Honda CB360 / CL360 Center Cam Bearing Journal Failure Explained

[@tomscyclerecycling8242]

Very interesting and well done. You just saved some cylinder heads from a premature failure.

[@corey9750]

Brenden - I honestly can't thank you enough for taking the time & effort to produce these videos!! My sincere appreciation for this one in particular as it saved me a potentially disastrous result as I get ready to install my new camshaft. Thanks for the heads up - Corey

[@dntlss]

I wonder how many parts became unusable until this little problem was figured out, i have a 550 but i love watching your videos man, they are great.

[@123the789]

I am so impressed with your site and the service you are providing the riders of vintage Hondas. Now rethinking the extent to the service I wish to perform on my CJ360. Thank you!

[@Common-motor]

Thank you! We hope to keep them alive forever!

[@californiamonster8877]

i cant believe they made the cast then never drilled...tsk tsk. great mod. thx for all ur vids man! what an asset to the community.

[@Common-motor]

Yeah, it would help so much!

[@brianburke5570]

just got my first bike and i love these videos. Thanks for making these services more approachable

[@mebeasensei]

Nice diagnostic and neat explanation.

[@johnofypres]

Very well explained. Thank you.

[@chrisstephens6673]

Interesting, brings back memories of my days in a bike shop. We had this problem on engines that had never been apart before so Honda must have got it wrong straight from the factory and not a bodged repair rebuild. Have you seen Paul X (youtube channel) do this sort of bearing repair? If not you should, he does a super job.

[@Common-motor]

Ill check it out!

[@jordandenmark8443]

Great video fellas. Doing this immediately.

[@Common-motor]

Thank you!

[@don7406]

Wow, what you said makes perfect sense. Thanks for the advice.

[@KamieNJim]

Great video! Definitely helps a newbie mechanic like me!

[@Common-motor]

Thats what we're here for!

[@AllboroLCD]

Very Helpful! I have a 94 CB250, experiencing this phenomena as well but with my cam bearings. More specifically the right side bearing chewed itself up somehow where the left is only slightly worn. Caused cam to become un-level and valves started clattering like hell. Im just not clear exactly why it's just the one side. I dont wanna replace the bearings only for it to happen again.

[@jayshaw63]

This great. I wish I had known this 30 years ago.

[@Common-motor]

I know, I wish Honda had know it when making them!

[@tommy-time5240]

Your the man, thank you for that great explanation.

[@prout27cat]

the modest genius thank you

[@themontemoto]

Very thorough! Thank you!!

[@stoicllc2352]

To prevent it, couldn’t a person just go in to the engine and just loosen and hand snug up those two center bolts? Is it necessary to take it fully apart for this?

[@ThePreacherProclaims]

Just in time! I have to do this work next.

[@Common-motor]

Glad we made the cut!

[@davidcort2857]

Hi there, will a CJ 360 Head and Rocker cover swap straight over to a 360 G5, so i can do the extra drilling for the oil way, ?

[@davidgreene217]

My CB360 had a leaking cam seal that shorted out the points. What causes that problem?

[@caysedave1]

Great video as usual. I'm about to inspect this as part of my next service. Are there any symptoms of journal damage, like engine vibrations at high rpm. I just started having an acute vibration kick in 4th and 5th gears. Thanks

[@Common-motor]

These engines vibrate as it is part of their nature. Good luck

[@swannyisnumberone]

Hi Guys. I have a sort of related question. I have oil leaking from the tachometer drive of my CB360. Should there be a seal in there like there is in the CB350's. If so which part number as I know there are different sizes. Need help quickly. Many thanks. Your videos and community comments have been invaluable.

[@Common-motor]

yes there is a seal in there: www.common-motor.com/honda-360-oil-seal-kit

[@amon-recrosby3151]

Thanks for the great video. Are you going to do any video on the cb350F?

[@Common-motor]

Which video are you hoping for?

[@thondakaika4728]

Is Honda Cm 200 engine valve clearance Same to those bikes

[@Common-motor]

I would check the service manual specific to your motorcycle. The CM200 is from a different time period and we aren't super familiar with it.

[@thondakaika4728]

@@Common-motor Thank you

[@TON_KROW]

At 3:40 … it’s called spot facing

[@suzj4770]

great tips

[@Common-motor]

thank you!

[@MURDOCK1500]

Why don't you pastigauge the cam bearing surfaces to see what clearance you have to start with?

[@peterjones6945]

It's a good idea to plastigage it then just polish the bearing with a home made 'flap wheel'. It doesn't really matter what clearance you have though if the bearings are not getting any oil. I've come up with various fixes for that problem and posted on many sites (DTT, Honda Twins, et.al.) If you have that step, it isn't machined in by Honda but more likely fretting from incorrectly installed or missing top engine mount or loose 6mm bolts.The 6mm bolts need re-checking after the 8mm bolts are torqued, best to go around twice. Majority of people working on these bikes have never seen let alone read the common tools and procedure manual then criticise Honda for not giving full directions

[@Common-motor]

Don't forget the more you polish the more slop there is in that camshaft. And there is factory wear values for that so once you get to a certain point you're just out of luck. We're in the process of engineering a fix but until then if you wear too far the head is toast. And we usually do plastigage ours over here if the surfaces aren't in good condition.

[@beatthedevil1396]

I heard they machine and install bearings in journal

[@grantfuller2016]

Total bull crap ( other than the last bit about torque specs ) . If the metal is deformed it proves the torque spec is too high for the relatively small contact area ( the side journals have much larger contact area ) . The GB500 ( single cylinder , but also has a centre journal ) suffered this problem . The fix ( service bulletin from Honda ) was to die grind the journal away until it had more than enough clearance, replace the cam ( because the original had usually snapped in half ) and chuck it back together. Basically they just run them without the centre bearing .

[@ulisesnunez8038]

Im having a different problem with the cb360 engine. When i adjust the valves to "spec" or so i think the engine is imposible to turn because the valves are so tight. I have watche your video but im still stumped. If anyone could help me that would be amazing.

[@RSVbruno]

Assuming you are doing this with the spark plugs out, it should rotate pretty easily. If not, check that you are adjusting them on their compression stroke. Rotate the engine forward, and start with the left cylinder. When you watch the INTAKE valve go down and then come up (the valve on the side where the carburetor is) you should be close to the "T" mark. Set it there, and adjust your valve. Use the "Go, no-go" method. If it's .002, make sure you can get it in there, but not a .003 You adjust both intake and exhaust on the left cylinder, then rotate the engine 360 degrees (watch to verify the RIGHT intake valve goes down and then comes up) and do the adjustment for both intake and exhaust on that side. If something is tight, you may have an issue with your cam chain tensioner or like the above video, something fried in the top end :(

[@Common-motor]

Hmm I agree, if you're using the correct marks to adjust and you're having that kind of resistance I'd open it up just to take a look. It could be something else going on and it's good to check that tensioner if you never have as well.

[@macc1370]

This happened to my 360 as well 😢

[@californiamonster8877]

everyone do the oil flow mod or regret not being able to find a replacement head soon

[@peterjones6945]

Hi Brenden, haven't heard from you for a while. A fix has been available since the mid 1970's. Where is the clutch cover to show where the real problem lies? You need the correct oil, and modify transfer piece. Don't tell people to skip bolts, torquing centre bolts first is what flexes valve cover into correct position. Guess I'll have to do a real vid for you? Send me a couple of scrap heads and I'll do some machining

[@beatthedevil1396]

I just picked up a cj 360 with 20k. 80 bucks

[@Common-motor]

Niceeee

[@christidmas3995]

Totally wrong design at the factory.Poor testing pre production.Have done lots of these in the past.Bad heat treatment in cams and rockers too.The cam chain tensioners are so crap too.CB 400 was far superior.