Scan 'em if you got 'em - VF500F Head Gasket Patterns

Any chance for a few photos - along with the engine serial number for the heads that you have? Thx!

 

Used/busted front Cylinder head on Ebay from an 86. There's a semi-clear pic of it in the listing.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Honda-VF500F-Interceptor-86-front-cyl-head-parts-/330366814957?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4ceb658aed

 

Thank you for the post.

I too have been watching eBay and taking note of the different coolant passage designs for the front and rear heads. The key, to the library, will be to collect higher res images (800 pixels wide) tied to year/engine serial number.

This should be a good source for owners and will help answer the question about the difference in head designs (i.e. gasket patterns) btwn the years.

 

Could you see any difference between the 86 in that listing and the 85 shown in this thread?

 

Yes, there are more coolant passages* shown the image of the '040' head above when compared to the '86 head you have posted the link to - I have noticed these pattern changes '84 and '85 heads as well. I think the best strategy is to create a library of photos of front and rear head coolant passages tied to engine serial numbers. Should be some interesting intel on the progression over the three model years.

*Update:

The coolant passages in the heads look to be the same on all model years - the difference is in the individual gasket design - based on the model year.

 

Didn't say that these are the only bikes that are a PITA.....but they are definitely one of them.

Looks like there are many different things between the 3 years they made these bikes.

Heads
Cams
Valves
Valve Springs

Jeeze.

Atleast the rockers are the same for all 3 years.

 

Yea...I guess.

If I decide not to fix my bike and I ride it till it grenades I'll post some pics of the head.

 

I vote for restoration. Put on your tuque (this has a Honda patch, right?) and dive into a rebuild & refresh over the winter months. With all the knowledge you have gained on this forum and your new V-Four tech contact you'll be in good shape and will have some fun to boot.

 

Maybe if I had a garage.

If I get another place to store AND work on the bike then maaaaybe.

But just thinking about the lack of parts and trying to find everything that'll fit an 86 is just annoying.

....and as wonderful as my new V-Four tech is he doesn't really believe some things that I say. (i.e. 86 has different cams)

 

An update on the gasket pattern research.

A seller on eBay (located in the UK) is listing the hereto unavailable OEM Gasket Kit 'A' for the '84 VF500F (OEM #061A1-MJ8-405).

I've ordered one kit (they have several available) and should be receiving this in a a week or so. I'll post the head gasket patterns here, for reference, once I receive.

For those interested in purchasing a set the eBay item number is: 230135284186.

 

OEM gaskets - year not clear

 

I contacted the seller earlier in the week.

He has one gasket in the original packaging - a rear head gasket for the '84 (OEM # 12252-MJ8-405). He said that the other gasket is the front head gasket which should fit all the years (after the 'early design' '84).

I purchased an OEM 'Gasket Kit A' - for the '84 - from a seller in the UK. I'll post the images of the head gaskets when they arrive.

 

Has anyone contacted coppergaskets.us ? They have the pattern for the VF500F head gaskets. In fact, the guy e-mailed them to me a few years back (but I can't find them now). not sure if that would help, but at least it would be a start!

 

I did awhile back and they do offer head gaskets for the VF500F - though I didn't ask them for copies of their patterns at the time...could be a good resource.

 

Honda Motorcycle Part Numbers

All parts on a Honda motorcycle have a unique part number. Honda divides parts into two broad categories, General Parts and Standard Parts. General parts are those unique to Honda, such as valves, pistons, gas tank etc. Standard parts are parts that follow universal standards, such as nuts, bolts and such.

General Parts
General parts have a part number divided into 3 sections, such as 22201-217-600 (clutch friction plate for the CL160).


The first string of digits (22201-XXX-XXX) indicates the Honda function and component number for this part. For example, there are several different part numbers for the CB160 clutch friction plate, all sharing function/component number 22201. Clutch steel plates have f/c code 22311, indicating same function but different component.

The second string of digits (XXXXX-217-XXX) is the product code, also known as Parts Classification Number in hondaspeak. This is the number that indicates the product (motorcycle) where this particular part was first used. Click here: Product Codes for a complete listing of older Honda product codes (big pdf file). 217 indicates that the CB/CL clutch friction plates where first used in the CB160. You will find these same plates with this number in later Honda Motorcycles. Some of the CB160 parts bear the 028 part code, indicating it was first used in the S90. Honda often lists several different part numbers for the same part, indicating slight differences in the part, such as different supplier etc.
All General parts having a different product code are "recycled" from other Honda models. Only parts with code 217 were originally designed for the CB160, but may have been used in later Honda models. The product code is probably the most interesting portion of the part number when trying to determine interchangeability of Honda parts between various models.


The third string of digits (XXXXX-XXX-000) is the Classification Number. It is mostly used to indicate various suppliers or improvements for the same part. Also any potential color code is tacked at the end of the classification number as digits (letters) 4 & 5.
Note that some pretty universal parts are still listed under General Parts number. For example most oil seals carry a general parts number. Luckily Honda parts fiche lists the actual dimensions for parts like this.

Standard Parts
Standard Parts have a part number divided into 2 sections, such as 93500-06032 (6mm x 32mm pan screw, for example right side engine cover).


The first string of digits indicates the function/type of the standard part, all pan screws are 93500-XXXXX.

The second digit indicates dimensions for the part.

Standard parts occasionally have a third string of digits indicating the ISO standard designation and chemical surface treatment.

 

Thanks for the post - great info on the part numbering system!

The rear head gasket (component no. 12252) is an 'MJ8-405' on the '84 and an 'MJ8-406' on the '85 & '86.

The front head gasket (component no. 12251) is an 'MJ8-306' for all years except for the 'early issue' '84 engine which notes an 'MJ8-405' - I scanned and posted this gasket pattern in the first post in this thread.

One curious thing - re. the 'early design' '84 front head gasket (component no. 12251), based on your post above...the Classification Number on the 'early design' is '405' where as on the later '84 and the'85/'86 models it is '306'.

I would have thought the later issue engines would have a higher Classification Number than the early issue engines - as the advancements were made.

I'll have to go back and double check the numbers again...perhaps I have something backwards...

 

Addendum to post no. 36:

I checked on the parts list and the original front head gasket part number for the 'early design' (up to eng. serial no. 2000094) was 12251-MJ8-000 - this was superseded by part no. 12251-MJ8-405.

The original part number for the later '84 head gasket was 12251-MJ8-010 - superseded by part no. 12251-MJ8-306.

So it does look like it went from '000' to '010' originally before be superseded by the new part numbers.

 

Jamie - I am using them on my 500. One was a little off on the first set that I received. Lany was great to deal with to get the problem resolved. I sent him some sample used gaskets and he rescanned them for the template, and remade the one that was off. It turns out that the original sample that the template was made from was not in great condition. So far so good as no leaks are apparent.

The nice thing about the copper gaskets is that they can be reused after annealing (heating red hot with torch then rapid cooling in water). They include instructions on how to do this with the gaskets. They were about $60 shipped I believe, which is reasonable especially if they will be re-used.

 

Pair of head gaskets, Ebay, right now, $39.95 buy it now. It does not say what version though, just 84-86.

Honda VF500 OEM head gaskets (New): eBay Motors (item 260634674684 end time Jul-19-10 19:17:43 PDT)

 

I just went back to the tab I had ebay opened in, and I see that it's 2 rear gaskets, which is what I got from partsnmore.com. So far, I've had no problems related to the gaskets.