confusion about cam chain guide roller

[LOUD MOUSE]

They are Very Hard when new also. ..........lm

Mine are not terribly worn or cracked, just very hard from age.

[motobroker]

Maybe they are ok to reuse. The rollers I have seen out of other bikes use a softer rubber where you can make an indentation with a fingernail. The Honda ones are rock hard.

I am interested in your technique for saving old ones.

Thanks for all your help. This is my first older Honda rebuild, I usually stick to British bikes.

[Snakeoil]

So far, the two 305 engines I've taken apart have resilient, yet flexible rollers. They tend to have dents in the OD from the engine sitting for a long time without running, but are still flexible and you can indent them with your fingernail. Even the '65 CL77 engine that was so frozen I had to chisel one piston out of the jug to get it apart had flexible rollers.

I wonder if you boiled them in something if they would come back to life. Somebody told me years ago that you could revive old windshield wiper blades by boiling in vinegar. I was never so poor that I needed to try that. But I'm getting cheaper with age so I still might.

regards,
Rob

[jensen]

Hi,

I guess that Ed is sanding those wheels, make it a little smaller (sanding off the top layer, and reshape it), it would be a good way to refurbish those wheels. When I have a few (five or so) I re-finish those wheels on a lathe, if still flexible. If these are to hardened, I throw them away. There are days, that I don't have a good one, and I just make some out of POM, Nylon or Teflon, it works.

Jensen

[motobroker]

Thank you, I will give that a try
How do you deal with the fastener on the cam chain tensioner wheel? It looks like if you bend or grind the fastener to take it apart it will be hard to get back together. Could it be spot welded without doing damage to the wheel?

[LOUD MOUSE]

I don't take it apart.
I have a bench grinder with a fine wheel and the inner edge is square to the side and I using a rag apply friction to the wheel rotation as the grinder turns the rubber.
Use caution as the wheel needs just enough pressure to allow the wheel to round/remove the rubber.
I do both sides until they are the same diameter. (careful with the center rib.)
HONDA issued a small wheel one which worked OK so ya just want to remove enough rubber to make the part better but it can be smaller than stock. ....lm

Thank you, I will give that a try
How do you deal with the fastener on the cam chain tensioner wheel? It looks like if you bend or grind the fastener to take it apart it will be hard to get back together. Could it be spot welded without doing damage to the wheel?

[motobroker]

LM-Thanks, the grinder trick worked like a charm