front cover swap, 82 to 81 engine

[Stevej's wing]

Can a 1982 front cover be adapted to work on a 1981 engine?

 

[wilcoy02]

front covers? Are you talking about the timing belts covers? yes they will switch.

 

[Steve83]

If you're talking about the transmission cover that contains the water pump and oil filter mount, they both have the same bolt pattern, and will interchange. The only difference is the neutral switch - it's in the engine case on the '80 and '81, and in the transmission cover on the '82 and '83. If yours is an '81 engine, and you want to use an '82 cover, you need to fill the cutout in the cover where the switch wire would normally pass through.

 

[Stevej's wing]

I guess I should have been more specific. Can you adapt the neutral switch from a 82 engine to the 81 engine? I already have the case split on both engines so I can use the trans drum and the transmission it self just wonder if they will interchange. Want to use the new style neutral switch because I have had problems with oil leaking from the older style neutral switch and honda don't seal the seals for neutral switch anymore and the new orings I have used in the past are either to fat so the neutral switch does not work or it leaks.

 

[dan filipi]

The fork piece on the engine that turns the switch in the 82 isn't there on the earlier engine.
I looked at moving that part over from an 83 engine to an 81 once but at the time it looked rather involved because the entire shift detent assembly has to be swapped over. There were enough subtle differences in getting everything to line up right so I stayed with the earlier switch.