Advice with cleaning a Honda Elite 80 Scooter Carb.

[massimofinance]

Hello all- I picked up this scooter for pretty cheap. It only has 200 miles, very clean. The old owner left gas in it for 8 years so I need to pull and clean the carb. I have never done this before, so looking for some advice, pointers- have watched a bunch of you tube videos but I always get great advice here. Thanks all.

 

[ondarvr]

No special pointers, pull it apart, clean it, put it back together. If you're not confident take some pics as you pull it apart. Carb cleaning is actually fairly easy, just seems like voodoo if you haven't done it before.

 

[Boomyal]

How do you know that you have to remove and clean it? Maybe just changing the gas and adding a good fuel additive will do the trick.

 

[massimofinance]

So i cleaned the carb and cleaned all the jets and the bowl. It was pretty thick with old gas. Put it all back together and it still doesn't start. What's next? I notice that when I disconnect the gas line, gas just barely drips out. Should it be an even constant flow? Maybe the line from the tank is clogged? Thanks.

 

[Boomyal]

So i cleaned the carb and cleaned all the jets and the bowl. It was pretty thick with old gas. Put it all back together and it still doesn't start. What's next? I notice that when I disconnect the gas line, gas just barely drips out. Should it be an even constant flow? Maybe the line from the tank is clogged? Thanks.

Fuel should flow freely when you disconnect the line at the carb. I assume there is a shut off valve at the bottom of the tank? If so, turn it off, disconnect the line there. Maybe the fuel line has swollen shut. Then put a container under the valve and open it up. It should flow freely. If it doesn't I would empty the tank and remove the valve and inspect for blockage.

 

[bigdee]

Take it apart and soak in un-diluted pine-sol for 24 hours....it will look like new!

 

[Leardriver]

I had a 2002. Those are terrific scooters. A brand new carb is only about $148. Your problem may be fuel flow getting into the carb bowl. It is something simple.

 

[MH Hawker]

some have a sediment bowl that gets full

 

[massimofinance]

So, I still need some help and coming back to the oracles... I removed the carb, cleaned it all up, and got a carb rebuild kit and rebuilt it. I got a new auto-choke bystarter. I cleaned the tank out and replaced the tank fuel filter and petcock. I replaced the fuel tube. I reinstalled it all, and it still will not start.It starts with starting fluid sprayed into the air intake, but dies thereafter. Seriously frustrated. Any other ideas? Thanks!

 

[bigdee]

I had a similar problem with a small Chinese ATV.....someone told me the filter and housing had to be in place. I did not believe at first but after putting filter and housing in place it fired right up.

 

[massimofinance]

I had a similar problem with a small Chinese ATV.....someone told me the filter and housing had to be in place. I did not believe at first but after putting filter and housing in place it fired right up.

Thanks! you mean the air filter and housing?

 

[bigdee]

Thanks! you mean the air filter and housing?

yes

 

[massimofinance]

Question- when starting, where should the idle screw be? The manual says when reinstalling a new air screw, to put it all the way in and turn it out 1 and one half a turn but nothing on the idle screw. Also, I installed a small fuel filter in between the tank and the carb and note it never fills up all the way, only 3/4s- is that normal?

 

[GA_Boater]

If you disconnect the fuel hose on the carb and open the petcock, does gas flow through the filter? Gravity feed and small hoses may not work well with a filter.

 

[guy48065]

Do you only have one hose running to the gas tank?
Some models have a vacuum-operated valve mounted under the tank that prevents fuel flow unless the engine is running or cranking.

HOW did you clean the carb? The Jets and orifices on such a small carb will be VERY small and it's common to be plugged up with sediment. Take off the bowl and Spray carb cleaner into each tiny hole using the little red straw on the can. Poke a "tag wire" into each to dislodge any stuck crud. That's usually all it takes. I'd you don't drive it often to keep the carb & gas clean you will have to repeat the cleaning often. After a couple times it will only take 10 minutes. Add a little Sea Foam with each gas-up.

 

[massimofinance]

Thanks for the advice. I pulled the carb, took it all apart, sprayed it with carb cleaner then compressed air, and used the parts from the rebuild kit. I replaced the bystarter. I think the carb is fine. I have two lines from the tank, one for vacuum and one for gas. When I crank, I get a fast drip from the gas line. FYI, the petcock under the tank isn't one I can open by myself.

 

[massimofinance]

also, I heard you should use sea foam sparingly because it eat the seals?

 

[Scott Danforth]

the carbs on my 3 honda express's and a friends honda elite need to be cleaned with a fine wire. Normally I pull the entire carb apart, soak for a few hours, then probe the passages, then spray. I then put the idle screws back in, float, etc, close up the carb, reconnect the cables, bolt back in place, then connect the fuel and oil lines. I use a squirt bottle with a mixture of 50:1 to get initial start.

being a 2-stroke, dont attempt to start with ether. its not conducive to longevity of the motor.

 

[gm280]

Not sure how the Honda carbs are built, but I use to have a Suzuki 300 ATV. And after a few years the carb needed cleaning because it wouldn't crank cold without additional fuel help. So I simply disassembled that carb and did my usual routine cleaning method and reassembled it again. The engine would not start cold, hot was okay, but not cold. So again disassembled that carb re-cleaned everything to spotless metal with carb spray and pressurized air. But still no cold starting. This went on for a few times and I honestly couldn't figure out why. Then I noticed that there was a divider between the fuel bowl for general running and a cold start choke bowl. And I noticed no fuel was going to the choke bowl. I looked over that design with head scratching trying to figure out how that choke bowl would get any fuel into it. Finally I seen a tinny tiny little pin speak of a hole at the very bottom of the fuel bowl divider that separated the two bowls. It was merely a straight pin size hole. But it was plugged. Once I poked that pin hole clean, WALA, stared like magic, hot, cold or anything in between. So even when you think you have it all clean absolutely perfectly, look for any little pin hole. Could save you some time and head scratching. JMHO

 

[Scott Danforth]

Here is the Elite 80 (circa 1989) carb
a little more sophisticated than my air bleed / siphon enrichener on the express since the elites used an electric enrichener (they call it a starting valve)