Smithers
09-30-2007, 08:10 PM
There isn't really all that much information on the internet about the smaller displacement Honda motorcycle heads. Mechanics don't really go taking pictures of their work and tell people how to do it of course. But I would really like to help people out in their Honda restorations. There are a few people out there selling information like this but that's just a little greedy in my opinion. If I did that I would maybe see 10 people actually pay for it and 5000 people would be out of luck.
This is basic mechanic skill that everyone should have. Anyone can take apart this engine and put it back together. As long as you can follow a few instructions and read a manual then you are good to go.
! ! ! IF YOU ARE GOING TO RIDE YOUR CLASSIC HONDA MAKE SURE AND ADJUST THE VALVES AT THE VERY LEAST ! ! ! It's SO EASY to adjust them!! Do this and adjust the cam chain tensioner and the bike will run smoothly and much better, not to mention more efficiently. Now for some pictures! - the cylinder head breather from the good engine is shown on the left along with a couple of the new valves and my favorite scraper tools (walnut picks I found at a garage sale for pennies =).
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/honda/ca95_valves_01.jpg
Once you take off the valve caps you are right on top of the adjusters. A 9mm wrench, a feeler gauge and your fingers are all you need to get the job done if adjusting them is your goal. Loosen the retainer nut with the ol' wrench like so:
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/honda/ca95_valves_02.jpg
The valves on this engine were so out adjustment I am amazed that it even ran for it's previous owner. The valves can only loosen and this just makes the valve open much later and close much earlier than they should. It doesn't hurt them but it just = much less power. Check these out! You can easily see the grossly large gap in this picture:
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/honda/ca95_valves_04.jpg
Now when you adjust the valves they should be .004 on both intake and exhaust. It can be a tad looser but NOT tighter. When you actually see how tight this is you will understand. Loosen the retainer nut with your 9mm wrench and twist the adjuster down so that there is only a tiny gap and try and stick your gauge in there. The .004 is a tiny blade of a feeler so bend it in there and just try and get it so it barely will fit in there. This is all you need... then tighten the retainer nut pretty tight and check it again before you move on.
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/honda/ca95_valves_03.jpg
Now if you have sharp eyes you will notice that I doubled up on the feeler gauges by accident! Look close at the gauge tool. The 004 size is so thin I didn't notice, at first, that it and the size before it were sticking together! This is VERY close and just lets air under where the rocker arm meets the valve stem. If the valves are too tight they will heat up and deformation will occur, "burned valves" being the result. With the rocker arm adjusted you can just lift up on it a tiny bit and barely lift it up and down. There is just enough space for air when you lift it with your finger. Here is what the gap should look like:
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/honda/ca95_valves_05.jpg
This is basic mechanic skill that everyone should have. Anyone can take apart this engine and put it back together. As long as you can follow a few instructions and read a manual then you are good to go.
! ! ! IF YOU ARE GOING TO RIDE YOUR CLASSIC HONDA MAKE SURE AND ADJUST THE VALVES AT THE VERY LEAST ! ! ! It's SO EASY to adjust them!! Do this and adjust the cam chain tensioner and the bike will run smoothly and much better, not to mention more efficiently. Now for some pictures! - the cylinder head breather from the good engine is shown on the left along with a couple of the new valves and my favorite scraper tools (walnut picks I found at a garage sale for pennies =).
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/honda/ca95_valves_01.jpg
Once you take off the valve caps you are right on top of the adjusters. A 9mm wrench, a feeler gauge and your fingers are all you need to get the job done if adjusting them is your goal. Loosen the retainer nut with the ol' wrench like so:
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/honda/ca95_valves_02.jpg
The valves on this engine were so out adjustment I am amazed that it even ran for it's previous owner. The valves can only loosen and this just makes the valve open much later and close much earlier than they should. It doesn't hurt them but it just = much less power. Check these out! You can easily see the grossly large gap in this picture:
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/honda/ca95_valves_04.jpg
Now when you adjust the valves they should be .004 on both intake and exhaust. It can be a tad looser but NOT tighter. When you actually see how tight this is you will understand. Loosen the retainer nut with your 9mm wrench and twist the adjuster down so that there is only a tiny gap and try and stick your gauge in there. The .004 is a tiny blade of a feeler so bend it in there and just try and get it so it barely will fit in there. This is all you need... then tighten the retainer nut pretty tight and check it again before you move on.
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/honda/ca95_valves_03.jpg
Now if you have sharp eyes you will notice that I doubled up on the feeler gauges by accident! Look close at the gauge tool. The 004 size is so thin I didn't notice, at first, that it and the size before it were sticking together! This is VERY close and just lets air under where the rocker arm meets the valve stem. If the valves are too tight they will heat up and deformation will occur, "burned valves" being the result. With the rocker arm adjusted you can just lift up on it a tiny bit and barely lift it up and down. There is just enough space for air when you lift it with your finger. Here is what the gap should look like:
http://www.fourwheelperformance.com/honda/ca95_valves_05.jpg