Freshman Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 56 
Likes: 9
Joined: Feb 28, 2017 21:54:21 GMT -5
|
Post by maxtera on Mar 27, 2017 8:41:00 GMT -5
Well, I rebuilt the Honda Reflex carb, replaced the sparkplug, changed the fuel filter and put all the hoses back where they belonged. It started but once I took it off the center stand for a test ride it kept dying on me and let out a continuous cloud of smoke.
At first I thought it was from the carb cleaner that I had used, so I let it idle for about 5 mins, still smoking. Then while pushing it back into the garage I noticed that both brakes were sticking, the rear more so than the front.
As a last gasp of hope before I threw in the towel for the night I decided to change the oil. Lo and behold it looked like a chocolate milkshake and smelled like gas, both not good signs. I'm hoping that the PO, (a lady in her early 60's) just didn't do regular maintenance on it. The reason it was parked was because it was having carb problems, so I'm hoping that it was running rich and dumping fuel.
My next move is to take it to the Honda dealer I found, (just 10 miles from my house) on Tues and have them do a full diagnosis on the engine. If it checks out ok, I'll have all the other issues fixed, if not I'll part it out and keep the Jonway.
Wish me luck, as I like the Honda better, and with my recent lower back issues the seat is 100x's more comfortable than the Jonway. I'll let you know what they find out.
Anyone have any thoughts on what it might be? The scooter only has 3860 miles on it. Thanks all. |
|
|
|
Post by kevinharrell on Mar 27, 2017 19:20:57 GMT -5
It seems as though you are getting both coolant and gasoline in your oil. So my best guess is that you have a bad head gasket letting coolant into the cylinder which is blowing past the rings, taking some gasoline with it, into the oil.
|
|
Freshman Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 56
Likes: 9
Joined: Feb 28, 2017 21:54:21 GMT -5
|
Post by maxtera on Mar 31, 2017 10:37:05 GMT -5
Well it appears like the scooter will need top end work. I got a call saying that they needed to remove the top to confirm their suspicions. They quoted me prices of $675 for a head gasket and up to $1300 for a complete rebuild. Needless to say, the wife is not very happy. My problem is that the scooter only has 3800 miles on it, how does the engine get messed up this bad at such low mileage? Any way, I'm having them check it out and let me know what's wrong.
|
|
|
|
Post by spandi on Mar 31, 2017 12:46:11 GMT -5
Hmmm, maybe the lady was from Pasadena, did she have a super stock Dodge by any chance?
|
|
|
|
Post by spandi on Mar 31, 2017 17:18:03 GMT -5
Hmmm, maybe the lady was from Pasadena. Did she also have a super stock Dodge by any chance? |
|
Freshman Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 56
Likes: 9
Joined: Feb 28, 2017 21:54:21 GMT -5
|
Post by maxtera on Apr 3, 2017 20:31:19 GMT -5
I got a call from the Honda repair shop about my Reflex, they said it would need either a top end rebuild, best case, ($675) or a total rebuild, worse case, ($1200). I went to FL this weekend to visit family, and while there I decided to look on eBay for scooter parts. While looking I just happened to find a low mileage engine from a 2006 scooter, complete with a carburetor and starter.
The donor scooter only had 13k miles on it and the engine should drop right into my 2004. I now have a 3rd carburetor, 2 of which I plan to sell to recoup some of my money. I'll remove my old motor and have the shop put in the new one as I don't have a work bench to get it up high enough. I'll eventually rebuild the engine and sell it as well.
While in FL the guy showed me a top end kit they sell for about $110 dollars, I'll consult a motorcycle rider friend as to what is the best route to go in regards to fixing my old engine. Hopefully I'll be on the road with the Honda in a few weeks.
|
|
Freshman Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 56
Likes: 9
Joined: Feb 28, 2017 21:54:21 GMT -5
|
Post by maxtera on Apr 4, 2017 10:47:55 GMT -5
Kevin,
I should have read your post over and over several times to fully understand what you were saying before I spent the money I did. I had a hard time accepting that my 3860 mile engine was shot, and I should have trusted my hunch.
Now, after speaking to a second repair shop I may have jumped the gun when I bought a used motor. The good news is that I may have a buyer lined up in case my original motor happens to be good.
When I picked up the scooter, it had been sitting for about 8 months and had no radiator fluid in it, so I put straight anti-freeze in it, then later found out that it takes a 50/50 mixture. Several people have told me that it's highly unlikely for the engine to be bad, and I'm hoping they're right. I have a bad tendency to throw more money into a vehicle than it's worth, so far I'm still ahead with these scooters but another $500 repair bill will put me over the top.
|
|
New Rider
Currently Offline
Florida Antique
Posts: 38
Likes: 4
Joined: Feb 9, 2014 8:23:09 GMT -5
|
Post by akais on Apr 4, 2017 15:04:58 GMT -5
Maxtera,
Given that when you started the engine you had continuous cloud of smoke, and what sounds like water in the oil, I suspect that you may have a blown head gasket or cracked block. Another thing it could be is the water pump. Look at the bottom of engine case on the left side of the scooter. There is a small weep hole drilled into the case. Is there any oil or antifreeze dripping from that hole? That hole is the weep hole for the water pump. The oil pump drives the water pump on this engine. If the oil seal and the mechanical seal go bad, the coolant water will leak into the engine crankcase however, that would not cause the smoke you described in your first post.
|
|
Freshman Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 56
Likes: 9
Joined: Feb 28, 2017 21:54:21 GMT -5
|
Post by maxtera on Apr 4, 2017 18:59:53 GMT -5
Hello Akais,
When I had the carburetor off for the 2nd time fixing the gas leaking from the float bowl I stupidly sprayed about 2 tablespoons of carb cleaner in the chamber in an attempt to clean the carbon off the back of the valve. I think that's where my smoke came from. Also, I did notice coolant dripping from the bottom of the engine when I had it running and I remember thinking, "where is that coolant coming from" as I had filled up the radiator 2 days earlier. Right now the Honda shop is stripping the top end off and should have a diagnosis for me in a day or 2. I'm in it now for the long haul, I have every intention of getting the Honda up and running.
|
|
New Rider
Currently Offline
Florida Antique
Posts: 38
Likes: 4
Joined: Feb 9, 2014 8:23:09 GMT -5
|
Post by akais on Apr 4, 2017 20:56:29 GMT -5
Hello Akais, When I had the carburetor off for the 2nd time fixing the gas leaking from the float bowl I stupidly sprayed about 2 tablespoons of carb cleaner in the chamber in an attempt to clean the carbon off the back of the valve. I think that's where my smoke came from. Also, I did notice coolant dripping from the bottom of the engine when I had it running and I remember thinking, "where is that coolant coming from" as I had filled up the radiator 2 days earlier. Right now the Honda shop is stripping the top end off and should have a diagnosis for me in a day or 2. I'm in it now for the long haul, I have every intention of getting the Honda up and running. Man, I hope they are more honest with their diagnosis than my local Honda dealer. The water leak is probably a bad mechanical seal in the pump. I can send you to a link where they show you how to rebuild the pump( $45 worth of parts ) or you can buy the whole pump for $115 from partzilla.com. They get bad from sitting. My '06 had 4500 miles and it was bad. Mine leaked oil. I rebuilt mine with parts but if I did it over I would probably get the whole pump. |
|
New Rider
Currently Offline
Florida Antique
Posts: 38
Likes: 4
Joined: Feb 9, 2014 8:23:09 GMT -5
|
Post by akais on Apr 5, 2017 7:22:23 GMT -5
Here is a link to a step by step tutorial where they show you how to rebuild your water pump without using any of the expensive Honda tools that are referred to in the service manual. Water Pump serviceI followed this on my '06 and it was exactly as described here. The new parts cost me around $40 from Partzilla. If I went with a eBay mechanical seal, the cost would have been closer to $20. Because of the difficulty of the job, I decided to stick with the Honda OEM parts. It is now working properly and not a drop of oil or antifreeze since. |
|
Freshman Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 56
Likes: 9
Joined: Feb 28, 2017 21:54:21 GMT -5
|
Post by maxtera on Apr 5, 2017 8:21:21 GMT -5
Thanks for the link. I hope they would be honest with me but I really suspect they won't. I called them on Tues just asking for a status update and they told me that it looks bad. The guy then went on to tell me that it had straight anti-freeze in it and that it's caustic to the engine and moving parts.
I explained to him that the scooter had been sitting for several months and had no fluid in it, and I used what I had while I tried to get the motor running. He seemed to be trying to make it seem like having straight anti-freeze would somehow cause catastrophic damage. I hung up feeling like he was trying to mentally prepare me for an expensive bill. I can't wait to see what they come back with as the problem. I'm totally prepared to tell them to stop working on it and put my parts in a box for me to pick up.
|
|
New Rider
Currently Offline
Florida Antique
Posts: 38
Likes: 4
Joined: Feb 9, 2014 8:23:09 GMT -5
|
Post by akais on Apr 5, 2017 9:32:01 GMT -5
Thanks for the link. I hope they would be honest with me but I really suspect they won't. I called them on Tues just asking for a status update and they told me that it looks bad. The guy then went on to tell me that it had straight anti-freeze in it and that it's caustic to the engine and moving parts. I explained to him that the scooter had been sitting for several months and had no fluid in it, and I used what I had while I tried to get the motor running. He seemed to be trying to make it seem like having straight anti-freeze would somehow cause catastrophic damage. I hung up feeling like he was trying to mentally prepare me for an expensive bill. I can't wait to see what they come back with as the problem. I'm totally prepared to tell them to stop working on it and put my parts in a box for me to pick up. Yeah that is rough to hear. The only antifreeze issues I have heard of with these bikes is if you use antifreeze with silicates in it, it can cause the mechanical seal to fail prematurely in the water pump. Other than that, I don't think I have ever heard of a issue with antifreeze and aluminum block engines. Since most automotive engines are now mostly aluminum, if there was an issue with this, I would think it would be more widely known. I suspect they are trying to get you ready for the bill. At least you have another engine so if they come back and want the big bucks, you can drop the other engine right in and ride while you wrench on this one. They are pretty simple to work on. |
|
Freshman Rider
Currently Offline
Posts: 56
Likes: 9
Joined: Feb 28, 2017 21:54:21 GMT -5
|
Post by maxtera on Apr 5, 2017 20:47:06 GMT -5
Good news, I was wrong about them, they were honest with me about the bike. It turns out when I called, the guy thought I was the owner of a quad they were working on. When I didn't get a return call this afternoon I went over there after work to talk to the mechanic in person.
He said that my carburetor rebuild was good but that I had put the hoses from the carburetor on the wrong connections and that's what was causing havoc with the engine. I forgot to tell them that I also wanted the brakes checked too as they both are dragging to the point where the brakes lights are always on.
The engine work alone costs roughly $312 dollar's and I'm guessing the brake work will add another $100 bucks. Hopefully I can pick it up tomorrow.
Now I have an engine to sell, 2 carburetors, and a 2007 Jonway scooter, I'm hoping that everything will net me about $1800 to $1900 dollars. Wish me luck.
|
|
|
|
Post by cyborg55 on Apr 5, 2017 22:07:54 GMT -5
Great news!!!!
|
|
