Honda CT90 Engine Reassembly

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I have one 1971 CT90 where I was going to rebuild the clutch because the kickstarter just wasn't turning over the engine like it used too,  and I also had a Big Bore kit from DrATV that I wanted to install. My intent was to just do the top end and rebuild the clutch with new disks, but when I opened up the cases to rebuild the clutch pack I found a slick black slime in the bottom of the case.  I didn't like the idea that there could be black slime in the rest of the engine, so I decided to disassemble the entire engine to make sure I cleaned everything out.  Since I was tearing everything apart I thought I would document step by step how everything goes back together in this post in case others were interested in knowing what the inner workings of a CT90 engine look like. Links to Related Posts: My Honda CT90 Clutch and Headset Nut Tool Cut Away of a CT90 Engine - CT90 Engine Exposed! Repairing Damaged CT90 Spark Plug Threads Using a Time-Sert Thread Insert CT90 Cl...

Product Review - Volar Heavy Duty Drive Chain for the CT90

Volar Chain for Honda CT90

I recently purchased a new chain for a 1971 CT90 that I own off of eBay from a seller named d2moto. The chain is also available at Amazon at this link here.

The chain was $18.99 and included free shipping.

I haven't used a Volar chain before, so I thought I would give this a try. In the end I found the chain to be of good quality and from my perspective a good value for the price.




The chain is a standard 428 size and has 114 links.


The chain came in a nice sealed plastic package within the primary box that it was was shipped in.


The plastic packaging contained the chain and also the master link that was included in a separate small sealed plastic bag.


The chain and master link all had a very light film of protective lubricant and there was no signs of rust on any of the components.

So overall, I was happy with the quality of the chain and think it will perform fine for most of the ridding I do and think it is a pretty good value compared to other chains available for the CT90.

When installing a new chain I have always found it helpful after removing the master link on the old chain to temporally attach the new chain to the old chain with the master link (see the photo below) so that when you pull the old chain off the bike it will thread the new chain around the drive sprocket.



I did find that the 114 link chain was more than long enough for my 1971 CT90 given there was six extra links which might make this just long enough to use with some of the older configuration CT90 and CT200 configurations that had the dual rear sprockets before the dual range gearboxes were added.


The chain was easily shortened with my chain breaking tool.


And the included master link installed easily and with a little chain lube my CT90 was ready to go with its new Volar chain, which I think is a very good chain for the price.



Helpful Links (Shop Manuals, Wire Diagram, Model Information, etc.)

Link to page with listing of CT90 parts available on Amazon



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