For decades now the cam chain tensioner and cam chain guide found in the Honda CL / CJ / CB360 family of bikes has been a major cause of engine failure. A questionable recall from Honda back in the 70's along with years of improper adjustment and neglect have made the cam chain tensioner the Achilles Heel of the CB360 family of motorcycles. Original tensioners as well as the accompanying chain guides from Honda are long gone, and clean used tensioners can fetch a pretty penny.

The good news is that new reproduction cam chain tensioners and cam chain guides for the Honda CL / CJ / CB360 motorcycles are now available. This is exciting news for the CL / CJ / CB360 owners community with years of built up anticipation for these parts to be duplicated. The cam chain tensioner and cam chain guide should be changed in every 360 engine to prevent a potential failure from the original parts.

The cam chain tensioner and cam chain guide are offered in a kit including both parts, each of which should be replaced at the same time. The procedure can be performed in a few hours with basic hand tools and is a straight forward repair job. In addition to you will need some Three Bond gasket sealer to seal the valve cover to the cylinder head on the 360 engine; no paper gasket exists between these two parts. Auto parts store RTV silicone should not be used as a substitute for the Three Bond. This is a great time to also replace the camshaft seal, which is available as part of the CL / CJ / CB360 oil seal kit or install a new cam chain .

Follow along with us here at the Common Motor Collective as we show you step by step how to replace the cam chain tensioner and chain guide on a Honda CL / CJ / CB360 engine. For more information see the Honda chain tensioner guide supplement on the manuals page.