[Brian400ex]

Picked up this 87 honda 250x to go along with my 400ex, 90 fourtrax..
But before i do anything im going to replace gas and oil. What else should i replace?
.looking for some insight on what could be the issue..
the po said it has a intermittent spark.. hes replace the carb, coil and just gave up on it..
i was told on fb groups that i should try replacing the CDI..

 

[shadetree]

not much for sport atvs ?, but I can tell you, either the stator, reg/rec or the c.d.i. will be your problem .

 

[shadetree]

could also be a bad '' kill '' switch ?. worth checking !.

 

[retro]

The FSM will help you pinpoint the failure pretty quickly...

If it troubleshoots down to the CDI, try tapping on it while cranking it. All of the old Honda CDIs eventually fail due to cold/cracked/ solder joints on the PCB and yours may have failed by now given the age. The CDI problem was created by the supplier, (Shindengen?) as they used very poor quality solder in the manufacturing process. If you can do the necessary reflow work you can fix them yourself, otherwise ya gotta replace them when they die.

 

[Brian400ex]

The FSM will help you pinpoint the failure pretty quickly...

If it troubleshoots down to the CDI, try tapping on it while cranking it. All of the old Honda CDIs eventually fail due to cold/cracked/ solder joints on the PCB and yours may have failed by now given the age. The CDI problem was created by the supplier, (Shindengen?) as they used very poor quality solder in the manufacturing process. If you can do the necessary reflow work you can fix them yourself, otherwise ya gotta replace them when they die.

Cool handfull of ppl said the CDI could be the issue.. so which cdi should i get? Which other honda CDI can be used?

 

[shadetree]

The FSM will help you pinpoint the failure pretty quickly...

If it troubleshoots down to the CDI, try tapping on it while cranking it. All of the old Honda CDIs eventually fail due to cold/cracked/ solder joints on the PCB and yours may have failed by now given the age. The CDI problem was created by the supplier, (Shindengen?) as they used very poor quality solder in the manufacturing process. If you can do the necessary reflow work you can fix them yourself, otherwise ya gotta replace them when they die.

Cool handfull of ppl said the CDI could be the issue.. so which cdi should i get? Which other honda CDI can be used?

please only buy the c.d.i. from Honda !, not some damn china after market c.d.i. just because it's lower in price on ebay ?, it wont be worth it in the long run !!!.

 

[SlammedRanger]

Thats a pretty clean little 250x you picked up there. Minus some plastic but over all looks pretty solid. One other thing you gotta watch out for on these older quads is the metal tanks like to rust. If there is any rust in the tank it will just clog up the carb over and over until you clean it or coat it in plastic. Which is pretty expensive but worth it in the end. I to would say cdi would be my first place to be looking. After i cleaned and di-electric greased all the electrical connections. And cleaned the paint/rust out from under all the grounds. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[SamUK]

Ricks electrics are a reputable brand for aftermarket CDI's, they offer standard spec replacements and the Hot Shot series. Good reviews and a great company to deal with.

 

[shadetree]

Ricks electrics are a reputable brand for aftermarket CDI's, they offer standard spec replacements and the Hot Shot series. Good reviews and a great company to deal with.

I've seen more bad c.d.i's from them than good ?. i'd put my money on oem unless there wasn't a choice ?, as in, NLA ?!. oem is best in my book.

 

[SamUK]

Ricks electrics are a reputable brand for aftermarket CDI's, they offer standard spec replacements and the Hot Shot series. Good reviews and a great company to deal with.

I've seen more bad c.d.i's from them than good ?. i'd put my money on oem unless there wasn't a choice ?, as in, NLA ?!. oem is best in my book.

Oh okay, I stand corrected then lol. The main reason I mention them is their communication with the customer is first class, they had a lot of time for me when I was in talks with them. They do offer a no hassle returns policy as well I beleive.
A BIG issue they were having was Chinese CDI's being sold on eBay as 'Ricks' CDI's, I nearly fell for that exact mistake. When I looked there were 6 so called ricks on eBay, when I emailed Ricks direct they only had 1 cdi for sale on eBay!
So if anybody buys from them I would certainly contact Ricks thought they're website rather than eBay.

Maybe this could be the bad units you've heard about shady? Dodgy Chinese junk sold under Ricks name maybe?

 

[Brian400ex]

The FSM will help you pinpoint the failure pretty quickly...

If it troubleshoots down to the CDI, try tapping on it while cranking it. All of the old Honda CDIs eventually fail due to cold/cracked/ solder joints on the PCB and yours may have failed by now given the age. The CDI problem was created by the supplier, (Shindengen?) as they used very poor quality solder in the manufacturing process. If you can do the necessary reflow work you can fix them yourself, otherwise ya gotta replace them when they die.

Cool handfull of ppl said the CDI could be the issue.. so which cdi should i get? Which other honda CDI can be used?

please only buy the c.d.i. from Honda !, not some damn china after market c.d.i. just because it's lower in price on ebay ?, it wont be worth it in the long run !!!.

Thats actually what i want to do..

 

[Brian400ex]

Thats a pretty clean little 250x you picked up there. Minus some plastic but over all looks pretty solid. One other thing you gotta watch out for on these older quads is the metal tanks like to rust. If there is any rust in the tank it will just clog up the carb over and over until you clean it or coat it in plastic. Which is pretty expensive but worth it in the end. I to would say cdi would be my first place to be looking. After i cleaned and di-electric greased all the electrical connections. And cleaned the paint/rust out from under all the grounds. Good luck and keep us posted!

I got the plastic too.. platics will be the last things to buy.. yea the po told me theres possibly rust in the tank.. how/where can i get the plastic coat inside the tank?

 

[SlammedRanger]

When i last worked on a 250x we got it from the honda dealer. It was stuff specifically made for lining metal gas tanks. It was called kreem plastic tank liner kit. The hardest part is you gotta clean all the rust off. We half filled the tank with aqarium rock. Taped the fill hole shut and wrapped it in a blanket and taped it up real good. We then got an old dryer and let it tumble for about 2 hours.(Helped that my parents own an appliance repair business) preferably an old maytag dryer if you can find one. After that 2 hours and almost 5 dollars in change rattled out of the dryer we pulled it out and cleaned it all out and then we followed the directions on the plastic coating kit. Worked really well. We flushed the tank with alot of diesel fuel to get all the rock chips and everything out. Didnt even kill the maytag dryer lol

 

[Brian400ex]

When i last worked on a 250x we got it from the honda dealer. It was stuff specifically made for lining metal gas tanks. It was called kreem plastic tank liner kit. The hardest part is you gotta clean all the rust off. We half filled the tank with aqarium rock. Taped the fill hole shut and wrapped it in a blanket and taped it up real good. We then got an old dryer and let it tumble for about 2 hours.(Helped that my parents own an appliance repair business) preferably an old maytag dryer if you can find one. After that 2 hours and almost 5 dollars in change rattled out of the dryer we pulled it out and cleaned it all out and then we followed the directions on the plastic coating kit. Worked really well. We flushed the tank with alot of diesel fuel to get all the rock chips and everything out. Didnt even kill the maytag dryer lol

Good to know ill call see if they still carry that stuff..
I heard and used apple cider vinger before and it work good with rocks . i had a old 71 honda n600 project that i cleaned the tank with..

 

[Brian400ex]

Ricks electrics are a reputable brand for aftermarket CDI's, they offer standard spec replacements and the Hot Shot series. Good reviews and a great company to deal with.

Is it www.ricksmotorsportselectrics.com

 

[SamUK]

Ricks electrics are a reputable brand for aftermarket CDI's, they offer standard spec replacements and the Hot Shot series. Good reviews and a great company to deal with.

Is it www.ricksmotorsportselectrics.com

Yes, that's the one

 

[Brian400ex]

Ricks electrics are a reputable brand for aftermarket CDI's, they offer standard spec replacements and the Hot Shot series. Good reviews and a great company to deal with.

Is it www.ricksmotorsportselectrics.com

Yes, that's the one

Great thanks.. i just looked and he only has the hot shot honda cdi for now..
Im on fb group for 400ex and theres a guy selling good/used cdi for $20.. are all cdi the same?

 

[SamUK]

Some are the same yes, but for example a 300 fourtrax has 3, 88 to 93, 94 to 97 & 98 to 00. Just make sure you buy the cdi for your year machine.

 

[Brian400ex]

Some are the same yes, but for example a 300 fourtrax has 3, 88 to 93, 94 to 97 & 98 to 00. Just make sure you buy the cdi for your year machine.

Gotcha so i guess 88-93 300 fourtrax is what i woud get?..

 

[Brian400ex]

Popped off the cap.. look at that rust