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Tysonk

options for replacing Hondamatic

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Hello,

 

I am rebuilding an 03 Ruby.  After some consultation with Brian, it seems that I will need to replace the Hondamatic.  I have to say that Brian was great to take the time to look at the pictures I sent to him and gave me a call to discuss what he thought about them.  I am very grateful that he would take the time to help a forum member.  Thanks Brian.

 

That aside, I would like to know from people who have replaced a Hondamatic, where they sourced it from?  I have called the local dealership and they are asking $2100 CAD for a new one.  I do not want to mess around with a used one of questionable condition as it is too much work to replace it if it turns out bad.

 

Any input from members who have replaced a hondamatic would be much appreciated.

 

T

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I haven't replaced one...yet.  Have a 2013 in the yard that I have a feeling will need one.

 

Powersportsnation in NE rebuilds them and sells them. I have no idea how well their rebuilds hold up.  I have bought a lot of used parts from them and they have always had great customer service in that regard. 

Might be worth a look/call.

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RMATV shows them at $ 1,379.21, what i would do is, have a member here in the states buy it from them, then have it shipped to you, ( or you meet them at the border ? ) save you tons of cash. there is more than one way to skin a cat !..lol.

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Shipping a Hondamatic from the US to Canada cost me $100 cdn plus whatever they nail you with taxes, depending on what province you're in.

With the exchange rate these days, you'd be better off buying one north of the border I bet.

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I would think more like , did you not learn your lesson about Hondamatic the first go round , don't waste money fixing it , put that money towards a real atv 

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just out of curiosity ... what was it doing before  bike ever mudded .. over size tires ? or just a project ? and can you can post this pics for us to view ? 

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2 hours ago, Fishfiles said:

I would think more like , did you not learn your lesson about Hondamatic the first go round , don't waste money fixing it , put that money towards a real atv 

Sadly this is true. Unless its a simple fix, & by that youd have to tell us what its doing, youre better off cutting your losses & see if you can get anything out of it the way it is. Machine is going on 20 years old 😮 

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Eh, I'll disagree, and if anyone looks back at my post history from several years ago, I did NOT like the Hondamatics. 

 

That said, I own one now.  Actually two but one needs to be checked out as I bought it "running but not pulling".

 

The oil pump problems in the early models absolutely killed the Hondamatics, and yes, they are stupid expensive to replace, and few people know how to rebuild them.


That said, they are unbeatable for seamless power, and the newer ones seem to hold up just fine, so long as you don't try to run them on mud and water.

 

There are no gear reductions available to speak of (a 450 drive gear will supposedly get you 7%, but hardly worth the effort unless you're already in there), so they don't make good mud/pit bikes.

 

BUT, for cruising the farm, work, hunting etc, they are great bikes.  I say that about the 05-14 models, which have disc brakes, selectable 4wd, and of course, the updated oil pump.  I don't know that I'd sink money into an 01-04 unless it was VERY clean to begin with.

 

But I'm a convert.  Yes, i still prefer my air cooled, footshift Hondas, and most of what I have in my stable are those, but after picking up a "too good to pass up" deal on an 05 Rubicon, I've kept it.  They are good machines.

 

And up in Canada, where used Hondas bring $$$, I think it would be worth fixing.

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3 hours ago, Tysonk said:

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

Looks like there is a few options for tranny replacement.

 

 

I know Harig over on the old board rebuilt them, along with @Brian Bertram.  It appears Powersportsnation has now started rebuilding them as well. 

 

Honestly if I had a choice, I'd rather have one from Harig or Brian, because I believe they use a turned down, all metal bearing instead of the factory type with a plastic cage in the bearing.

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i don't remeber harig... and chance you can draw him over here ? no doubt we will see more post about these hondamatic granny's in the future. 

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8 minutes ago, _Wilson_™ said:

i don't remeber harig... and chance you can draw him over here ? no doubt we will see more post about these hondamatic granny's in the future. 

I messaged him a few times on the HF site.  So far he hasn't shown up.

 

I think @Brian Bertram actually taught Harig what to do though, and he pops in every now and then.

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Thanks Jeep,

 

I have been in contact with Brian.  He has been very helpful.  Before I ship it to him he would like to see what the internals look like so we know if it can be rebuilt.  He was suspicious of one of the relief valves and is waiting for me to get the rest of the unit apart so we know for sure if it is fixable or not. 

I have attached a picture showing the top of the relief valve that he is concerned about.

The bearings seem good, and there was very little debris in the oil screens and inside the crank, indicating that it is not a bearing failure.

I assume that if Brian cannot rebuilt it PSN also can not.  I have talked to one of their guys and he said 'as long as it is not grenaded they can repair it' but I am not sure how knowledgeable he was being in a sales position.

 

I made this post to see where other people had sourced new hondamatics.  $2100 CAD +tax from the local dealership is a lot of money.

62397437600__D726783B-095B-4061-9A04-5D0D83DD1E32.JPG

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1 hour ago, Tysonk said:

Thanks Jeep,

 

I have been in contact with Brian.  He has been very helpful.  Before I ship it to him he would like to see what the internals look like so we know if it can be rebuilt.  He was suspicious of one of the relief valves and is waiting for me to get the rest of the unit apart so we know for sure if it is fixable or not. 

I have attached a picture showing the top of the relief valve that he is concerned about.

The bearings seem good, and there was very little debris in the oil screens and inside the crank, indicating that it is not a bearing failure.

I assume that if Brian cannot rebuilt it PSN also can not.  I have talked to one of their guys and he said 'as long as it is not grenaded they can repair it' but I am not sure how knowledgeable he was being in a sales position.

 

I made this post to see where other people had sourced new hondamatics.  $2100 CAD +tax from the local dealership is a lot of money.

62397437600__D726783B-095B-4061-9A04-5D0D83DD1E32.JPG

 

If Brian can't fix it, I'd scrap it and buy another one.  He was rebuilding Hondamatics before anyone else, even Harig.  PSN just recently got into that game, and while PSN has had great customer service selling me used parts, I don't know enough about their rebuilding services to say yay or nay. 

 

Brian's been doing it long enough to know whether or not a rebuild is feasible. 

 

Please post lots of pics and info as you tear it down!  I've never actually torn into a Hondamatic.  I have a running 05 Rubicon and a 2013 that "runs great but won't go" that I have yet to tear into.  That's a project for this winter.  Going to get the motor pulled, moved into the shop, and tear into it.

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I was ‘gifted’ this quad. It was already partially torn down. 
 

one thing I would do differently is I would have put it back together and heard it’s problems first hand. All my friend would say is it had a grinding noise when ‘in gear’

 

also I would have definetly done an oil pressure test which I would recommend you doing first on your project quad. The Hondamatic will not operate properly if oil pressure is low. It is actually a hydraulic pump/motor combo and uses engine oil as hydraulic fluid

Edited by Tysonk
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LOL.  Been there, done that.

 

Mine had the oil tank off the front of the motor but that's as far as the guy got.  Broke his hand, and said he just didn't want to fool with it.

 

I guess maybe I should put it back on and crank it and see what it does.  I'm hoping I'll find the oil pump chain off.


I got it cheap, so if the hondamatic is gone and can't be fixed, I'll use it for parts for the other machine. 

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