Thread: Honda Tin Tank won't start!

Hello all. Hopefully someone can give some good advice.

My old tin tank 300 has been sitting in a shed under a tarp for a couple of months. I decided to take it out for a quick drive, because apparently it's not good to keep them not running for extended periods of time. It went alright, rode it up and down the road. I was bringing it back in and riding down a short hill and it spluttered and died. Now it won't start. It has enough fuel, I've wiggled the spark plug and it doesn't seem to be either of those things. The starter motor winds away fine, but it won't fire up.
What's possibly wrong with it?

Have to ask, Did you turn the fuel tap on?

Try draining the carb. Its usually just undo the drain screw and let it run for a bit...... If there was condensation or water in the tank it will take a wee bit to get down to the carb and cylinder....or it could be a blockage. If its only been a few months then it shouldn't be rust from the tank but depending on age thats were I would start...

Originally Posted by ROKTOY

Have to ask, Did you turn the fuel tap on?

Yeah, that too....

A bit of debris from the tank blocking a jet in the carb?

Originally Posted by Brad S

Hello all. Hopefully someone can give some good advice.

My old tin tank 300 has been sitting in a shed under a tarp for a couple of months. I decided to take it out for a quick drive, because apparently it's not good to keep them not running for extended periods of time. It went alright, rode it up and down the road. I was bringing it back in and riding down a short hill and it spluttered and died. Now it won't start. It has enough fuel, I've wiggled the spark plug and it doesn't seem to be either of those things. The starter motor winds away fine, but it won't fire up.
What's possibly wrong with it?

rode down a short hill - sometnimg floating around in fuel tank - rust in fuel tank or water - if storing one should completely fill tank so condensation is not an issue- take a fuel sample into a clean clear jar- anything in it - are you getting fuel thru - does it have an inline filter at fuel tap - check that - check that fuel cap some have an air vent may need opening

Didn’t forget to flick the choke off and accidentally flood it? Definitely not speaking from experience..

Had a similar problem myself a few years ago with the fourtrax 300, faulty voltage regulator was causing battery to overcharge and in turn was cooking the CDI. Replaced voltage regulator and CDI and all good.

Fuel, Air, Compression, Electrics, Spark... If it's got all of those in the right order and amounts it will go.

You haven't confirmed if it has spark - if it has go when you press the start button you've already eliminated a few of the potentials like the neutral position switch not showing neutral, starter solenoid crapping itself and the key switch contacts stuffing up inside the switch body.

If it doesn't have spark (if you have another spark plug chuck it in the lead and try it out in the dark with the tip of the plug touching the block) then that's likely your issue, CDI unit probably. The other one there is the charging system going over 12v and cooking things, not worth replacing the CDI without checking the charging.

If it's got spark and the system is at 12v - more than likely carby or fuel. Find the blockage and clean it, and it should go. The other possible is as suggested the choke system. These are a little unusual if you are used to choke flaps that close off - it's an enrichment circuit more than a typical choke setup. The cable system often seizes up and you end up with the enrichment circuit jammed open if you bump the choke slider button at the wrong time. If the little plunger won't close off the thing will go rich as, not ideal!

Second the above comments that old/dirty fuel or crap in the carb/jet could be a contender if it was running well prior to dying.

In addition to wiggling the spark plug, take it out and check for fouling. And also pull the rubber shroud back on the distributor lead, hold it 1-2mm from the plug or any other earthing point, and check a regular and bright spark. I use pliers for this after many, many belts through cracked insulation.

Reg/rec or CDI are a good shout, hopefully not them as likely the most expensive of the possible culprits, but also it never hurts to check the earth wire isn't rusted/corroded or vibrated off its mount.

Looking forward to hearing what it was!

My Honda quad used to do the same on occasion when the fuel level in the tank was getting down.
Just whipped the fuel line off between the inline filter and carb, and blow up it back to the tank, reconnect and viola! Away we went trev.
Was probably a bit of crap in the tank, had already replaced the inline filter previously, and flushed the tank but must have missed a bit.

Heck. Lots of info here thanks! I'll do some faffing about in the next couple days. Thanks for the advice. Will let you know what I figure out.

kill switch they still turn with engine killed

Originally Posted by muzza

check the air admission hole in the gas cap isnt blocked - maybe the fuel tank vacuumised and stopped the flow of fuel.

yeah seem to rember Muzza some of those earlier hondas had a switch on fuel cap -- open close

Originally Posted by m101a1

kill switch they still turn with engine killed

On these it's ignition key - tends to play up on the starting side and once off it's off... Had a couple of the freaking key switches filled up with dirt/water/crap and needing to be pulled apart cleaned up and put back together. I've got to get one of the little barb to barb inline filters for mine, the gauze screen is pretty poor.

Edit, that's a fair point about fouled plugs, mine was doing that when the choke cable seized with the enrichment plunger slightly open and a little fouling coosed it proper. They are a pest to get to but worth pulling and checking.