C72 oil spinner location - and how to clean it!

[Lockers]

Hi all,

I'm following the Clymer 'Book of the Honda' and struggling to remove the spinner.

I have the cover off, as below:



But can't see that what the book calls the spinner, on the shaft beneath, can be removed without removing the engine casing. The shaft comes out but, presumably, the chain on the reverse of what the book labels the spinner, will not allow its removal. I've tried removing the circlip you can see, as per the book, but the shaft pin prevents any further progress. Am I missing something?



Cheers,

Simon

[pemdoc65]

The shaft with the pin will/should pull out, which may allow you to remove the spinner cap. However, I have usually found that the cap is stuck into the spinner, requiring me to remove the whole spinner. As you have found, the drive chain on the back of the spinner makes it hard to remove, especially with the old style left engine cover (small opening) that you have. Even if you do get it all out, it is pretty difficult to get it all back in without removing the whole cover. There should also be a thin washer between the spinner cap and the pin, if it is like the CB77 setup.

[DJM]

Although this process is detailed in the Owner's Handbooks, in my experience it's (almost) impossible to remove and dismantle the oil spinner without removing the whole outer case.

Incidentally, although the Owner's handbook supposedly shows you how to do this, cleaning of the oil filter ISN'T listed in the 'Routine Maintenance' schedule, probably the reason why so few people ever bothered to clean out the filter.

If you pull out the centre spindle, as you have deduced, the chain will prevent the filter body being withdrawn. If you do manage to get it free of the chain and remove it, I'll wager that you'll never get it back!

If you remove the circlip it will be very difficult to remove the 'end plate' as they are usually a tight fit and not easy to wriggle out even when you have the filter body out.

Probably this isn't what you wanted to hear but if you own a late model bike the news is somewhat better as on these bikes the outer cover has a much bigger 'access hole' in it. This is big enough to JUST allow removal of the filter body to be remove after drawing out the centre spindle, getting the chain back on when you replace it is a challenge but it can be done with the aid of a thin screwdriver, scriber or something similar. Certainly a much quicker and easier job than taking off the outer cover.

If you're really bothered about this it might be worth trying to get hold of one of the later covers and fitting that.

Whichever way you do it make sure that both the internal O ring and the thrust washer are correctly in place when you put it back together.

[joey7478]

how often do you have to clean the filter?

[DJM]

If Honda didn't give a recommendation on a cleaning interval back when the bikes were new, I'm not sure how anyone can answer this fifty years later! I've dismantled engines that were apparently still running OK but with filters almost completely full.

In my limited experience of running these things for high mileages I'd be confident to run 10,000 miles between cleaning out the filters, assuming of course that good quality oil was being used and changed regularly, 1000 miles max. between changes. I'd suggest that the filter probably only needs to be cleaned when servicing the clutch or the primary chain.
but if I had to remove the LH side cover for any reason I'd certainly take the opportunity to clean the oil filter.

What do others think or is there actually a recommended service interval anywhere for the filter?

Bill Silver or L.M. any thoughts?

[Hoosier Tom]

My CB77 Owner's Manual, dated Sept 1965, under the Periodic Maintenance chart, recommends 1st cleaning at 1,800 miles (3,000 km) and the 2nd cleaning at 4,300 miles (7,000 km). The 4,300 mile column is the last column in the chart. I tried to get a photo to upload, but it failed.

HT

[Lockers]

Thanks guys - I think it can wait until the winter rebuild in that case :)

Simin