide, don’t buy used as they are available new – see the triple or quadruple bypass parts list page. The tensioner spring is part number 14515-415-000, the little R-clip 94251-06000 (eBay).

And with that you’re all done. If you’re doing this as part of the triple or quadruple bypass procedure, click here to go back to those pages.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top