Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

I have a 1989 Honda Elite E with a SB50P that I have now owned for about 5 years. The last 2 years it just never ran right and now its all done running even close to right.

This thing will start right up after the first kick even after sitting for 5 months. The thing is once you take off its fine for about 30 seconds and then you have to fight the throttle just to keep it alive and sometimes its a losing battle and will just die on you. After that happens you can forget about starting it and once you do get it started its still a fight to keep it running. If you do manage to get it running and take off down the road you have to keep it under full throttle and fight it the whole time. If you get it up around 23-26 mph it runs fine but as soon as you come to a stop it just dies.

I have installed new spark plug, cleaned out the carb 3 times, put in an inline fuel filter, and found its a fuel delivery problem as if it tries to die out I spray just a tad of starting fluid into the intake and it runs fine till it burns that up but the clear fuel filter is still full and if I turn the bowl drain screw gas comes out.

If anyone has any ideas of what it could be that is making this thing act up let me know as im out of ideas.

Greetings:

Bad fuel valve, fuel lines obstructed by rubber shreds from aging, float valve needs cleaning and needle replacement, carbon-obstructed exhaust. Starting fluid can strip the oil from the cylinder - consider a spray bottle with Pre-mix for further fiddling. The paper filters can supply 4-stroke mowers just fine, but only a Cone O'Stone filter should be fitted to a high-revving 2-stroke. The paper ones sometimes can't keep up.

Why Hello.

I thought bad fuel valve thats why I put in a clear fuel filter and its always full. All new fuel lines after fuel filter. Cleaned out carb 3 times and that included cleaning the float valve. Exhaust is not obstructed as it will get up to full speed and it runs great on starting fluid. I know starting fluid is bad for it and I only used it for a bit to check it if it was indeed a fuel problem. Its not a paper filter its a screen filter.

Thanks for the response. If you can think of anything else it could be I would apreciate it.

Greetings:

Just a hunch: Look for a leaky connection from engine vacuum to the tank fuel valve. Also pull vacuum on the line to the valve and ensure that it opens and flows enough fuel.
Finally, the float needle can look fine but not be fine. Consider a replacement. If someone can swap you a known-good carb to try, you'd know for sure it's not still a carb problem.

I pulled off the vacuum line to the fuel tank valve and put a vacuum to it and the vacuum held. When I pull off the fuel line without vacuum and it still flows fuel so im pretty sure that valve is stuck open but the float valve is doing its job by not letting it over flow the carb. If you are talking about the same float needle valve I am then all that dose is stop the bowl from over flowing.

I think you are under the impression that its a fuel delivery problem. Im about 90% sure I have fuel to the carb as I have a clear fuel filter now that is always full and when the engine would only run on starting fluid I turned out the bowl drain screw and fuel came pouring out telling me the bowl is full as well.

I thought about it quite a bit and there just has to be something either wrong with the carb or the motor has low compression. My thought on that is if its cold it starts right up and runs for a good 20 seconds with no problems. After that its * to get it running right. Warms up and losses compression? What should the compression of this motor be? Ill have to go out and check it when its cold and when its warm and report back.

Greetings:

The other thing that happens when it warms up is that the bystarter closes. It's common for a carb that is thought to be squeaky-clean is not, in fact. Compression from 110-150 is average.