1986 Honda TRX 250 - Electric Starter Noise

[coolpool]

I picked up this 86 TRX 250 to transplant the drivetrain into my 3 wheel golf cart:twisted: The brakes, handlebar controls, kicker, dash lights work as they should but I'm a little concerned about a noise coming from the starter when I shut it off. It sounds like the engine spins it backwards? The starter seems a bit noisy when turning the engine over too. Not sure if this is normal? I'm going to tackle a valve and cam chain adjustment this weekend to quiet down the ticking from the top end. One last question, is this basically a BR with a training wheel? I'll be selling some of the parts I don't need when the time comes. Watch the classifieds.

[6speedthumper]

It sounds like your one-way starter bearing is on it's way out. It bolts to the back of the flywheel and only grabs in the one direction. That could be the noise you are hearing when you are cranking it. But, it could also be the starter motor itself. Take the starter cover off (5 8mm head bolts) and look at the starter drive as well as the starter idler gear that "links" the starter to the flywheel. Just be sure that there are no broken or otherwise damaged teeth. You can also check to make sure that the idler gear's axle shaft is straight, not overly worn, and that the bores it goes in are not wallowed out. I've not seen any do that, but, it is 30 years old, and if the oil wasn't kept clean, wear increases (duh, lol). You can also remove the idler gear and press the starter button, to see if the starter motor itself makes noise without turning the engine over.

Can you get a video of the noise you hear on shut down? I ask because the one-way clutch bearing in the primary clutch does go bad, and it allows the clutch drum to spin on shut down, and it makes an "airplane" kind of noise. Those are known for making that noise on shut down before the starter one-way bearing is (not that it isn't possible).

[coolpool]

Thanks for all the ideas 6speed! I printed off the appropriate manual pages for a 250 Big Red (same?) and will hopefully get at this over the weekend. The components sure look the same.

[jakep53]

yes a bigred is quite simlar on the mehcanical side of things!!

[6speedthumper]

No problem. I believe the only differences between the ES/SX and the TRX models is the output shaft. Other then that, the rest of the engine is the same.

[coolpool]

Here's where I am now. Most of the noise is gone now, turns out the spark plug wasn't tight and the leak by was making all the racket, go figure. I did adjust the valves which were pretty close to start with. There is still the infamous "Honda tick" present. Matt told me both his 250's do the same. I tried removing the cam shaft tensioner but one of the bolts must have cross threaded during installation, grrr! I stopped trying to remove it and now can't tighten or remove it without risking snapping it off. Now I have a leaking tensioner. Too be honest I can't get the philosophy of these tensioners from the manual. Can the cam chain be tightened up manually or is done automatically by the spring?

[6speedthumper]

The tensioner adjust automatically. That a spring inside that pushes the plunger out against the chain guide. You can try using a little bit of heat on that tensioner bolt. It MAY break free, or, just break.

[coolpool]

The tensioner adjust automatically. That a spring inside that pushes the plunger out against the chain guide. You can try using a little bit of heat on that tensioner bolt. It MAY break free, or, just break.

So it was a waste of time on my part to try and adjust it I'm guessing. Now I've created extra work, figures........ with my luck I could fall in a barrel full of boobies and come out sucking my own thumb ;-) Thanks!

[coolpool]

Woot, woot! The bolt tightened up without breaking, back in business! I'm still going to look at the starter components. Still seems noisy to me.

[Thorpe]

Both my ES and SX were had noisy starters like you describe... Never left me stranded