185S died... need help

[hiltu]

my 1983 185S died today. The engine was running funny and when i took it out it ran ok at first than when i let go of the gas it made loud popping and crackling sounds out of the muffler, it died when i down shifted it, i was able to start it again and got to my driveway where it died again. my question is what possible problem(s) could have happened, carb problem? spark problem? leak in the intake? desperate for help, thanks.

[83185s]

leak in the intake would have made it rev up real high...i dont think thats it...well if you let off the gas and it made that sound then its prolly runnin real rich...check your carb and a/f mix screw...

[bigredhead]

Start with the plug.

remove.. put in NEW one.. not an old cleaned one... DR8ES-L ngk. could just be a fouled plug.

Have the valves been clacking ? when you pull start it does it seem to lock up any ?

[83185s]

brhead i didnt even think of that stuff...definetly do that first

[hiltu]

my wheeler doesn't have a pull start, i put it in 2nd gear and pick up the rear end run with it and drop it and it starts, i need to buy a new pullstart, what do * mean by "have the valves been clacking?" when i let go of the gas and the wheeler starts to slow down it makes big loud popping sounds

[hiltu]

which screw do i wanna adjust, there is one on the left side of the engine that has a flat head screwdriver head, is this for adjusting the f/a or is that the idle screw? if its the idle screw where is the f/a mixture screw and is it a flat head screw driver or one of this screws with a neuro like grip and * twist with your hand? (im a newbie to 3wheelers and mechanics, sorry)

[hiltu]

bought a new spark plug, no difference in performance

[Tri-ZNate]

http://www.bikebandit.com/partsbandit/oem_schematic_view~mp_id~~mscssid~0PHR1TS4GGST8N3H 1Q98686KWDNBEQP8~schem_dept_id~180008~section_dept _id~1~section_dept_name~OEM+%28Stock%29+Parts~dept _type_id~2~model_dept_year~1983~model_dept_mfr~Hon da~model_dept_id~179184~model_dept_name~ATC185S.as p

that is a good place to figure out what everything is and disregaurd what I said earlier, I didnt realize how different it was from an SX carb

[83185s]

the screw on the left of the carb is the idle screw...the a/f screw (air/fuel mixture) is on the side closest to the engine on the bottom of the carb...its also a flat head but really hard to get to without taking it off or having some small hands and a small screwdriver...when the valves are clacking is when it is idleing or not and you hear some tapping going on..not the loud bang boom cablam of the backfire...but i just thought of this..it may have thrown itself out of time...does it not like to get up and go as it did the other day or does it only do that when you let off the gas?

[MTS]

if its got good spark, new plug, set the air screw(upsidedown one) at about 2 turns out , just as a baises to see if it starts...if not spray some gas down the throat of the carb see if it fires up...if so then take your carb apart........a jet coulda come loose...

[83185s]

yea a jet could have came loose...it did that to my pilot jet cause i didnt screw it in tight enough i guess...i wondered why it wouldnt idle but it would rev just fine and it did cackle alot when i came loose..in case your wondering..ive had about every problem with my 185 except for bottom end problems..its all been top end and electrical problems

[bigredhead]

I don't think it's that complicated. the thing was running right ?

Have you been " working '" on it lately other than oil changes, air filter cleanups.. ran out of gas( sucked a pile of junk in the carb ?????

Is you gas tank clean and shiney or is it rusty ? Check your petcock for clogs might be starving..

Choke stuck on ?

air filter clean .. nothing in airbox ? water or oil or etc....

How's your exhaust pipe ? in good shape or all musted full of holes ?

Just a diagnosis list i guess..... lol.

[hiltu]

i was low on gas and the fuel filter was sticking through the gas, so it was sucking in some air, i can drive the 3wheeler but i can't ever let go of the gas, as soon as i take my thumb off it wants to die but i drove it yesterday with this problem through all gears fine, i adjusted the f/a screw and the idle screw but it doesn't seem to make a difference. are the jets those two bronze colored rods inside the carb? if so those r tightened down.

[hiltu]

i just bought a DG RCM exhaust pipe, came in the mail yesterday and hooked it up, but i had this problem before i got the exhaust

[hiltu]

the two jets should be tighten down all the way right?

[83185s]

yes they should be tightened down all the way

[bigredhead]

tightened but not " Stripped" they are made of bronze.. or some very soft metal.. don't need to go crazy on them..

if the air/fuel and idle screw don't have any effect when you turn them... something is dirty in there....

Don't try to adjust a dirty carb.. it will never work right.

Backfire when you slow down using engine compression is normal for a high flow exhaust.. my SX did that before i had the holes welded up.. staring again.. as the welds fall out over time. ( i need a new pipe ! )

[Tri-ZNate]

I was just thinking the same problem happened to me around christmmas with my SX. My prob was I plugged the overflow because I couldnt clean it good enough. As what might have been stated before take the jets out and clean them BOTH WAYS. That was my prob, I sprayed into the jet hole and the stuff couldnt get out so it just kept running out the overflow. Spray into the jet hole and the other side of the hole.

[bigredhead]

use a broom nylon brisslte to clean the holes one by one.

DO NOT USE METAL WIRE. if you enlarge the holes on that jet .. it's toast. Picture holes on a hand pump spray bottle.. if you make them big. you get droplets and not a mist.