[polaraman]

I bought my ATV heavily used about 6 years ago and it's been basically trouble free since I've owned it. However, It has always been sluggish to get started. Once its running, it runs great! '

What should I address first to make it a bit easier to crank?

 

[shadetree]

fresh battery, fresh fuel, clean/rebuilt carb, fresh spark plug is what i'd be doing .

 

[Goober]

Those carbs or so easy to rebuild using Shadetrees sticky, tho i think your main problem is a worn starter valve. To rebuild the whole thing like new, you’ll want a Shindy rebuild kit ($25), a primer pump ($30) and a starter valve ($40).

 

[wheeler]

I’d make sure your coil & wire are good. Make sure your valves are set correctly & what they said! Lol

 

[polaraman]

You just scared me off by telling me to rebuild the carb. How hard is that to do for someone who is not a mechanic? I'm familiar with engines and how they operate. I can handle simple bolt on stuff but never took on anything as complex as a carb rebuild.

Should I take this myself or take it to a shop?

 

[shadetree]

You just scared me off by telling me to rebuild the carb. How hard is that to do for someone who is not a mechanic? I'm familiar with engines and how they operate. I can handle simple bolt on stuff but never took on anything as complex as a carb rebuild.

Should I take this myself or take it to a shop?

do it yourself !. its not that hard, you don't have to be a mechanic to rebuild a carb on a trx300.

 

[Goober]

You just scared me off by telling me to rebuild the carb. How hard is that to do for someone who is not a mechanic? I'm familiar with engines and how they operate. I can handle simple bolt on stuff but never took on anything as complex as a carb rebuild.

Should I take this myself or take it to a shop?

On a scale of 1 to 10 it’s 2-3 for a 300. I’m sure you can do it; the shop will charge you $275. Read the carb sticky completely for best results!

Btw here’s a thread with pix
https://www.hondaatvforums.net/foru...rx300-carb-rebuild.html?highlight=TRX300+carb

This is made easier by draining the tank down below half–you’ll have to lift it off and put it somewhere. I use a funnel and a fuel can.
Turn off fuel and disco fuel line from the petcock–drain tank. Remove seat. Remove the kick starter body cover. Unbolt the tank and unseat the rear fender mounting tab from the tank. CAREFUL WITH THIS TAB. YOU WILL DAMAGE THE FENDER DURING REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION if you forget. Remove tank by lifting bolt end slightly; get your other hand on the top center front of the tank and lift it up and rearward.
Unbolt seat base bracket and you’re ready to remove the carb.

Here’s a carb completely disassembled.
About a week before dissassembly, I spray down all the screws with Deep Creep wiping off as much dirt as i can. Order your parts and buy some nitrile gloves, plumbers acid brushes, pipe cleaners, dental brushes, bamboo handled cotton swabs and a brass brush like you would use for gun cleaning. Maybe some chem goggles.

You will want to look for a plastic coffee can and a can of Berryman Chemtool carb cleaner–it has a group of nasty solvents similar to brake cleaner–so be careful to avoid eye/skin contact and inhalation.

 

[Jeepwm69]

The first time you rebuild a carb, you'll think "This wasn't that hard". By the 4th or 5th one you do, you wonder why anyone would pay someone to do it.

Can you do legos? This is legos for adults. You take it apart, soak in Berrymans, take out, blow out the passages with compressed air, and put it back together again using the new gaskets etc from the rebuild kit.

About the only adjustment you need to note is the pilot screw on the bottom. I always screw it in until it lightly bottoms out, counting the number of turns it takes. Then remove it, clean carb, and when you put it back together again, you know how many turns out from being bottomed out it should be.

 

[Goober]

I didn’t have ANY experience with ATVs until i joined this forum, but I’ve been a lifelong mechanic and industrial processes supervisor and manager. The members here are outstanding mentors and going to provide a range of options.
I tend to overdo detail in my descriptive comments: pix, tool use and selection, safety aspects.
So here’s the thing—so you read thru the owner and service manuals, comments, etc and decide what you’re ready to take on. Maybe you’re ready to spend a weekend rebuilding/tuning a carb but not to set the valves. At some point you should get to know your local Honda service folks too—mechanics gotta eat too right? Lol

 

[polaraman]

I'm a systems analyst by trade so I don't really use hands much...other than typing so some things like this has always seemed daunting.

But you guys have convinced me to step out on the water. I'm gonna try it! It will probably be a week or so but I'm going to do it. I'll report back here if I run into some issues.

Speaking of issues, when i bought my ATV years ago, the place on the handlebars that controls the choke cable was broken off. Where can I find a replacement?

 

[shadetree]

I'm a systems analyst by trade so I don't really use hands much...other than typing so some things like this has always seemed daunting.

But you guys have convinced me to step out on the water. I'm gonna try it! It will probably be a week or so but I'm going to do it. I'll report back here if I run into some issues.

Speaking of issues, when i bought my ATV years ago, the place on the handlebars that controls the choke cable was broken off. Where can I find a replacement?

the choke lever ?, unless honda still sells that lever ( and I doubt they do ! ) you will need to locate a used one from ebay or a salvage yard. or !..someone from here ( points to @Jeepwm69 , says he prob has a spare )...lol.

 

[shadetree]

check this video out ->

, he has a 3prt video on this, so watch all 3 prts !, and yes, he's from my state, no, I do not know him !..lol.

 

[Jeepwm69]

I probably have one, depending on any changes they've made over the years.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/L-H-Switch...773694?hash=item5b5462a07e:g:vwUAAOxy2CZTbZ0T

I'm going to just get a new one for my 97 that Shadetree is working on.

 

[shadetree]

I'm a systems analyst by trade so I don't really use hands much...other than typing so some things like this has always seemed daunting.

But you guys have convinced me to step out on the water. I'm gonna try it! It will probably be a week or so but I'm going to do it. I'll report back here if I run into some issues.

Speaking of issues, when i bought my ATV years ago, the place on the handlebars that controls the choke cable was broken off. Where can I find a replacement?

I have faith in ya polarman !!. atv owners tend to shy away from stuff on atvs because they take one look at it, and go oh my..'' I CAN'T DO THAT '' !. how do they know for sure ?, UNTIL THEY TRY ?!!!. even if ya get stumped ?, and don't know what to do at a certain point ?, MAKES NO DIFFERENCE !!!, you always have us here, we won't leave you hanging..UNLESS YA PIZZ US OFF ?.. LOL.. I just did a carb rebuild over the phone with powerstroke on his trx300fw just a few days ago, and he does not know one thing about what part goes where ?!..lol. well, I hung in there, and guided him through every step !. I know these carbs inside out, every part. just like jeep said ^^^..after you do a few of them ?, its all down hill from there ! .

 

[shadetree]

I probably have one, depending on any changes they've made over the years.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/L-H-Switch...773694?hash=item5b5462a07e:g:vwUAAOxy2CZTbZ0T

I'm going to just get a new one for my 97 that Shadetree is working on.

as far as I know bro ?, honda did not change anything on the choke levers ?, they just have to be from a trx300 in all the years '88-'00. I think they changed the switch covers ?, not sure ?. we talked about this the other day, I was trying to put the back part of the switch on yours that I had , but I know it did not come from a trx300 , as I have not done a trx300 in a very long time..lol.

 

[Jeepwm69]

Well I've got extra switches, but most of them are super sun baked, so at least on my kid's, which will be really nice looking when I'm done with it, I'm going to replace the switch as much for appearance as anything.

 

[shadetree]

Well I've got extra switches, but most of them are super sun baked, so at least on my kid's, which will be really nice looking when I'm done with it, I'm going to replace the switch as much for appearance as anything.

good thing on those choke levers ?, is you don't need the whole switch !. you can remove the lever if thats all you need to fix/replace .

 

[polaraman]

I probably have one, depending on any changes they've made over the years.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/L-H-Switch...773694?hash=item5b5462a07e:g:vwUAAOxy2CZTbZ0T

I'm going to just get a new one for my 97 that Shadetree is working on.

So I have everything that's on this part in the link but the bottom right part under the red switch. Is that where the cable hooks up into? If i replace this and I can actually use the choke, it may crank much easier. Do you guys use this lever to crank?

 

[Jeepwm69]

In Georgia, honestly you shouldn't have to use the choke. Nobody here has to choke a 300.

If you want to get it working, PM me your address and I'll see if I can pull a choke lever off one of these and send it to you.

 

[shadetree]

I probably have one, depending on any changes they've made over the years.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/L-H-Switch...773694?hash=item5b5462a07e:g:vwUAAOxy2CZTbZ0T

I'm going to just get a new one for my 97 that Shadetree is working on.

So I have everything that's on this part in the link but the bottom right part under the red switch. Is that where the cable hooks up into? If i replace this and I can actually use the choke, it may crank much easier. Do you guys use this lever to crank?

unless you can't buy oem ?, dont waste your cash on that ^^^ china knock-off switch !!.