I came over to this new forum

[Aroch314 25]

I’ve been told this is the place to be now so here I am! I resurrect Honda atv from abuse, hard lives, sometimes brink of death. It’s a fun hobby, currently have a handful between 300s 350s 400 450s and a 500. You’ll see me around building a 300 with a broken case, trying to figure out a hondamatic/oil issue with a 02 ruby 500.

[Aroch314 25]

I also have a fairly clean ‘86 350 I’m working on bringing back to life.

[_Wilson_™ 6,566]

Welcome to ATVH, Aroch.

[_Wilson_™ 6,566]

Oh i think i see some hondaline accessories! You might hear from @Goober soon, and i have a thread i think you'll find entrusting.... I sure do like those ol tanks. 

[riverc 1,317]

Welcome!

[Fishfiles 20,145]

Welcome to ATVHonda forum --- nice line up you got going on ------  where you heard about this site , who told you  

[Aroch314 25]

Jeepwm69 said everyone went over to hear.

[Fishfiles 20,145]

So out the Atv line up you have.  What’s you favorite ?   

[_Wilson_™ 6,566]

Is that a speedo on the trx350 ? I see you have the sub light guards as well (nice) there's another besides goober @PatrickB who also has a slick tank although havent seen him active here in a while.. 

[Aroch314 25]

That’s a tough one! It really depends what kind of driving. I grew up and since own a 1990 300 2wd that I’ve had many adventures with, it’s light enough to maneuver when stuck but also will go a lot of places and you can rip around drifting. So that one has a special place in my heart. However the 2003 450 I got for a decent price and it’s selectable 4wd and has been a beast to plow with, drag stuff but go zip down the road. So at the moment it might be those two because I’ve done more with them. The 4wd 300 is an ole faithful just struggled with deeper snow but never quits. I just recently found the 400 so I haven’t been able to do much with it but fix its shift bolt and go out the road. Could probably go on and on

[Aroch314 25]

That is a speedo, although the clear plastic case is broken and I’m not sure if it works. Chasing a no spark that I’m thinking is cdi issues as all tests read proper. This one will be cool.

[Fishfiles 20,145]

3 minutes ago, Aroch314 said:

That’s a tough one! It really depends what kind of driving. I grew up and since own a 1990 300 2wd that I’ve had many adventures with, it’s light enough to maneuver when stuck but also will go a lot of places and you can rip around drifting. So that one has a special place in my heart. However the 2003 450 I got for a decent price and it’s selectable 4wd and has been a beast to plow with, drag stuff but go zip down the road. So at the moment it might be those two because I’ve done more with them. The 4wd 300 is an ole faithful just struggled with deeper snow but never quits. I just recently found the 400 so I haven’t been able to do much with it but fix its shift bolt and go out the road. Could probably go on and on

You have the same lineup as me , 300 2wd's , 300 4wd's , 450's

[Snow Camo 242]

Welcome to an awesome site!

[Aroch314 25]

I have a bit of a problem haha but I find good deals and fix them and fortunately but unfortunately they tend to stay around…. I like my reds and always tried to have a full red fleet haha but the yellow one won’t be going anywhere and only sell the tan 300 4x4 if I find a red replacement haha currently have a green 300 4wd that needs a left case. The two closest in the pic are the two I talked about. My gpa bought the 90 new. 

[Fishfiles 20,145]

Ride Red !!!  ---- I'm no doctor , but I'd say you got a case of Honda Hoarder , I know cause I had / have it bad myself 

[Aroch314 25]

It might be contagious! I better stay in the shop! Haha

[shadetree 5,864]

welcome to the site !. nice herd ya have.

[jeepwm69 7,606]

Glad you found your way over here.  Where are you from (you can use general if you like to keep opsec)?

[Aroch314 25]

I’m from Colorado, born and raised, been kinda all over the state.

[jeepwm69 7,606]

Well, glad you made it over.  The factory service manual library is up in the toolbar if you need them, and we like pretty much all of the models here, except Shadetree.  He doesn't like the automatics/ES machines LOL.

 

 

[Aroch314 25]

Awesome! I have a google link with every manual to any Honda as well! But if it goes down or something that’ll be great to know. They are life savers on some of these builds. I’m starting to not like the idea of this hondamatic 500. I prefer my foot shifts but have a couple es that have been great so far. (One likes to double shift but we are used to it and adjust driving to it, dang rancher) it’s had to get a few sensors. 

[jeepwm69 7,606]

23 minutes ago, Aroch314 said:

Awesome! I have a google link with every manual to any Honda as well! But if it goes down or something that’ll be great to know. They are life savers on some of these builds. I’m starting to not like the idea of this hondamatic 500. I prefer my foot shifts but have a couple es that have been great so far. (One likes to double shift but we are used to it and adjust driving to it, dang rancher) it’s had to get a few sensors. 

 

When working properly, the Hondamatics are great machines.  I'm a KISS guy, so I stuck with footshifts for a long time (still have them).  A lot of my friends had Hondamatics, and I kept waiting for them to have problems, and none of them ever did.  Have seen a couple sunk that still didn't have problems.  I avoided them still, and bought the wife a DCT Rancher because she wanted an automatic, and the Hondamatics were considered "non-serviceable" by Honda, and are $$$.   The DCT is a very complicated automatic, and while hers ran fine for a few years, it sat up for a bit and now won't shift properly.  I'm going to remove the GR I put on it and put it back stock, as I believe the shifting issues are related to the "shift healer" that was required for the auto mode to work with the GR.

 

In the meantime, I got a Rubicon really cheap with electrical issues and a swingarm bolt that had stripped out on one side of the frame.  I bought a frame from Powersportsnation (they used to be a lot cheaper) and put a used wiring harness from ebay on the machine and it's been flawless since.  Wife rode that one once and said it was hers LOL.  She hated the way the DCT shifted, and the Hondamatic is smooth as silk all the way through.

 

I later picked up another one, a 2012, really cheap.  Oil pump chain jumped off.  Have that engine torn down on my bench now, just need time to finish putting it back together.

 

 

 

Bottom line, the Hondamatics are expensive, considered unserviceable, and not easy to troubleshoot as they have lots of electronic crap on them.  That said, the DCT's the followed seem to be even worse.  

 

The bad reputation the Rubicons have is from the early oil pumps failing, which then wrecked the Hondamatics, so the problem wasn't ever the Hondamatic itself, it was the early faulty oil pumps.  There is also a guy now who has figured out how to rebuild them, if they aren't too far gone.  @Brian Bertram is a member here.  He hasn't been on lately, but he did post his email in this thread and has promptly answered questions i had once I tore into the engine on this 2012..  Brian said that transmission problems on the later Rubicons were extremely rare.  I think 01-02 are the problem years, and even on those you see them with 15-20K miles on them with no work done to them.  It's just the luck of the draw on the early Rubicons.

 

 

Brian's contact info is in this thread.

 

 

[THH 295]

Welcome, Nice collection of toys!

[Derf40 139]

Welcome Aroch314...I'm in GJ Colorado...I have a 99, 450ES...derf

[Aroch314 25]

Hey Derf! I used to be all over the little book cliffs, they were my back yard but last year I came over to the east side, gotta say it’s not as fun.