Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

Ok here is an update on the 84 Spree, that still hasn't started.

1.) Cleaned the carb several times

2.) Bystarter yellow wire still broken off. Green wire is still connected.

3.) New spark plug

4.) Swapped the CDI with one that is tested to work.

5.) Cleaned the petcock several times. When I suck on the vaccum hose, gas comes out. But when I try to start the bike, NO gas comes out!

6.) Cleaned air filter/box and reinstalled.

7.) I sprayed starter fluid into the carb air intake as directed and it starts, revs high and then shuts off.

I can't figure this out.

Anyone suggest something?

Thanks!

Check the reeds. You aren't getting any vacuum, so I'm willing to bet they're stuck.

I checked the reeds, everything looks ok. What am I looking for? How do you get them unstuck?

There's pics in tech docs on inspecting reeds. Frankly, I rarely see bad factory reeds.

Your bike won't usually pull much vaccum at startup, and if the carb is already full of gas (it is, right?) none will be flowing to the carb at startup.

The bystarter should be a non-issue right now, but will eventually need to be reconnected.

Did you verify that the idle jet is unplugged by spraying carb cleaner, using the red pipe extension, through the idle jet so that you can see it coming into the barrel of the carb? It's the only reliable way I've found to make sure it's not blocked.

Where are the reeds located?

behind the intake manifold.

I finally got this thing to start, BUT only when I put my hand over the opening where the air cleaner tube connects. When it starts, it idles very high and then turns off. I tried to adjust the idle screw but its not doing anything.

The bystater is disconnected due to the wires being torn off from the black choke.

And also, the carb bolts that go to the manifold are stripped and I can't get the carb tight on the manifold. Would that affect starting?

I cleaned out the gas tank and put fresh gas.

Thanks for all your help everyone!!

If you're not trying all this with the air box on and tight to the carb, you're probably not going to get it to start or if you do it won't run very well. And yes, air leaking around the carb will also cause lots of trouble. Look for the recent thread on attaching a carb with stripped threads.

On the way home today, my Aero was bogging down terribly and intermittently running rough and loud. When I took a look later, I found that I had lost both my air box mounting bolts and the box was barely on the carb. The engine vibration was causing it to bump around and sometimes meet the carb and sometimes not. These hondas really need the resistance of the air filter to run properly.

bidroc wrote:And also, the carb bolts that go to the manifold are stripped and I can't get the carb tight on the manifold. Would that affect starting?

Oh, just that? Yes, that's a big problem. You need to either rethread the holes or get a new carb.

bidroc wrote:
And also, the carb bolts that go to the manifold are stripped and I can't get the carb tight on the manifold. Would that affect starting?

had this same problem... rethread them ASAP! I got a Kobalt t handle tap wrench and a 1/4" tap at Lowes, plus some cutting oil for $15. It took all of 2 minutes to thread it and it works perfectly now. Much recommended

I got new carb bolts and mounted the carb tight. But it still won't start...

Do you have an aircleaner element installed? Is it over-oiled?

The air filter is clean, lightly oiled. But it won't start at all with the air duct attached. But it will start if I plug the carb opening. I think it may just be that my bystater not connected is making it idle too high or something.

Sounds like a blocked idle jet.

I GOT IT RUNNING!! I had the throttle cable installed wrong. It runs good but need to get a new bystarter.