how do I remove the fan?

Technical Help Forum

how do I remove the fan?

jazzmans 07-14-2008, 5:35 PM
79 cx500 mechanical fan.

I've removed everything around it, and the bolt in the center of the fan, how do I get the fuggin' fan off?

mine shrapnelled at speed on teh way to the grand canyon.

thanks in advance.

search did no love for me.

jaz

life is what happens while you are making other plans.

::::::::;

No-one sees motorcycles

Re: how do I remove the fan?

Daniel45mpg 07-14-2008, 6:25 PM
Ok if ya remore your front wheel the axle bolt is the same thread size that with thread in and remove the fan. Crazy huh! not kidding.

1980 CX500C
1980 CX500D

Renew, Reuse, Recycle.

Re: how do I remove the fan?

the cheese 07-14-2008, 6:56 PM

Please don't use youre axle. Go to lowes/ small auto parts store and ask for a M14X1.5 About 2 inches long. The front axle is a soft metal. It also does not thread in very well being tapered. Why go through all the trouble to remove the wheel/brake/caliper? The bolt is under $2. Well worth not taking it apart.

Oh, as you may know. Use a torque wrench when puttung the new one on. You don't want to make a $50 mistake. Can't remember how much it was. Anyone else?

1981 CX500 Custom
Just say no to skin graphs, wear your gear!

Re: how do I remove the fan?

jazzmans 07-14-2008, 8:14 PM
thanks for the bolt specifics, after the first post I recalled a whole couple of threads about this, and just needed the bolt sizes :)

I've got the torque specs off the service manual, (although it doesn't say diddly about how to take off the fan)

thanks y'all!

shrapnelled and it doesn't at this time appear to have toasted my radiator. Yeah, the bogs were smiling on me.

jaz

life is what happens while you are making other plans.

::::::::;

No-one sees motorcycles

Re: how do I remove the fan?

dtimm612 07-15-2008, 7:24 AM
Out of pure curiosity, what did happen? Did the fan bits just hit you in the legs or something?

81 Silverwing GL500
84 Magna VF1100C (V65)

Re: how do I remove the fan?

Keith in Rocky River 07-15-2008, 12:46 PM
using an axle might be a cheap option but it can foul up the end of the shaft.

Use a 14mm 1.5 pitch 10mm or longer hex head bolt from the local hardware store. Make sure it has a flat face where the threads start. a 21mm or 22mm wrech fits the head and about 2 - turns will get the fan off

Keith in Rocky River

2 - 81 GL500's
1 - 71 CL175

I ride solo cause the dog can't and the wife won't

Re: how do I remove the fan?

jazzmans 07-15-2008, 1:50 PM
so, once i screw the bolt into the fan face, is it (standing in front of the bike looking at the fan) clockwise or counterclockwise to remove the fan? will I have to open and lock the cam as the shop manual states?

thanks.

no parts flew out onto me, they all were trapped by the fan housing. After I opened her up, the blades fell out.

I still can't beleive i didn't shred the radiator.

jaz

life is what happens while you are making other plans.

::::::::;

No-one sees motorcycles

Re: how do I remove the fan?

Shep 07-15-2008, 2:24 PM
You can put the bike in gear,that will stop the camshaft moving.Don't be surprised if the threads in the,"Monkey Metal" in what's left of the fan don't let you use the bolt.In this case I made a couple of Wooden wedges out of some broom handle and hammered them either side of the fan to lever it off.This did not damage the Tach casing.

HTH :)

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Re: how do I remove the fan?

the cheese 07-15-2008, 4:39 PM

Clockwise.

1981 CX500 Custom
Just say no to skin graphs, wear your gear!

Re: how do I remove the fan?

the cheese 07-15-2008, 7:13 PM

When installing the fan, how far do you press it on? I think I broke my first by forcing it on to far. Do you just put the fan on the end of the cam and start the bolt and stop at 18 ft.-lbs? Or do you force it on more (to make it go onto the cam) then losen the bolt and then set it to the right torque? I don't want to wrech another fan.

Thanks, Michael

1981 CX500 Custom
Just say no to skin graphs, wear your gear!

Re: how do I remove the fan?

LRCXed 07-15-2008, 8:23 PM
Put the fan on the cam shaft, tighten it to the 18 ft. lbs, and leave it like an old girl friend! Do NOT over tighten it! It's a wedge shape, and in theory, you could spread it out and split it into!

If your going to do something, do it right, don't do it half as@*d.
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Re: how do I remove the fan?

Shep 07-16-2008, 3:02 AM
The recommended torque is between 14/18 ft lbs.I do mine to around 16 ft lbs.I smear some grease on the shaft for ease of release next time and a little thread lock on the bolt.This has served me well for 4 years.

HTH :)

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Re: how do I remove the fan?

jazzmans 07-28-2008, 2:24 AM
Hey Y'all!

I've been successfull so far on me bike. Installed new thermostat, radiator cap, overflow bottle (yes, you MUST drop the engine and push it forward) and fan. My bike runs much cooler, from what I can gather on a small test ride then it did. right at 1/2 at surface road speeds, just under 3/4 at interstate speeds.

I do have some issue with the fan rubbing on the housing somewhere at high rpm however. I installed a new fan from honda fwiw. My tach doesn't work (never did) so I can't say what rpm, but it's up there. not too far from where I normally shift, and it's a heinous noise, just like when a space fan is rubbing on its frame. Any suggestions would be helpfull.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions. This place rocks!

I think long term, I'm going to look for a headlight and mounting bracket so I can do without the windjammer in the hot months.

jaz

life is what happens while you are making other plans.

::::::::;

No-one sees motorcycles

Re: how do I remove the fan?

DAVID 07-28-2008, 5:01 AM
Pull the radiator back off and straighten the shroud, it's very easy to bend and there is not much clearance.

82 GL500
81 KDX175
If all else fails, read the instructions

Re: how do I remove the fan?

Shep 07-28-2008, 2:50 PM

DAVID wrote:
Pull the radiator back off and straighten the shroud, it's very easy to bend and there is not much clearance.

What he said.They are very easy to bend.

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Re: how do I remove the fan?

jazzmans 07-29-2008, 2:30 AM
Hey all.

I pulled the windjammer fairing, crash bars, radiator, fan shroud off, and the shroud looked to be perfectly round. I bent the radiator mounts so it sits a little further from the fan, and didn't put the fairing or fairing mounts back on.

She's naked!

anyway, the horrid high speed(rpm) noise is gone, but I swear it slightly rubs somewhere, fuck-if-I know how to find it. I rode 100 + miles this evening. I love this bike.

Now to get turn signals for the front, I'm preferential to turn signals.

jaz

life is what happens while you are making other plans.

::::::::;

No-one sees motorcycles

Re: how do I remove the fan?

Shep 07-29-2008, 5:11 AM

jazzmans wrote:
Hey all.

I pulled the windjammer fairing, crash bars, radiator, fan shroud off, and the shroud looked to be perfectly round. I bent the radiator mounts so it sits a little further from the fan, and didn't put the fairing or fairing mounts back on.

She's naked!

anyway, the horrid high speed(rpm) noise is gone, but I swear it slightly rubs somewhere, fuck-if-I know how to find it. I rode 100 + miles this evening. I love this bike.

Now to get turn signals for the front, I'm preferential to turn signals.

jaz

I was always forgetting to turn off my turn signals so I fitted a small cheap piezo beeper in parallel across the flasher relay on both my CXs in the headlight.Now I never forget to turn them off :)

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Re: how do I remove the fan?

Anonymous 07-29-2008, 7:46 PM

Shep wrote:
You can put the bike in gear,that will stop the camshaft moving.

HTH :)

I'm having the same exact problem about fan removal. Tried putting it in gear, but that didnt stop the camshaft from moving. The fan is atttached directly to the camshaft, but how? Is it threaded or just kinda wedged on the end of the camshaft?

Ive screwed a long bolt into the camshaft. Now what? I'm not sure I know what to turn which ways in order to remove the fan.

Re: how do I remove the fan?

Blindstitch2002 07-29-2008, 8:01 PM
The area where the fan is connected is a smooth surface. No threads what so ever. Screw ina m14 1.5 bolt about 2 inches long. Turn it clockwise in first gear. If that doesn't work have someone step on the rear brake to stop the wheel from turning.. If that still doesn't work. Make up some wedges out of wood at as small angle and tap them in behind the fan.

When I removed my fan all it took was a half turn of the big bolt and it fell right off.

1978 Honda Cx500 Maggot
1979 Honda Cx500 Custom
1980 Honda Cx500 Deluxe Couch Project Bike

CX500 Factory Service Manual
Courtesy of Randall-in-Mpls

Re: how do I remove the fan?

Blindstitch2002 07-29-2008, 8:08 PM
If it still doesn't come off the next part of the solution would be to use a cutting wheel to remove the fan. Cut the slot near the edge of the metal. The metal is pure crap so it shouldn't take to much.

1978 Honda Cx500 Maggot
1979 Honda Cx500 Custom
1980 Honda Cx500 Deluxe Couch Project Bike

CX500 Factory Service Manual
Courtesy of Randall-in-Mpls

Re: how do I remove the fan?

oranges0da 07-29-2008, 8:40 PM
Got it off all right... along with the end of the fucking camshaft.

free your mind

Re: how do I remove the fan?

kingston73 08-01-2008, 1:42 PM
Gotta ask, how'd that happen? Also, I went to both HomeDepot and Lowes, neither had any 14mm bolts, only had 12 and 16. Not a single hardware store in my area has any, are these things gold? So does the front axle trick really work? Or is it better to try the wood wedges? Any other ways to remove it?<br>

1979 cx500D/1980 CX500C engine

Re: how do I remove the fan?

Ayal 08-02-2008, 9:34 AM
I also could not find the screw in the big hardware stores, I had better luck at True Value. Also, auto stores like NAPA and auto enthusiasts stores should have it. Try this before any wedges or cutters. I personally had good luck with a couple of big old scredrivers that I gently tapped in the gap between the motor and fan-metal, in parallel to each other, as not to bend the shaft, but if you have a prayer of using the screw method, try that first.

Strive to learn something new every day

Re: how do I remove the fan?

jwaynes 09-20-2008, 5:54 PM
I found a good bolt at Checker Auto. Actually, it is an oil drain plug part number 65215. It is M14x1.5 and is plenty long. I did have to cut off the unthreaded end so that the threads would get enough of a bite into the fan before contacting the end of the camshaft. But, for $2.49, it worked great.