Starting a Honda 200s

[iceotter]

Recently purchased a 1984 Honda ATC 200s.

I can get it started no problem when choke is half way or full open. When I close the choke it instantly shuts off. Is this normal? I always here leaving choke on is hard on the engine but it runs like a top when choke is half way or fully open. Please help me out and let me know if this is normal or what I can do.

Thanks!

iceotter

[McGurk]

Sounds like a fuel issue. Your 3 wheeler has a 22mm Keihin carb on it, so look around online for a diagram with screw locations and possibly settings. You should probably do a THOROUGH carb cleaning and soaking on a 25 year old carb. Good luck!

[iceotter]

It's weird though. When I have it half way open and full open it runs like a top. I closed it an it instantly shuts off. Not like it even slowly dies. It is instantly off. As if no fuel is moving through the line. It is instant.

How safe it is to run choke half way open? Will it do any harm?

[Dave S]

Here's a quote from Surface Tension in another thread:

If you didn't clean the jets and cuicuts then you didn't clean the carb.

When gas enters the carb the float rises. When the proper fuel level is achieved it will stay at that level via the inlet valve(needle and seat).

Since gas is pouring out the exhaust the inlet vale(needle and seat)is not shutting the fuel off.

What will cause that.

A worn inlet valve.

A piece of crud stuck in the valve keeping it from closing.

Improper adjustment of float drop. Did you happen to bend the tang on the float when you had it apart?

A hole or gas-logged float.

First drain the bowl, that will drop the float and open the inlet valve completely, that might flush out debris stuck between the needle and seat. If that doesn't work you'll have to remove the carb, clean and rebuild. Make sure your kit has the inlet valve and documentation on the float drop.

This information can also help you out with your Honda. It sounds like the carb needs a thorough cleaning. I would also remove the tank, drain all of the fuel and give that a good cleaning too.

[McGurk]

As far as running with the choke on, what you are doing is starving the carb for air (closing the choke) which raises the air/fuel mixture (making it rich). This eases starting a cold engine, and after it warms up you allow full airflow to the carb (open the choke).

If you have fuel getting blocked from entering the carb (from the tank, fuel filter, shutoff petcock, lines, connections, carb ports, etc) the air/fuel mixture is probably already lean, and choking it just gets it back to a decent running ratio.

Will running it with the choke semi-closed hurt it? Maybe, maybe not. It is indicative of a fuel problem somewhere on your machine, and is worth getting taken care of. When it gets colder, the mixture you have available for starting will be lean even with the choke, and it may not start at all.

[iceotter]

Sounds good guys! I will rip into it later tonight!

Thanks for your help!

[Dave S]

Be sure to check out your airbox while you'r at it. If you just picked up the machine, make sure the air filter is in good shape and there's no obstructions between the airbox and carb.

From what you've said so far, I doubt if this would be the case. But on a newly acquired machine, it would be one of the first things I'd look at to see if there's any evidence of maintenance being performed.