Hello 2000 Honda elite ch80 Engine rebuild.

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ischematic
Noob
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Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2016 9:20 am
Location: San Diego

Hello 2000 Honda elite ch80 Engine rebuild.

Post by ischematic »

Ok a little back ground on the scooter. I bought a 2000 Honda Elite 80 off CL for $250. I had the carb rebuilt and noticed oil all over the engine I mean caked on like mud. The previous owner didn't mention this and I was a sucker for not looking closely before purchase but for $250 I figured it would be a project to learn from if I found anything that looked funny :). First thought after some research was OK maybe a bad gasket or seal from either two places 1st the engine and 2nd the transmission case. The oil seemed to flow toward the rear wheel so I guessed the engine was the point of the leak but didn't completely dismiss the trans either. I took out the engine thanks to youtube and a manual (side note I am not a mechanic just a diy guy wanting to fix his scoot) and stated poking around 4/7/2016 drained both oils and noticed that the trans oil was a brownish color and the engine oil was black not sure if that's a good or bad thing in regards to motorcycle oil. Plus the oil caked on the engine was black so ding light bulb must be engine. I'm a noob at this stuff. Just had a tune up so I was told before I bought the scoot. (another possible lie) Continuing I took off the front drive face and and was thinking about going all the way and remove the crank case but I did not see oil coming from the case seam. So I have held off on that because I might go too far and not know how to put it back plus why mess with it if its not broken. I have removed the top end and saw there is a metal gasket. OK maybe this is where the leak is coming from (my question is does the replacement gasket have to be the same metal one from the factory or can I make my own using gasket material?) I have yet to remove the if needed the bottom housing that contains the piston but have seen in part layout pictures on bike bandit of another gasket below that which could be damaged. Ugh :( I hope not. That is all the questions I have for now hope this was not to painful to read I tried to make as much sense as possible to my issue. Feel free to ask any questions about the progress. Here are a few pictures of when I first got the scoot around 2/21/2016 and to when I tried to fix it up cosmetically to now 4/9/2016. Thanks all in advance.

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Just some of the caked on oil.
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MrJumps
CB900F
CB900F
Posts: 1453
Joined: Thu Dec 25, 2014 11:12 pm
Location: Tennessee, Maryville

Re: Hello 2000 Honda elite ch80 Engine rebuild.

Post by MrJumps »

If the oil was black black with no light tendency to it then it has not been serviced recently unless he rode it non stop. The bottom under the jug gasket looks like it is leaking, also that piston looks like the vavles may have lapped it at one point. It has a good bit of carbon built up too. If you think you can take the jug off without breaking your rings, I would go for it and try to source a whole new gasket kit, then do good flush of the bottom end with straight gas and drain it out really well and check for any scoring or clicks from the bearings or bearings that kinda get stuck at points. Then once my gaskets arrived I would application them dry and put it all back together after cleaning the gasket surfaces. Then once the bore it together and the head is on at the speciafies tourqe amount I would plug the exhaust and cab and remove all the trans parts and get a bottle of my favorite cleaner (mean green, any works i just prefer the mean stuff) and soak it down really good and use a garden hose on it to cl3an it off really well. After cleaning it I would reinstall and fill flyids to Honda-san spect and start it up and let it idle for 5 minutes while watching all the gaskets very closely. Then I would kill it and put the shrouds on and ride around for a 5 mile drive then stop and wait a few minutes say stop and grab a lunch and let it sit in one spot for like 10 minutes and look for leaks.

This is what I figured the best budget friendly plan to do would be.
Gasket kit
Oil
Gas
You could always try to just reuse that gasket set but it will leak again. Or just recap fluids after every little bit.

Good and cheap, but lets hear what others say.
Motor isnt too olde either so honda or oem cites can get you almost evry part to this bike at a decent price.

- Jumps
1993 ch80, swapped with a ch250
2021 DRZ400sm :worship:
Ultraliner

Re: Hello 2000 Honda elite ch80 Engine rebuild.

Post by Ultraliner »

Agree with Mr J on that one, despite what the previous owner told you I doubt your scoot has had a decent, full service for a LONG time, however i'm sure not all is lost ;)

Was your scoot running when you picked it up?

Diagnosing the source of an oil leak when a motor is as contaminated with oil/dirt as yours can at times be difficult so my advice to you would be if it was indeed running before you started pulling it down, reassemble what you have already taken apart. The metal head gasket will be fine to reuse provided you didnt kink it when pulling it off.

Once it's reassembled and everything is down tight, go out and buy a couple of cans of decent degreaser and a wire brush and give that oily beast a DARN good cleaning. Make sure the spark plug is installed tight and dont go too nuts with squirting degreaser/water around the intake or exhaust area. It's a pretty messy process so do it somewhere that you wont mind a bit of oily, messy black stuff.

Once you get her clean and shiny, refit motor back into the scooter, reconnect everything, check and fill the engine and trans fluid as per manufacturers specs and start her up with side covers off. Sit with it for a few minutes while it warms up and while running inspect all the various seams for signs of oil seepage. Far easier to identify on a clean motor than a filthy one.

Once you know where its coming from it will be far easier to rectify. Looking at the pics my guess is cam cover gasket leaking, hence oil on the cooling fins and all over most of everything else. Identify the source first, take the guesswork out of the equation and then repair. Little point in replacing gaskets that may very well be fine ;)
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