Help with the brakes on my Honda 200

[Ghostv2]

I own my fathers all original Honda 1985 ATC 200s Big Red. When i say all original i also mean has not been touched by a mechanic ever.


Picture from today, it was garage kept until about 5 years ago then it sat under my porch. So i got it running and rode it like it should for the last 2 or so years (maybe a little harder).


Anywho, the (back) brakes locked up over the winter and i tried to roll it loose and now i have no pressure what so ever. I opened up the casing today and a pile of dust came out. Pretty sure there shouldnt be any in there and there was a thing at the bottom which looks like to drain oil of some sort. Excuse my mechanic ignorance. I didnt get to go any further after i got the casing off because i didnt have a wrench big enough to take the nuts off the axel to get further inside the disc brakes. Is there a easy fix to this or do i need to replace it?

I plan on taking it to a garage if i cannot fix it to make it mechanically sound and get everything lubricated, fixed and happy again. Then i would work on the cosmetic damage. Which isnt much.

[barnett468]

hello

don't worry about the terminology

what exactly do you mean by no pressure now?

the brake drum got rusty from the weather and locked up with the brakes. once the drum is off it's just some sanding maybe new shoes. fix it and ride it that's what it's for!

leaving it outside can rust the cylinder too. not good

does it roll free;y now?

[Ghostv2]

They locked up and i just rolled it loose and now when i press the brakes, it just goes all the way down and it doesnt slow me down at all. It looked clean inside of there aside from the dust that came out. But i didnt see any rust, but then again i didnt get far into it. Just the cover off.


Its just dirty, not the best picture and could be closer.

[Big G]

That isn't a Big Red, it's a 200s. And as you can see, the 200s doesn't have disk brakes in the rear, they're drum brakes.

To fix the problem you're talking about, you'll have to remove more than just the dust cover. You'll have to remove the two large axle nuts you referred to - I use a large pipe wrench for this. Once the nuts are removed, you'll be able to slide the drum off, and then have a better view of what's going on with the brakes. For all you know the pads could be toast! If the pads are decent, then it's just a matter of adjusting the free-play on the adjusters which are at the end of the cables on the outside of the drum housing. Also make sure the cables aren't seized or sticking at all.

[trike savior]

you need to remove the 2 large nuts and remove drum like people are saying. its real simple and something you can do yourself. check your linkage like big g said. when you move pedal make sure the parts back by the brake drum are moving. this could be as simple adjusting the brakes but there could be other problems. the brake actuator is what normally causes the brakes to stick. it the part that the linkages connect to and goes through the brake housing and moves the brake shoes. it gets dry and rusts up causing it to stick. take the arm off it (on the outside) and the brake shoes and it will slide out from brake shoe side. wire wheel it and put some grease on it and reassemble it. then if your shoes look good still you can adjust things to get it working properly.

[3Queen]

Hi and Welcome to the site I hope you get your brakes working, And were at in Pa are you from?

[barnett468]

Hello

You now have a few very good suggestions that will get your brakes fixed.

I'll just elaborate on my original comments if it will help.

If in fact your brakes were in proper adjustment and working fine when it was ridden last and no one has stomped on the brake pedal since then your problem is exactly what I originally mentioned it was. It is not caused by the adjustment or the actuator but by all means DO try to adjust the brake free play, it may help significantly however it will not address the actual cause of the problem, it is only a band aid and an easy way out. The poor braking and increased free play is caused by one thing and one thing only which is BAD brake shoes. The drum and shoes need to be sanded at the very least and replaced at the very worst. You need to remove any material on the surface of the shoes that may have become" soft, glazed and/or otherwise degraded from potentially absorbing moisture caused because you left it OUTSIDE. This needs to be done with an aggressive material like 120 grit sand paper etc. I either use a rough file or wrap the sandpaper around the file in an attempt to keep the surface flat square and free of "flat" spots.

If your brakes still work poorly after doing this and cleaning, greasing ALL the brake pivot areas and properly adjusting free play both of which were suggested by others above then your shoes are trash and need to be replaced.

[mooseknuckle]

Welcome to 3ww, and the 3wheeled addiction! I agree with barnett, AND trike savior. Pull it apart, clean the drums, order new HONDA shoes, disassemble, clean and grease pivot points and pay attention to your cables as well. Good ljck and keep us posted!

[mooseknuckle]

This link may be helpful as far as cables are concerned. Or, if finances allow, just get new cables.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSK4...e_gdata_player

[barnett468]

Yes moosknuckle made a very good point. Honda shoes not off brand overseas shoes if in fact they are made by others there. Is a diplomatic enough statement, lol?

[Ghostv2]

Hi and Welcome to the site I hope you get your brakes working, And were at in Pa are you from?

Northumberland County.

And yes, its not a big red. Its just what i always called it growing up. My grandfather had a matching one but bigger. Well, a big red i suppose. Electric start and all the works. They got matching ones and when he died my cousin got his and i just ride my dads. But his is museum quality and waxed like every week most likely.


Anywho, back to the problem. The cables are free. So im guessing its the shoes. Ill have to get a bigger wrench and get at it after the work week.
I may be young yet but i appreciate everything before my time so much more than the stuff these days. This is one example. I had no idea forums existed for these. Let alone half the amazing bikes here. Every ATC i see around my area is a mismatch Frankenstein of all kinds of parts. I thought mine was nice (when i first got it) until i came here.