Waterproofing Help

[ZacH_GrifF]

I have an 83 185s. Of course yall know it has the recoil starter on it. I took it out to the local riding place (mainly mud and deep creek crossings) the other weekend and I thought I had it sealed up, this place is in MS its called Copiah Creek Offroad Park if your in south central MS during spring/summer yall need to check it out, great place. But as the day went on my bike kept dying if I let it sit at idle for a while then it wouldn't crank for ten min. When I got home found out the recoil housing was full of mud sand and water which was blocking the stator from making a connection with the magneto. Now the only way the water was able to get in their is through the spot where the recoil rope enters the housing. Is their anybody that takes their bike through deep mud and water (up to bottom of gas tank) for all day rides that has found a way to seal the housing off but still be able to crank the bike?

[Dirtcrasher]

It doesn't look like your pull start is retracting fully and I imagine the stock OEM pull start had a rubber end on it that fit snugly in place.

[ZacH_GrifF]

It retracts all the way, sorry the handle is pulled down and held by the shifter so yall could see what I was talking about. does anybody have a picture of an oem pull start handle housing connection? my handle is an aftermarket one i bought at the local ace.

[barnett468]

Hello


It not only looks like your pull starter needs a bit of repair it looks like you are missing a screw in the side cover which can allow water in but it can also seep in from the rubber plug on top, it should be siliconed. The fact that it would not restart for 10 minutes or so seems most because it most likely filled with water which then leaked out after sitting. Since water leaks both ways you have a leak in the bottom of your case that allows it to leak in. Take it apart, inspect and repair what is obvious such as your pull starter, the missing bolt and probably the cover gasket.

[barnett468]

Hello

we posted at the same time so i didn't see your comment above. but as dirt crasher mentioned you need something on the chord to seal the case. A cheap fast budget way of doing it is simply to go th the hardware or chemistry store and buy a tapered rubber plug with a hole in it then simply slip your cord thru it and reattach your handle. you can trying sealing it to the handle with black permatex 2 silicone. let it sit overnight.

[ZacH_GrifF]

thanks I didnt think about a tapered plug but the rubber plug on top is sealed from the inside (didnt want the silicone look on the outside) and their wasnt any leaks in the bottom cause when I got home the housing was full to the rope hole of water. which also explains why it died at the end of the day and i had to suffer the ride of shame being pulled back through the park behind my buds 650 rincon quad

[atc007]

All correct. Hondas factory handle is specially designed to lip down around and seal the top. Silicone everything and fix the broken stripped bolts. Wait till your bud finds out all the CRAP that went into his Rincon. His is as full as yours more than likely They have a special block off kit for the Rincon for this kind of abuse. If you're gonna play in the muck,you're gonna pay. No 2 ways around it. Have fun !

[ZacH_GrifF]

Thanks act007 yes I know you have to pay but using a three wheeler means not nearly as much as the big boys. And it's funny watching the reactions on their faces when a little 185 with 25" mudbugs will go through the same stuff their 28" silverbacks on rincons and grizzlys will go through.

[kb0nly]

Thats an easy fix, you just need an OEM style pull start handle that has a rubber cup on the bottom that fits over the rope hole. If not your going to get rain, mud, dirt, snow, everything in there.

http://dratv.com/pustkn2.html

You can find them on ebay as well but there is an example. When i bought my 200ES it had a typical lawn mower replacement on it, i pulled it apart and put on a new rope and OEM type handle and now the recoil doesn't get froze up in the winter.. LOL

[barnett468]

Hello

Here you go.


OEM NOS rope #11 $21.00 euros handle 18 $13,00 euros.

http://www.cmsnl.com/honda-atc185s-1...1.html#results

OR

partzilla.com