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cb360 cam chain tensioner restomod


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c/p

Why You Need This: The original cam chain tensioner is the Achilles Heel of the Honda CL / CJ / CB360 engine; broken cam chain tensioners (sometimes called cam chain slippers) have destroyed many engines over the years. Replacement cam chain tensioners along with its matching cam chain guide from Honda are long gone. Because of this the best one could do was to find a clean used tensioner hoping that it has some life left in it. One could easily say this the single most valuable part in the 360 engine. The good news is a new replacement cam chain tensioner (slipper) and cam chain guide for the Honda CL360, CJ360 and CB360 motorcycles are finally here. This has been a long work in progress and we are proud to offer a kit with a brand new reproduction cam chain tensioner and new cam chain guide. These reproduction parts have been tested for the CL360, CJ360 and CB360 engines with great success and are ready for installation in your Honda.


History: Honda first released the CB360 and CL360 in 1974, the early models had failure issues with the cam chain tensioners. This failure caused severe engine damage, so much so that a factory recall was put out and a re-designed tensioner was installed. Engines that made it in for the recall were stamped with a pair of dots on the engine serial number to indicate that the recall had been performed. However not all engines made it in to get the recall nor did every recalled engine get stamped. Thus cam chain tensioner failure has been the weakness of the 360 engine for years. Additionally the cam chain guide is also commonly broken, worn out or even missing.


The reality is if you have a Honda CB360, CL360 or CJ360 you should change your original cam chain tensioner and guide, period. It is the peace of mind that we have all been waiting for.

end c/p


what a load of crap. this is why I'm here. in north america if you complain about this part on the honda site or the other cafe sites that sells this part you get banned. truth is the cb360 is a lemon. thats the reason they only made them for 2 years. the stock slipper is not strong enough. the redesigned part is also is not strong enough. it's just as failure prone because the design is bad and no longer used. buyer be ware of these expensive crap nos replacements.


after doing the job 3 times I'm tired of breakdowns. got a modern slipper fit it with a grinder. kz440 slipper actually fit easily. big difference. the kz440 slipper is tough piece of kit. how did I figure out a kz440 slipper would work. I eyeballed it from ebay pics. the human eye is under rated. it was slightly too long. cut it about an inch shorter. made 2 brackets to fit it to the honda. made a modern busa style tensioner from a 10mmx1.0 bolt and a piece of scrap. total cost $15 for a used kz440 slipper, cam chain master link #219, $6. been a nightmare with this bike, glad it's over. had enough of the old slipper to make the guide. one hit with a hammer and cut with a grinder to fit. happy as a clam.


IMG-20190817-071549.jpg


IMG-20190817-073738.jpg

Edited by Anonymous
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US : Restomod . English : Bodge .

 

restomod: using parts in a modern way or using a modern part in a repair.


example: front sprocket held in place with machine screws and a plate. easily restomodded with a modern snap ring. a repair that is better than factory because of new inventions, like the transistor.

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US : Restomod . English : Bodge .

 

restomod: using parts in a modern way or using a modern part in a repair.


example: front sprocket held in place with machine screws and a plate. easily restomodded with a modern snap ring. a repair that is better than factory because of new inventions, like the transistor.

 

Like drilling a hole in a cylinder block and fitting a homemade manual tensioner that pushes against the GUIDE blade and then sealing up the hole with lumps of silicone sealant . If that ain't a bodge then tell me what is .

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a bodge is ordering the replacement part on the internet. the internet can be manipulated. google cb360 cam chain tensioner and this c/p is the first hit. never mind that the part does not work. they lie on the na honda site where this part comes from. the kz440 slipper is three times as thick. no way it will break. I've even eaten three guides. the aftermarket guide does not work and is crap. there is a metal plate inside the cylinder thats threaded. the aluminum cylinder is not threaded. ultrablack is applied between the metal plate and the jam nut washer. I could have wiped off the excess but it is invisable. repair works perfectly. tensioner does not leak any oil. rode to the antique show. looks fine to me I can't see it in the pic. I should sell these brackets. knowing your limitation as a mechanic is important. fabbing brackets with a grinder is within my limits.


IMG-20190818-135800.jpg


was shocked and honored by where I was told to park. the bike to the left of mine is a hudson. it is 100 years old and has two important restomods. the oil system ( the gas tank is split. one half for gas the other for oil) was changed to recycle from full loss. the other is adding a speedometer. I sure you spotted the '70's vintage triumph on the right.


Interesting show. outside people ride custom antiques and park in front. these riders are a different breed. all are mechanics and ride projects as daily drivers. the garage queen antiques were inside. beautiful but not my style.

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did not reinvent the wheel. just applied a modern fix to a dangerous antique design. honda cb's are all the same. cam chain guide in the front of the cylinder. the old slipper broke in a way I could cut off a little and pinned it in as the guide. tensioner in back. bolt pushes against the bottom of the slipper. top of the slipper uses the existing mounts in the head.


did not show the bodge where the defective slipper made a hole in the back of the head assembly and sprayed oil all over the place. drilled a hole put a bolt with with a washer over the hole covered with rtv.


really enjoying this site. am able to tell the truth about the internet. I'm banned from the na honda site for exactly this kind of post. they lie. thats another story. should be obvious I'm a good with honda's this is my third cb.

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did not reinvent the wheel. just applied a modern fix to a dangerous antique design. honda cb's are all the same. cam chain guide in the front of the cylinder. the old slipper broke in a way I could cut off a little and pinned it in as the guide. tensioner in back. bolt pushes against the bottom of the slipper. top of the slipper uses the existing mounts in the head.


did not show the bodge where the defective slipper made a hole in the back of the head assembly and sprayed oil all over the place. drilled a hole put a bolt with with a washer over the hole covered with rtv.


really enjoying this site. am able to tell the truth about the internet. I'm banned from the na honda site for exactly this kind of post. they lie. thats another story. should be obvious I'm a good with honda's this is my third cb.

 

So is the bolt at the front or the back of the cylinder block ? Oh and what is the truth about the internet ?

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So is the bolt at the front or the back of the cylinder block ? Oh and what is the truth about the internet ?

 


back like all cb's, the people selling this defective dangerous reproduction nos guide and slipper on the net know better but are driven by profit.

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So is the bolt at the front or the back of the cylinder block ? Oh and what is the truth about the internet ?

 


back like all cb's, the people selling this defective dangerous reproduction nos guide and slipper on the net know better but are driven by profit.

 

Not wishing to labour the point , but is the bolt at the front or the back ? If you don't want to tell me that's quite alright but I'm just curious .

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The back, like he says.


Philosophy time: If a bodge works better than what it replaces, is it really a bodge? This is just basically a manual tensioner, I'd be quite pleased if I made that and it worked.

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The back, like he says.


Philosophy time: If a bodge works better than what it replaces, is it really a bodge? This is just basically a manual tensioner, I'd be quite pleased if I made that and it worked.

 

Thanks , I must have missed that . Curiosity satisfied .

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Like drilling a hole in a cylinder block and fitting a homemade manual tensioner that pushes against the GUIDE blade and then sealing up the hole with lumps of silicone sealant . If that ain't a bodge then tell me what is .

 

That my friend goes beyond a bodge, hammered dog sh*t is what that is!

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Like drilling a hole in a cylinder block and fitting a homemade manual tensioner that pushes against the GUIDE blade and then sealing up the hole with lumps of silicone sealant . If that ain't a bodge then tell me what is .

 

That my friend goes beyond a bodge, hammered dog sh*t is what that is!

 

you have the right to your opinion. probably you are just a rider. I'm a mechanic first. the stock design is dangerous. that's why honda does not make this replacement part. lemon repaired. can't work without a sledge hammer.

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you have the right to your opinion. probably you are just a rider. I'm a mechanic first. the stock design is dangerous. that's why honda does not make this replacement part. lemon repaired. can't work without a sledge hammer.

 

Yes I do. That’s were you are wrong. I’m a motor mechanic by trade although I no longer work in the industry. That ‘repair’ is crap, and if you take pride in turning out turds like that then maybe you should re-evaluate your perceived skill level because no mechanic I’ve ever worked with would want to put there name to it, let alone plaster it all over the net. Maybe you should stick to just riding, eh? :thumb:

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you have the right to your opinion. probably you are just a rider. I'm a mechanic first. the stock design is dangerous. that's why honda does not make this replacement part. lemon repaired. can't work without a sledge hammer.

 

Yes I do. That’s were you are wrong. I’m a motor mechanic by trade although I no longer work in the industry. That ‘repair’ is crap, and if you take pride in turning out turds like that then maybe you should re-evaluate your perceived skill level because no mechanic I’ve ever worked with would want to put there name to it, let alone plaster it all over the net. Maybe you should stick to just riding, eh? :thumb:

 


it's a modern slipper with a manual tensioner. nothing more, a passive part. been putting care free miles since I installed it. sorry you don't get it. gas mileage has come right up. idle is like a sewing machine. all my timing problems are gone.


so tell me how should I have done to make your level of repair? out of manual is the only repair that will work.

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Like drilling a hole in a cylinder block and fitting a homemade manual tensioner that pushes against the GUIDE blade and then sealing up the hole with lumps of silicone sealant . If that ain't a bodge then tell me what is .

 

That my friend goes beyond a bodge, hammered dog sh*t is what that is!

 

you have the right to your opinion. probably you are just a rider. I'm a mechanic first. the stock design is dangerous. that's why honda does not make this replacement part. lemon repaired. can't work without a sledge hammer.

It's a shit bike that was made in 1975 for goodness sake . So you've managed to cobble one together and keep it going with homespun fixes and it's got a $1.00 battery eliminator off a scooter . Right , good , well done . BUT why do you have to preach about it like you are some kind of motorcycle Messiah come to save us from our mechanical ignorance. What you are chatting on about is quite interesting in its way but the way you go about it gets straight up everyone's nose . The first thing you said when you stormed into this forum is that you piss people off . Well there's no need to fulfill your own prophecy with such determination . If you would just tone down the holier than thou attitude you would be a valued contributor to the forum.

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Blah blah blah.

 

You banged a bolt in bit of scrap metal and then slapped a load of sealant over it nothing more, then (just like all your other posts) you came spouting about how awesome you are and well, if any one calls you on, they don’t understand.


It’s your bike, do what you want, but quit pretending you are the only one who knows which end of a ratchet is which.

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so tell me how should I have done to make your level of repair?

 

so you attack my character. where do I say I'm better than anyone. fastbob get real. you ask me three times where I put the tensioner. you dont even read what I'm writing.



xmachina. you are such an excellent mechanic. show me.



the reason I piss people off is because I know how to do really cheap repairs. telling people how to use $4 r/r will piss off sites where they sell them for 50$

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Touch a nerve? Unlike you, I don’t try to make everyone think I know everything. I’m not familiar with that particular engine and without having one in front of me to actually look at and take measurements from it would be impossible to say exactly what I’d do but it wouldn’t involve the cheapest crap available that’s for sure.


For starters, I’d look at the installation procedure used for the other 2 tensioners, given that sort of failure rate it’s likely something you did or overlooked caused them to fail. But no, clearly because you can turn a spanner you have also appointed yourself as an engineer and decided that it’s the parts fault clearly.


Like I said, it’s your bike, fix it how you want, just turn it in with the high and mighty crap. If you are trying to troll it’s a seriously weak attempt- if your not, well, I’m not even sure what to make of that.

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so tell me how should I have done to make your level of repair?

 

so you attack my character. where do I say I'm better than anyone. fastbob get real. you ask me three times where I put the tensioner. you dont even read what I'm writing.



xmachina. you are such an excellent mechanic. show me.



the reason I piss people off is because I know how to do really cheap repairs. telling people how to use $4 r/r will piss off sites where they sell them for 50$

 

No mate , the reason you piss people off is your over assertive attitude . If you actually think that online retailers give a toss about your cheap fixes your ego is so big that you have crossed the line into paranoia . I'll try to illustrate it for you . Instead of launching in with " Why you need this " how about " Here's something that may be of interest " Can you see the difference ? The problem is that nobody needs "This" because I am fairly certain that nobody here actually has a CB 360 with a bad cam chain tensioner because they all went to the scrapyard 40 years ago. But if you write and illustrate a well written article on the subject someone may find it of interest and an equally interesting discussion might develop . I'm genuinely trying to be helpful here . Could I suggest that you take some time to read right through some of the threads in this section just to get a sense of how we do things here .https://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=87&t=67574#p1047670 or how about this one ? https://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=87&t=67550#p1047272

Edited by fastbob
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Touch a nerve? Unlike you, I don’t try to make everyone think I know everything. I’m not familiar with that particular engine and without having one in front of me to actually look at and take measurements from it would be impossible to say exactly what I’d do but it wouldn’t involve the cheapest crap available that’s for sure.


For starters, I’d look at the installation procedure used for the other 2 tensioners, given that sort of failure rate it’s likely something you did or overlooked caused them to fail. But no, clearly because you can turn a spanner you have also appointed yourself as an engineer and decided that it’s the parts fault clearly.


Like I said, it’s your bike, fix it how you want, just turn it in with the high and mighty crap. If you are trying to troll it’s a seriously weak attempt- if your not, well, I’m not even sure what to make of that.

 

I've looked at the upgraded parts that consist of a differently shaped tensioner blade and a modified mounting bracket in a very informative YouTube video and it looks fine to me .

Screenshot_20190818-114929.thumb.png.ed46628b819567fe2d79b0b6288830e6.png

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I've looked at the upgraded parts that consist of a differently shaped tensioner blade and a modified mounting bracket in a very informative YouTube video and it looks fine to me .

 

that's exactly the part that is defective. go ahead buy one and install it correctly. you have no idea what you are talking about. all other honda cb's use a different design. there is a reason honda no longer makes this part or make bikes this way. it is dangerous. what I did is bike specific and neither of you know this bike.


the video looks fine to me too but its all bullsh*t from the people selling this defective part. I've already told you that though.


Iv'e picked out pieces three times from the crankcase. the last time it went through the back of the head.

 

I’m not familiar with that particular engine and without having one in front of me to actually look at and take measurements from it would be impossible to say exactly what I’d do but it wouldn’t involve the cheapest crap available that’s for sure.

 

ok, lets see one of your excellent repairs. where is your post? yes I get it, you only do it the right way and my repairs are dog sh*t. hate to tell you but the cheapest crap today in many cases is better than nos 1974 ever was.

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ok, lets see one of your excellent repairs. where is your post?

 

Maybe I didn’t spell it out clear enough for you, I’m not the one who feels I have something to prove and needs to tell everyone how to do stuff.


Don’t throw your toys out the pram because you got called on your shitty ‘repair’ and then your sly ‘probably just a rider’ dig backfired. I may not know the engine but I sure as hell can recognise a bodge when I see one.


You accuse these parts of being dangerous or defective yet you then go on about how you’ve used cheap, untested parts to cobble something together. You’re delusional mate! :lol:

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