Top end oiling issues for vf500

I have seen it mentioned that all interceptors from '83 to '85 (and possible '86) have problems with top end oiling and therefore premature and severe cam wear. I have't been able to find a definitive thread about this problem for vf500's (please tell if there is one so I don't make a redundant thread).

I want to find out if there's anyone who has found a decent solution to this problem (if in fact it does exist for vf500's). Has anyone done anything like adding new oil lines to the problem area, etc.?

Thanks!

 

I went through this almost 10 years ago and turned up no solid proof that the 500 suffered the same problem as the 1st Gen 700 and 750. Even so, I still put a top end oiling kit on my 500 and to this day have had no issues. In addition, my brother also has an '86 500 with 35K miles and no kit, and he has no issues either.

 

What is the top end oiling kit? Did you make it custom or is there a preferred design/kit already out there?

and thanks tinker, I'll be sure to keep up with the maintenance

 

Mine was a bolt on kit. It replaces the stock oil lines to the top end. This kit runs oil from the filter to the top end. I've included some photos. There are other kits out there that require drilling and tapping as well.

 

For the 500, I don't think it is necessary. If I could do it over again, I would have saved the money and not installed it, but I also don't think there is any harm in having it either.

 

I rode my v45 magna like I stole it for 10's of thousands of miles and the cams looked new when I parked it. They are the main culprit of toasting cams. A local Honda guru (yeah he is that good, retired now) told me in the 808's to keep it over 3k rpm and it would be ok. I watched dozens of them come in for repair hanging out at the shop but mine kept running until the day I sold it with out issue. The 500 doesn't have anywhere near the bottom end torque of the 750 so I think one of the reasons they never gave the cam problems as bad was because it was just more natural to keep the tach on the north end of the scale.

 

I recently emailed dave dodge regarding his oil modification kit and he responded: He is selling them for 269.00. On his website it indicates that the kit is not recommended for the 500.