Camshaft
The camshaft sits above the crankshaft, driven by a chain from the crank. The 22 degree twist of the cylinders prevents a standard overhead cam design, so the twisted twins use a pushrod setup.
The camshaft is actually a two-piece unit which is an interference fit - the water pump end piece is separate to the rest. We'll see if we can get one apart to show this.
The camshaft looks like this on a CX500 and GL500:
...and the 650s look like this:
We don't have a photo of a removed Turbo camshaft but here's one of the end of an installed unit (thanks Joe!) - it's notably different!
Here's an infopic showing the various aspects of the camshaft for a CX500 and GL500
Camshaft part numbers
Click here for a list of the camshaft part numbers for the CX and GL models.
Camshaft removal
Info to come.
Camshaft damage
Cam Chain
The cam chain is something rather a lot of CX500 owners are familiar with - it's one area where attention is required to prevent major engine damage. As a point of curiosity as the cam chain wears the ignition timing is retarded slightly.
Recall for 1978 motors
The early 1978 motors had a recall due to a fault regarding a cam chain guide bolt backing out - for more information see this page.
Lower rocker arms or followers
Cam timing or Valve Timing