Motorcycle Repair: OIL SEAL, gasket material, honda motorcycle

Question
HI THERE:: HOW CAN I REPLACE THE OIL SEAL FROM THE RIGHT CYLINDER HEAD SIDE COVER. THIS IS THE ONE THAT THE TACH CABLE ENDS IN THE MOTOR. ITS A HONDA CL175 1971.

THANKS,
PEDRO

Answer
Pedro, do you want to change the tachometer drive seal or just the gasket behind the cylinder head side cover?

Go to: http://www.powersportspro.com/partsfish/login.asp
sign up, log in, choose HONDA MOTORCYCLE option, then choose the CB200T, which is closely related to the CL175.
Check the POINTS selection and you will see the whole setup in an illustrated view.

Probably the easiest thing to do is to pull the valve covers, and loosen all the valve lash adjusters. Turn the motor over until the right side valves are on the compression stroke (valves closed). This puts the camlobes DOWN away from the rocker arms and will lessen the force on the camshaft. Take off the outer chrome cover, then remove the 4 screws with an impact driver. You may have to use a mallet or gently loosen the cover from the cylinder head to pull it free from the head. From the inside, you can push the tach drive gear upwards and out, pushing the seal out with it, if that is what needs to be replaced. Clean the parts, lightly oil everything, use a small DEEP socket to drive the new oil seal down into the housing, placing all the parts back in the proper order, as they were removed. Scrape all the gasket material from the back side of the drive cover and the cylinder head, making sure that you don't get any gasket material inside the engine. Stuff rags or paper towels around the end of the camshaft, when you are cleaning the head surface. Put a new gasket on without sealer and reinstall the cover and four screws. Be sure not to force the cover on. The gear on the end of the cam and the tachometer gear have to mesh together and turn freely as they are installed.

Tighten up the four screws and put the outer cover back on. Go back to the valves and re-adjust the clearances to .002" COLD on both intake and exhaust valves.. ON THE COMPRESSION STROKE of each cylinder. Compression strokes alternate from side to side on each rotation of the crankshaft. Recheck the valve clearances after turning the motor over a turn or two, to ensure that you have adjusted them correctly. IF you have not done it properly, the valve clearances will suddenly become very loose again. Reset them so they are never more than .002" loose.

Bill Silver