Honda-SOHC

It's pretty easy really.

First drain the old oil by undoing the drain screws and pumping the forks up and down (not too hard initially or the oil will shoot across the garage!)

Remove the front wheel and mudguard.
Remove the brake caliper.
Remove the forks (one at a time)

Remove and discard the old dust cover.
Remove the spring clip inside the fork leg with a flat bladed screwdriver.
Ease out the old seal with the same screwdriver... (sometimes easier said than done)
Clean around the \"ledge\" that the seal is seated against.
Fit new seal and push into fork leg using a suitably sized socket and a soft hammer. Push it down until it stops against the ledge.

Reassemble in reverse order.

Fill with the correct amount of fork oil.

Bleed brakes (might as well while its all apart)

Done.

Last time I did this on a 500 was about 20 years ago so soory if I've forgotten anything. I did my son's CG125 this winter and the old seals were real bastards to get out!  Ended up destroying them with a big lever!

As Egil says, your frame is a '75 (F1) with a '76 (F1) engine. It is normal to have a difference in the numbers as (I believe) they were made in different factories.

The '77 (F2) frames started at 21xxxxx and the engines started at 26xxxxx

These's a guy in the US who sells kits for the two and three pack Honda paint. He comes highly recommended. Give him a shout: dondirtbiker@excite.com

Post edited by: SteveD CB500F, at: 2006/02/04 14:53

First of all - welcome to sohc ownership.  You won't regret it as these are great old bikes.

Assuming that you are in the UK and it's a UK model, a '79 will be a K7 as that was the last of the sohc bikes sold here.  The dohc was lauched here in '79 as the KZ - look at the engine and count the number of camshafts.

If it has one - post the frame and engine numbers here and we'll find out the exact details for you.

If it has two - resign with red face and hop over to www.cb1100c.net where I'm sure that you will find someone to help...

Pete - the attachments still don't seem to have worked and it's so long (25 years) since I last worked on the bottom end of my old 500/4!

Post this question here:   www.sohc4.net

I'm sure there will be someone there who can help you.

I guess that it is possible with spirited riding.  In theory there should be no difference whether the bike is 3 or 30 years old, but my '72 500/4 jumps out of third (only third) and its getting worse.  It didn't do this last year or the year before.

The great thing about these old bikes is that they are so easy to work on - I know I'll (we'll?) have to split the cases to inspect the gearbox but that's a nice small project for a couple of weekends during the winter.  I have the gasket set...B)

This is the best method that I have found...

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=369.msg3328#msg3328