Clutch cover 2007 Honda trx500fe

[Ejwill]

Well while I was waiting for new parts for the choke, I decided to adjust the clutch. When I removed the lock nut, I found the guy I bought it from or someone else had stripped the threads on the adjustment rod. I couldn’t get the adjustment rod to turn without putting a pair of channel locks on the screw driver, this was telling me something was wrong. So now the rod pushes in and out and spins freely too freely. So guess I’ll have to take the clutch housing off to see what’s going on and replace the adjustment rod, it’s threads are beyond repair, and there is something going on with the adjustment rod. If there’s another way please let me know. The further I go the worse it gets. Thanks for any help.

[Mech]

https://www.babbittsonline.com/oemparts/a/hon/5053de37f870021c54bddb6f/front-crankcase-cover-trx500fe-fpe

Part 21 is attached to the gear shift mechanism and when the shift lever moves any direction it swings part 13 left or right. Part 17 is a housing with three ball bearings in it, and it, and parts 13 and 15, all work together to lever 13 and 15 apart. Part 13 pushes against the cover and 15 has the adjuster screw in it's center. The adjustment screw presses and disengages the clutch.  So yeah, it looks like it may be needed to take that cover off.

If you have it off and are putting it together again, use a bit of vaseline to stick the bits in place while you fit the cover.. It saves/stops then falling out of position.

[Ejwill]

Thanks Mech I’m going to start on it in a few minutes. Thought it was going to be a simple process. But that’s the way it goes with me. Thanks again.

[Mech]

They are (comparatively speaking) fairly simple. And the access is better than some.

Yell out if you have any doubts about any of it. Check and/or test things at every stage of the reassembly, and backtrack if you think you need to, sooner than later.

[Ejwill]

My choke cable came in so decided to go ahead and put it on. Got a new plunger and spring. I don’t have enough cable coming out of the elbow and nut to put the new plunger on. Choke knob is pushed in all the way. When I put the elbow and nut on the cable the cable is recessed up into the nut too far to put the spring and plunger on. It’s oem cable.

[Mech]

Do you have the old cable to compare length to ?

Are you sure the outer cable is pushed right in to the fittings ?

Can you get the plunger on without the spring ? Does the spring perhaps need to go up inside the elbow ? Perhaps it needs a skinnier spring,  Perhaps it needs a different elbow. Maybe that cable is made for a model without the elbow.. Guessing here.. haha.

[Ejwill]

If it didn’t have the metal inner elbow I could push it far enough on to access the inner cable. Hey I tried it without the metal one and the rubber one twisted up while I tried to tighten the nut. I don’t know I’ll check it against the original cable. Thanks again.

[AnthonyT]

I would measure and make sure the cable they sent is the correct length. 

[Mech]

Some carbs have a short straight screw in fitting for the cable too.. That cable might be meant for that..

[Ejwill]

I checked the cable to the original and they were identical. I finally got the cable and choke installed, hope it is close enough to right to work . It cranked and the choke worked idled up when I pulled the choke knob idled down when pushed in. Got to get started on the clutch housing to replace the clutch adjusting bolt. Seems like one step forward and two steps back. Thanks for the replies.

[Ejwill]

Well, I got all the bolts out of the housing and separated about 3 inches. I can move it slightly by hand. But it won’t come off. It looks like it is hitting the front drive shaft. Can’t get it to go any further. The manual doesn’t mention anything about that. Should I have to move the front drive shaft to get it off? The manual also doesn’t mention taking the shift motor off, I had to to get the last bolt the ratchet or electric ratchet would fit on it enough to keep from rounding the bolt head off. I’m in a wheelchair so I can’t get in a lot of ways to reach things, I finally got in the floor and slid under it. With my weight that’s hard in its self. A tight squeeze. If I need to remove the front drive please let me know. Thanks for all the help, I really need it.

[Mech]

You do need to remove the shift motor and gears according to the manual I'm looking in. They describe it as the "ESP" models (electric shift program), and that's what yours is.

Good work getting into it though given your difficulties. Well done.

[Ejwill]

Thanks Mech. All my manual said was to remove the bolts and place in a piece of cardboard to keep up with where they go. They all appear the same except for the two long ones on each side of the oil filter. Other than that it was like remove the bolts and slide it off. It did say remove the fan I just removed the lower bolts on the fan and was able to push it back far enough to work. Removing the front drive is a bit harder looks to me. It said remove the clamps from the boots and discard them, can’t reuse them. Hope I can put them back together after I remove the shaft, it looks like the only way to get the clearance to remove the housing.

[Mech]

The book doesn't say to take the drive shaft out.

Have you downloaded the genuine honda service manual, that will no doubt be here in the manuals section ?

[Ejwill]

I got the housing off, I worked it from the wet clutch side and was able to free it up enough to get it off. Everything seemed to look good except the adjusting bolt I’ve ordered it and some other things, so guess I’ll be on hold for now except for cleaning the other parts up. We had snow and ice here over night. People from up north would probably laugh at how this has shut us down. Schools are closed stores closed they said they didn’t want people driving if they didn’t just have to. So I’ll try to get to the parts store tomorrow and get some cleaning solvent.  There was a lot of thick oil in the housing and something that was sticky on the inside of it looked like grease. I’ll try to clean it good and clean all the oil ports out. Maybe the parts will be in by then. Thanks again for the help.

[Mech]

You need a tub of vaseline too, to keep the small pars of the clutch mechanism in place, in the case, while you slip it back on. Grease works but grease has additives you don't want in the oil.

[Ejwill]

Thanks Mech, got some ready, just waiting on parts. What’s the best way to get the old gasket off the housing joint?

[Mech]

I have a couple of old files ground up to gasket scraper on their ends. One's got a square ground blade end with a slight radius to it so it only really contacts in the centre of the scrape as you are pushing it like a chisel, (it can be flipped over either way) and the other one is just like a chisel, tapered blade and straight across. I use the chisel one on thick gaskets and steel surfaces, and the flat scraper blade I use on aluminium and softer gaskets. They are both shaped on a grinder but sharpened with an oil-stone.. or else you get a rough finish.

[Gwbarm]

I usually use a gasket scraper that holds a razor blade to get under the old gasket to get it off. Then get the remains with a dremmel with brass wire brush. Then go over the surface with 400 grit sanding drum with dremmel getting it really smoothe. Then rub the surface down by hand with 600 grit and brake clean to remove any oil left behind. I then put a very thin coat of Hondabond#4 on the gasket inside mating surface to hold it in place while i put things back together. Probably an overkill but i dont want gaskets to leak. They arent cheap and i dont want to have to redo it, been there done that.

[Mech]

Loctite ! 

[Ejwill]

Thanks GW. Mech loctite? 

[Mech]

Oh it's just a sealer I love and advise everyone to get and use.. I keep recommending it to Gw..

[Ejwill]

So it’s loctite sealer, I’ve only heard of the bolt loctite,I’ll try and find it. Thanks to both of you.

[Mech]

https://www.aesnz.com/product/282-loctite-25ml-518-master-gasket-syringe

This is the stuff. The syringe applies it really neatly and economically. It doesn't need a lot of surface preparation, a good rub with a clean rag or wipe with a rag with solvent/fuel is good enough. It doesn't set till the two parts are put together so you can work at a comfortable pace. The excess that squeezes out can be wiped off the outside and what goes inside dissolves into the oil and doesn't block screens or cause any damage/problems (unlike silicon, which I hate with a passion). It fills gaps up to 0.013", and can be used as a substitute for most gaskets. And, if you do take it apart again, the old hard stuff scrapes off really easily and cleanly. It's slightly expensive but the nozzle and the way it seals means you can use one tube on several car engines or a  lot of bike work. Apart from the occasional sump that's designed to be sealed with silicon this is all I use.. and I hardly ever buy/use gaskets with it. I use it instead of gaskets.. It seals better, cleaner, with less liability on me.

 

Haha.. I did say I loved it didn't I.. 

Oh.. and it's O2 sensor safe.. 

[Ejwill]

Sounds great I’ll have to check it out, cause not one store around here sells it. Thanks for the info.

[Gwbarm]

I did get some Mech when you recommended it , just havent been into an engine deep enough to use it yet.

[Mech]

Use it everywhere and anywhere you need to seal fuel oil water or pressure.It even works as thread lock.. that will come apart.

If you are leaving gaskets out you do need to check end clearances etc...

[Ejwill]

I went to the site and was checking out and they said only shipping method for this order was to pick it up at one of the two stores in New Zealand, so the price of the loctite was $47 + some change and air fare round trip to New Zealand is somewhere around $2700 to $3000 so the would be around $3048, I think I’ll try to find some here in Georgia. Would love to come see New Zealand though, just can’t right now.

[Mech]

Yeah I said it was dear...  I get it for about $1400.00 to my door..  Haha.. just kidding.

It's strange that it's not well known over there. I thought CRC was an American company.. I've been buying it in the same syringe packaging for more than forty years now.. They do sell it in different packaging, but the syringe is what makes it so clean and economical.

[Gwbarm]

I had trouble finding it also, its called something different overhere, could not find any Loctite master gasket. I ended up determining it was the same as Loctite 518 gasket sealer and got it off Amazon. May not be exactly the same but should work well. 

What a hoot you found out how much to get it from New Zealand! Great bit of research there, very impressive.