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86 TRX350A Restoration

26K views 157 replies 13 participants last post by  Goosey21 
#1 ·
Thot to start a build thread–got this 1986 A model for a fair deal out of an estate auction. My wifey bought it for me!! It had two heavy steel homebuilt carriers loaded onto it and was rolled. My objective is to restore it to the base model configuration–no options on it. Condition assessment is poor to fair.
My phone failed me so i only have this one picture:
Kick starter kicks back at bottom
Starter barely moved
Runs and drives, shifts thru all gears.
Steady neutral light (bypassed)
Non-OEM carb
Non-OEM handlebars bent
Original H-Trak tires cracked
Heard lil clanking up front
Front fender moderately damaged
PO (RIP) tried some repair

Scrapped the homebuilt carriers (60 lbs!!)
 

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#2 · (Edited)
New pics of the project; i’ve pulled off the fuel tank, pump and carburetor.

First thing is to clean the fuel system

The non-oem carb was feeding the engine but the cables didn’t fit. The fuel line was on the wrong side, the choke plunger wasn’t seating and the throttle couldn’t open all the way. I’ve rebuilt a TRX350 carb for it in another thread.

If you want to see how I cleaned the fuel tank find TRX350 fuel tank borescope.
https://www.hondaatvforums.net/foru...-fuel-tank-borescope.html?highlight=Borescope
 

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#4 · (Edited)
Thanks Jeep. The bars might be original but the nutplates for the bar end caps have been knocked out. My daughter loves my original Chili Pepper so bought me a NOS bar, grips, and caps for it so i could put the old bars on this build.
I also got a NOS headlight bracket in a parts lot.

Here’s a pic taken during my first bar and bracket transplant. I had to disco/remove practically everything: all the harnesses, oil cooler, air intake tube, fan blades whew!! Well everything got a good cleaning.
Followed the manual illustration, cuz i have to do it again.
 

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#6 ·
Two months later!
Stripped off the cover and moved it to the patio. Raised it up on an old Harley bike lift and changed the oil in the drive gear boxes (Belray 80W-90 hypoid BTW LOL!). Oil is clean. Brake fluid was low and brown!

Tank is clean, OEM carb is ready. I have acquired quite a few essential parts this thing will need: all the plastics, handlebar/grips, wheels/tires, seat, battery box, NOS ignition harness and a used main harness. Going to order a few more parts next week.

This quad has a lot of rodent damage. Wires chewed up and mouse pee everywhere–lots of surface rust like it was stored in a shed with a leaky roof. Need to remove the fenders to get to everything needed, including setting the valves, fixing the oil leak at the valve cover and swapping the harnesses.

It ran and shifted but the neutral light is always on and the neutral switch doesn’t work. The kick start kicks back at the bottom of the stroke. Oil leak at the valve cover. A few things i have to fix before i can run it.

So I’ll just be cleaning and derusting for a few more weeks.
 

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#8 ·
amazingly– to me anyway–the paint has been smoothly polished off the bottom of the guards—that’s seems like a lot of riding!!
Maybe wheat stubble? Seems to smooth for sand but also the rider sure did hit some rocks.
 

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#12 ·
I just hope you have a stash of '86 parts for it ?. otherwise..if you got any hair left ?, your gonna pull it out looking for parts for it !..lol. its a damn shame honda stopped making parts for these old girls..they just wont die if taken care of !?!.
 
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#14 ·
These quads are stout—i can see why you stick with them. Takes me back to your last project—man i was ready to drive halfway cross the country to get it from you. I’m a little crazy for them!

I have a stash i hope to use up on this project but I’ve been gently reminded there are other projects i need to finish:0
 
#22 ·
you can't sit long on these ole girls, folks snag them up just for parts !. even a non-runner will bring lots of cash to the right person who is in need of parts to keep theirs going !. if it wasn't for getting parts for them ?, i'd be doing them all day long !. I just don't have the patience for restoring them when parts are so far and few between to get ahold of ?!. I love them to death..true proven machines to say the least !.
 
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#24 ·
DuckofDeath said:
Speaking of which...I've got a line on an '86 that looks to be restoration level worthy based on the listing pictures. Just hope no one snags it before I can get to it this weekend. It's a few hours away and ridiculously cheap, even for a non runner.
You’re going to have a yard full of them.
 
#25 ·
It's up near St Louis but the guy isn't going out of his way to make it available for me to pick up.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/442001676370438/

Think it's hard for us to get parts for these old girls? Imagine being 17, short on funds, and from the U.K., like the kid that sent me a message on ebay regarding an airbox cover. Even if you could find the parts, you'd have to find someone willing to ship internationally and at a HUGE expense. We got it good.

You're right about that Ebay rig not being a parts bike, Shadetree...not yet anyhow. They're all parts bikes in the end though :)
 
#28 ·
Wow pulled off the airbox to find the ignition harness hacked up by the PO
And airbox full of mouse poop.
Worms in the kill switch assembly and the kill switch locked in RUN position somehow.
The PO has had one valve adjustment cap off but musta give up on it.

I bought a used main harness, a NOS ignition switch, NOS switch harness and a headlight bracket.

Maybe later today I’ll pull the fenders but im going for a putt now.
 

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#31 · (Edited)
Removed all the fenders and got a good look

Dash panel harness worn thru caused by that monster homemade front rack. Every sub harness is damaged in some way. Hacking from the aftermarket key switch resulted in some wires left unplugged.

Set the valves — first time for me ya know!! –so easy but i want those adjuster tools. one of the valve adjusters is slotted and the others are square?! Circled in yellow is this typical???

Also adjusted the decomp lever now she doesn’t kick back.

Oil leak is caused by a stripped tappet cover bolt so i bought a helicoil kit. The other bolt holes have helicoils already

Tomorrow i will wash down the frame so i can see where the rust is. This darn thing looks like cows been rubbing on it plus covered with webs from webworms. I may have to do some spot rust treatment on the frame like @GirlsRideToo

Oh yeah the right front wheel has a small amount of play in it. Like the axle nut is loose. Bearing probably?
 

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#32 ·
Those valve lash adjusters should all be square headed, but you knew that already. Its disappointing to see all of the wiring torn up like that, especially that fuse box sub-harness. But that bike will be in great shape once those are replaced... Ya can't be lucky every time I guess.

I still admire the ageless durability of those old tanks. They still look so darn repairable... every one of them!
 
#33 · (Edited)
I replaced the fuze box harness–scavenged minor hardware from 3 others to get a complete one!
Replaced the drive shaft cover and the shifter yesterday–installed all proper bolts. Broke loose the exhaust pipe nuts and pipe protector bolts–cleaned threads. I use antiseize on them all.
Cleaned and inspected the dash indicator and main harness. You can see in second pic that mice have chewed the main harness where it plugs into the fuze harness. Need to dress all the new main harness connectors with dielectric grease.
Put together a complete battery box from parts I’ve collected over the years. Counted the number of TRX350 cannibalized sofar to make this build — 16.
 

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#34 ·
haha...my bud is tempting me to restore another one of these, but sheshh..like you, it would take a ton of these bikes to make one good one !..lol.
 
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#38 ·
I picked that blue bike up on Saturday. Dude swapped wheels and tires around before I showed up. It's got four front wheels. I can't even get a wrench on the shock bolts with the wheels on in back :) Thing was armored out with steel mesh lined racks and rear fender guards that ran down to the floorboards and welded up. I spent two nights cutting them off the stock racks.
 

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