Please help me fix my 185s

[Blazer]

Hi Everyone,

I recently acquired my first 3 wheeler, a 1982 185s! When purchased, the oil looked like sludge, and it idled at full throttle. This weekend I cleaned the oil filter rotor and performed a normal oil change. (By the way, is there a special tool for removing the oil rotor bolts, that was a pain!) I also have rebuilt the carburetor. (found some bad o-rings inside)

After doing both of these things, It runs 100% better, still needs some fine tuning on the carb, but close enough for now. On my first test drive, the clutch lifter wasn't working properly, so I adjusted the screw on the right side of the engine. Problem solved. However today when I drove it, the clutch pedal is stuck in the down position, and won't let me down shift. Consequently, I am stuck in 5th gear.

What is the cause of this? I'd rather not have to take the right crankcase off again, but will if its the only way to fix the clutch lifter.

Thanks in advance for your help. I knew I was undertaking a project when I picked this thing up, but that's half the fun!

Blazer

[Danold]

yes there is a special tool for removing that nut. I just bought one today for my 200x.

I removed it from my parts motor without the tool and it was a pain in the arse to say the least. I got it off with a little help from old trusty(6lb ball peen) and about an hour of choice words and beating things

[Blazer]

The clutch lifter adjustment screw is stuck in place currently and will not move. AsI stated earlier, the clutch pedal is stuck "down". I am assuming I will need to remove the right crank case again to look at this assembly. When I do, what should I look for to fix this? I'm awaiting someone more knowledgeable than myself to guide me, so I don't have to do this 3 times. It wasn't all that fun the first time!

Blazer

[automator]

The clutch lifter adjustment screw is stuck in place currently and will not move. AsI stated earlier, the clutch pedal is stuck "down". I am assuming I will need to remove the right crank case again to look at this assembly. When I do, what should I look for to fix this? I'm awaiting someone more knowledgeable than myself to guide me, so I don't have to do this 3 times. It wasn't all that fun the first time!

Blazer

When the clutch adjustment went south on my YTM200 (different, yeah...but similar!), the clutch arm was split in two. You might need to pop the right side cover off to look at it.

Good luck!

-phil

[84honda200s]

your shift drums could have bound up on you. they did it to me last year in my 200s. but to be safe id check under the right cover (clutch cover) to see if anything is bad. but im going to say you will have to pull the motor and take the head,cyl, and whole left side (recoil, flywheel) off. then split the cases and check the tranny out. plus this way you can really check the shift arm and stuff real good.


good luck man..oooo get your self a manual. i think dammit here on 3ww has em still.

ooo one more thing welcome to 3ww.

[Blazer]

Thanks for the replies and advice concerning the clutch. I'm not sure that I have the time and experience for a complete tear down at the moment. I will however pick up a more detailed manual. So far, I had been working off of the downloadable manual that someone hosted on this site.

Does anyone know of a repair shop in the Dallas/Fort Worth area that will work on these? I am assuming that the Honda dealerships have stopped servicing these things long ago.

Thanks,

Blazer

[Erics350x]

You prolly just adjusted the clutch too far, remove the cover and see whats goin on.

[cajunchilipeper]

you may also wanna put in a inline fuel filter....if there is any rust at all in the tank it will get in the carb.....you can prob get a filter for $5 at autozone

[TeamGeek6]

Go back to the sludge thing. An oil change isnt good enough, it will not remove the sludge and the sludge can cost a bearing.

Drain the oil and fill the case with kerosene, crank the engine around 20 or 30 times and let the kero dissolve the gunk. Drain the gunk, filter it and burn it in the old truck mixed with gasoline. May have to do it 2 or 3 times till the kero comes out clean.

Dont get crazy to disassembel things till the old oil is removed, that gunk is thick and only takes a little to gum up a bearing or gear and make things sticky.

[Blazer]

Update:

I just looked at the clutch adjustment screw again. After applying a bit more pressure, I was able to turn it freely. However, I was still unable to shift out of 5th gear.

[Blazer]

Thanks for the tip concerning the oil and the fuel filter. The fuel filter sounds like cheap insurance. The college kid that owned it for "deer season" used it hard, and put it away wet. When I changed the oil, it was black in color. The gunk I referred to was in the bottom of the engine and oil rotor. I removed this as best I could, but that still doesn't account for all the other oil passage ways that may still be full of that gunk.

Anyone know where I can purchase individual gaskets for the right engine cover? I would really hate to purchase another complete set when all I need is 1 more.

Thanks

[84honda200s]

Thanks for the tip concerning the oil and the fuel filter. The fuel filter sounds like cheap insurance. The college kid that owned it for "deer season" used it hard, and put it away wet. When I changed the oil, it was black in color. The gunk I referred to was in the bottom of the engine and oil rotor. I removed this as best I could, but that still doesn't account for all the other oil passage ways that may still be full of that gunk.

Anyone know where I can purchase individual gaskets for the right engine cover? I would really hate to purchase another complete set when all I need is 1 more.

Thanks




the only way i know to get that gasket is...full kit or a bottom end kit.

[Blazer]

Update:

I just removed the right engine cover. After a "cold one" and some examination, I discovered that the clutch lifter was not in its proper position. The notch in the clutch lifter was out of place, disengaging the clutch pedal from the lifter. As I stated earlier, it shifted fine the first couple test rides. I then the clutch began to stick in the down position. To shift gears I would have to push it back up with my foot for it to engage. When I loosened the clutch lifter screw, I probably loosened it too much, relieving the spring pressure from the clutch lifter. Most likely, it vibrated out of place causing this situation.

Now that I know my problem (yes, I shifted it back to neutral just fine with the clutch lifter engaged), how do I know how to set the clutch lifter spring so that this doesn't happen again? In my manual, it doesn't specify how to set the spring prior to reinstalling the case cover.

Also, I don't have another gasket handy, and don't particularly want to order one for $15.00 individually or another $30.00 full set. Can some special sealant be used alone or should I be patient and order another gasket?

Thanks for your help

[Vealmonkey]

The adjustment for the clutch screw, should be you turn it all the way in and than back it out 1\4 of a turn and lock the screw into place with the nut by tightening the nut down while holding the screw in place. The spring that returns the shifter pedal back into place has no setting. Only the spring tension itself is what returns the shift pedal back to it's centered position. Unless we are talking about another diffrent spring. There is a spring on the shift shaft that returns the shift pedal back to it's centered position. That spring should have been found under the clutch assembly in the right side of the engine cover.

[Blazer]

Vealmonkey

Thanks for the tip on adjusting the lifter screw and nut. Sorry If I worded things in a confusing manner. You are correct, there is no adjustment for the actual shifter spring, only the "Clutch lifter adjustment screw". Correct me if I'm wrong, but this screw appears to only determine the amount of spring pressure up against the lifter assembly, thereby increasing or decreasing resistance for the actual shifter spring.

What's your take on this gasket? Necessary? From what I can tell, it doesn't need to withstand alot of pressure, just make an oil tight seal.

[Blazer]

I just reinstalled the clutch lifter lever assembly as you recommended. The lever now has about 1/2 - 3/4" inch of travel. Prior to this it had about 3" of travel, way too much. Does this sound about right?

Thanks

[Vealmonkey]

Just make sure when you adjust the screw in, you just turn it in till it stops snug, not dead nuts tight. When You back it out the 1\4, it will barely have any play at all. Your shiter lever will probably have from 3\4" to 1" of travel in either direction up or down.
As for your gasket, you could get gasket material, not cork, from your local auto parts place. Take your time and trace around the gasket first around the outside and cut that out. Than make sure you mark and make a few holes to hold the gasket to the cover with several bolts so the gasket doesn't slide around. Then with the round end part of a small ball peen hammer, you lightly tap around the inside edges of your cover until the gasket starts to seperate around the edges of the inside of the cover. Don't hit the edges very hard just many small light taps until it just starts cutting the gasket. It will take a while and you might have to get the tight spots with a sharp razor knife but be patient. And REMEMBER!, You are tapping against aluminum, hard hits will either mess up the edge of the aluminum or bust it all together. Please do not use blue rtv silicone sealant. If that stuff squeezes out inside the engine case it could get into your oild pump and clog it up and that would be all she wrote. While you have the clutch cover off, did you make sure that your oil screen was clean and clear? There are some dark looking "non hardening" gasket materials that should do a good job of sealing the clutch cover, but you have to make sure that the mating surfaces of the clutch cover and engine case are very clean so the "non hardening" form a gasket sticks. This stuff is very sticky and is easy to get all over everything and make a mess. Make sure both gasket surfaces get a light coating of the "non hardening" form a gasket and put them together. If you have to take them back apart, you will need to clean both surfaces again and reapply the stuff to both surfaces again. But don't use the rtv silicone gasket maker.

[Blazer]

Vealmonkey,

Thanks for the tip on making the gasket, it worked perfectly. Everything has been reinstalled, and it is running well. I still have some fine tuning on the carburetor to do, but that's minor.

I didn't spot any oil leaks. One thing I noticed is that I cannot shift back into neutral while the engine is on. Is this normal? As soon as I shut down the engine, I can move it back to neutral easily. Please let me know if this is something else I need to address.

Blazer

[Blazer]

I adjusted the idle and air/fuel mixture today. After lowering the idle, I am able to shift into neutral again. Everything ran great, right up until the rope to the pull cord broke.... the saga continues :cry:

On the bright side, I know much more about my machine. I'm bound to run out of stuff to fix at this rate!

[Vealmonkey]

It seems you answered your own question about the neutral. If you look, you can buy steel cable pull cord. If that breaks, you have problems. If you keep fixing all your problems, you're going to have to buy another problem child to work on. I'm glad everything is working out. Every different trike I buy is a learning experience. Have fun.