Argh! Scooter won't start + father-in-law = Frustration
Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 3:22 pm
This weekend I started work on my first scooter, a 1987 Elite 50s.
The bike is in good cosmetic shape with just a few dings and the main problem is fade on the plastic. I'll be painting to take care of that.
The majority of the electrical system seems to be working with the key turning things on, the brake light, turn signals and horn work. The headlight does not work and neither does the starter.
I took off the carb and cleaned it according to documents I found here on the site. I could spray a bit of starter fluid through the carb and crank the kick start and it would sputter for a bit so I was hopeful.
The petcock seems hosed as it seems to be allowing fuel into both the feed line and the vacuum line. I hope to get a replacement soon.
I decided to look at the starter issue when my father-in-law dropped by to check on my progress. He works on Honda motorcycles and ATVs as a hobby and has done so for years so I hold his opinion high.
I told him I thought it would be best to start with the simple things and work from there, make sure the starter button is working (remember this part for later), make sure the wiring between the button and the starter is sound and then check the starter itself.
He said we should start with the starter as in his experience that is where the problem usually found. I go along with this and check out the starter diagram and point out the two mounting bolts that hold the starter to the crankcase. He tells me that we need to just unscrew the two Phillips screws instead. It doesn't look right to me but he's the expert so I follow along.
Well, we remove the two screws and the housing to the starter motor comes right off and the guts of the starter spill all over the place.
I'm kinda irked at this point. We gather up all the pieces and determine that nothing was harmed in this, we just need to reassemble the motor. I tell him I'll just get the socket wrench and remove the two bolts that hold the starter to the crankcase so we can reassemble the starter on the bench. "Nah" he says. That will be too much trouble, we'll just fix it on the bike. Ummmm, ok
So, we get the springs and brushes back where they need to be and try to hold them in place with screwdrivers while trying to stab the rotor back into place. So we have two screwdrivers and one of my big man hands trying to fit into this cramped little space and the rotor just doesn't want to fit right. I pull it back out only to see one of the brushes is now broken in half!!
My father-in-law looks at me and says "Well, I guess you get to do what you wanted in the first place and take off those bolts."
He then leaves and tells me to let him know when I get it fixed.
I pull a working starter from one of the other bikes and install it. No worky. I backtrack from there and determine that the problem is:
DA DA DUM!!! - the starter button
So tonight I hope to get it replaced with one of my parts scooters. Working alone.
The bike is in good cosmetic shape with just a few dings and the main problem is fade on the plastic. I'll be painting to take care of that.
The majority of the electrical system seems to be working with the key turning things on, the brake light, turn signals and horn work. The headlight does not work and neither does the starter.
I took off the carb and cleaned it according to documents I found here on the site. I could spray a bit of starter fluid through the carb and crank the kick start and it would sputter for a bit so I was hopeful.
The petcock seems hosed as it seems to be allowing fuel into both the feed line and the vacuum line. I hope to get a replacement soon.
I decided to look at the starter issue when my father-in-law dropped by to check on my progress. He works on Honda motorcycles and ATVs as a hobby and has done so for years so I hold his opinion high.
I told him I thought it would be best to start with the simple things and work from there, make sure the starter button is working (remember this part for later), make sure the wiring between the button and the starter is sound and then check the starter itself.
He said we should start with the starter as in his experience that is where the problem usually found. I go along with this and check out the starter diagram and point out the two mounting bolts that hold the starter to the crankcase. He tells me that we need to just unscrew the two Phillips screws instead. It doesn't look right to me but he's the expert so I follow along.
Well, we remove the two screws and the housing to the starter motor comes right off and the guts of the starter spill all over the place.
I'm kinda irked at this point. We gather up all the pieces and determine that nothing was harmed in this, we just need to reassemble the motor. I tell him I'll just get the socket wrench and remove the two bolts that hold the starter to the crankcase so we can reassemble the starter on the bench. "Nah" he says. That will be too much trouble, we'll just fix it on the bike. Ummmm, ok
So, we get the springs and brushes back where they need to be and try to hold them in place with screwdrivers while trying to stab the rotor back into place. So we have two screwdrivers and one of my big man hands trying to fit into this cramped little space and the rotor just doesn't want to fit right. I pull it back out only to see one of the brushes is now broken in half!!
My father-in-law looks at me and says "Well, I guess you get to do what you wanted in the first place and take off those bolts."
He then leaves and tells me to let him know when I get it fixed.
I pull a working starter from one of the other bikes and install it. No worky. I backtrack from there and determine that the problem is:
DA DA DUM!!! - the starter button
So tonight I hope to get it replaced with one of my parts scooters. Working alone.
