Parts: Camshaft Gear Rubber Cushion for Honda CL450 / CB450 / CB500T
Why You Need This:The Honda CL / CB450 and CB500T are dual over head cam (DOHC) engines, and each camshaft has a drive sprocket. On either side of each drive sprocket, there are two camshaft gear rubber cushions. Unless you are looking for them, the camshaft gear rubber cushions are not quickly noticeable. They are the black rubber rings that butt-up against the drive sprocket. When they are off the cams, they look like large black 0-rings with a square profile. The purpose of the rubber cushion is to dampen any vibrations or harmonics generated by the cam chain when the engine is running. Sometimes they are in great shape and can be used again if they are in tact, and the rubber is still soft and pliable. More often we see them rock hard, cracked or have pieces missing or which means the broken parts are likely in the bottom crankcase of your engine. If this is the situation, then we suggest separating the upper and lower cases to remove any pieces that may have fallen in there; you will need some Three Bond Gasket Sealer and a Service Gasket Kit to do the job. This is also an excellent opportunity to swap out the oil seals. If you are doing a top end rebuild or a camshaft replacement, we suggest changing out the camshaft gear rubber cushions to finish the job correctly.
The cushions are sold INDIVIDUALLY. 2 cushions are needed per cam. 4 cushions in total per engine.
Installation Tip: Be sure to remove all the pieces of the old camshaft gear rubber cushions from the grooves in the camshaft. The cushions are a snug fit and can be tricky to fit in the grooves. It is important that they do not twist during the installation. A plastic putty knife or a coin in some vice grips can work as a tool to press the rubbers into place.