Author Topic: Noob to the site & the FL350  (Read 8224 times)

FL350Kid

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Noob to the site & the FL350
« on: October 03, 2013, 12:16:54 PM »
We just picked up a 1985 FL350 last night.  Overall, she seems to be in pretty good shape.  We'll need to adjust the clutch and maybe re-jet her, along with some other preventive maintenance issues.  Heres a few pics.













She runs and is driveable today, but could stand some maintenance.  I've read about the axles on Pilots in other threads and how they can lead to mega bucks repairs.  Is this something that I'll need to address on the FL350?  Am I better to leave it alone until I have issues? 

Any advice or comments are welcome.  Please share common pitfalls, issues, etc so we aren't surprised when we're out on the trail!

odypilots

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Re: Noob to the site & the FL350
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2013, 07:59:11 AM »
The U joints on the 350 axles can get loose and take out a shock. If you have another 350 to compare to, you can wiggle the joints to check for slop. It's been a long time since I've had one so I can't advise how much is too much.

With their age, the carb boots can crack, so look it over. There's more that others may kick in.
The usual 'my two cents' disclaimer applies. :)

DMoneyAllstar

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Re: Noob to the site & the FL350
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2013, 09:39:23 AM »
Are those stock rear shocks?  If not, pull them off and check the length from ctr to ctr.  If its 15.5" or longer, you may have some axle binding / life issues.  The only shocks that can bolt on to the 350 are the stock shocks and then there are a couple versions offered Works (for a steep price).

On any new 2-stroke rig I acquire, I always do a compression check and leakdown test.  Then check the previous owner's jetting with a plug chop.  Last thing you want to do is blow it up on your first few rides.

Also check/change the balancer case oil and the trans oil.  Check all the engine bolts for proper torque.  Check lug nuts.  Look at the front suspension & steering and make sure there are cotter pins and/or nyloc nuts where needed.

Try not to rev the bejeebies out of it while in neutral.  You don't want to fry the AB bearing on the trans input shaft.
'85 FL350R Odyssey
'88 LT500R Quadzilla

Corn, beans, wheat, and trees - no sand!

LiveWire

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Re: Noob to the site & the FL350
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2013, 09:02:39 AM »
Those look like stock shocks that someone pained the springs and put a schraeder valve on. What they might have done was replace the shock oil with something thicker in an attempt to improve the damping then recharged the shock.

You have to jack up the rear end to check the U-joint play. On it's wheels, the slack will be taken up in one direction.

FL350Kid

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Re: Noob to the site & the FL350
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2013, 03:24:04 PM »
Thanks for the replies. The direction will come in handy. We really want to make sure this is going to be a great buggy for the long term by doing all the maintenance and bringing her back up to specs and better.

 I don't really know if the shocks are stock, but I did notice they are a different color than many others I see online.  Also, the left rear shock has a shaft that is a little bent. Are the Works shocks really worth the money?  I'd hate to buy used shocks just to get worn out parts that don't do me any good, but those Works Shocks are sky high in price!  Where is the best place to get a good price on them?

I don't have access to another Odyssey in good repair to check the U-joint play. Is there somewhere I can find specs for them?

camz281974

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Re: Noob to the site & the FL350
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2013, 05:37:02 PM »
If your just going to ride it around the yard then stick with the stock shocks. But if your really going to ride it then go with the Works. The difference is night and day compared to the stock suspension, especially the rears. Purchased 2 sets of series G from ASMS and it was the best money spent on a single upgrade. 

odypilots

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Re: Noob to the site & the FL350
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2013, 07:06:28 PM »

 I don't really know if the shocks are stock, but I did notice they are a different color than many others I see online.  Also, the left rear shock has a shaft that is a little bent. Are the Works shocks really worth the money?  I'd hate to buy used shocks just to get worn out parts that don't do me any good, but those Works Shocks are sky high in price!  Where is the best place to get a good price on them?

I don't have access to another Odyssey in good repair to check the U-joint play. Is there somewhere I can find specs for them?

Yeah, the shocks are money well spent if you ride hard.

Can you jack up the rear end and post a video of (if any) play?
The usual 'my two cents' disclaimer applies. :)

FL350Kid

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Re: Noob to the site & the FL350
« Reply #7 on: October 09, 2013, 07:10:17 PM »

 

Can you jack up the rear end and post a video of (if any) play?

I can, but it will be tomorrow before I can get it done. Thanks!

FL350Kid

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Re: Noob to the site & the FL350
« Reply #8 on: October 09, 2013, 07:26:22 PM »
Another question I have is on the clutch. It has a Comet clutch with a yellow spring. It revs really high before it grabs. I guess this is called a "high stall" clutch?  Anyway, I want it to go sooner without having to rap it out first. I can change the springs but I don't know what color would be best. Any suggestions?

LiveWire

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Re: Noob to the site & the FL350
« Reply #9 on: October 11, 2013, 06:21:25 AM »
Putting a softer spring in will cause it to bog the engine. It will basically be like being one gear too high. If anything, you would want to change the cam arms to ones without a notch, a higher total weight, but thinner at the tip. The notch is what causes the arms you have to snap in and at a higher RPM than a non-notched arm that was otherwise the same would. The high tip weight makes those arms shift hard at high speed requiring a stiff spring to counter act.

My 350 has Heel Clicker arms in it. My engagement is far lower than the standard 102C calibration. The Heel Clickers allow a setup that will not upshift quickly after engagement. It is like it engages, but stays in first gear until the RPMs come up.

FL350Kid

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Re: Noob to the site & the FL350
« Reply #10 on: October 11, 2013, 10:27:51 AM »
Putting a softer spring in will cause it to bog the engine. It will basically be like being one gear too high. If anything, you would want to change the cam arms to ones without a notch, a higher total weight, but thinner at the tip. The notch is what causes the arms you have to snap in and at a higher RPM than a non-notched arm that was otherwise the same would. The high tip weight makes those arms shift hard at high speed requiring a stiff spring to counter act.

My 350 has Heel Clicker arms in it. My engagement is far lower than the standard 102C calibration. The Heel Clickers allow a setup that will not upshift quickly after engagement. It is like it engages, but stays in first gear until the RPMs come up.

The Heel Clicker arms sound perfect for what I'd like to get out of the FL350.  Do you know of a site or thread where I can read up on these clutches?  I've never had an ATV or bike that had an auto clutch like these and I'd like to figure them out a little bit.

LiveWire

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Re: Noob to the site & the FL350
« Reply #11 on: October 12, 2013, 08:31:06 AM »
Olav Aaen's clutch tuning handbook is the go to source. There are not any good online sources that I know of for it.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/144374862/Clutch-Tuning-Handbook-Olav-Aaen-1979


The drive clutch is RPM sensing. The higher the RPM, the more it wants to upshift by squeezing the sheaves together. That is countered by the spring and belt tension. The driven clutch opens up to allow the belt to go down farther into it based on belt tension. It counters with the spring as well as the helix. The helix causes it to resist opening when belt tension, therefore driveline torque is high. In Olav Aaen's book is a rule of thumb backed by mathematical proof that more weight in the drive clutch balanced to the same tuned RPM with a stiffer spring will operate in a narrower RPM range. It will make the clutch more efficient by keeping the engine closer to optimal RPM. Standard clutch springs have very little pre-load so have little spring load at low speeds. Standard clutch arms exert most of their weight against the pivot pins at low speeds. So the setup is balanced, but inefficient at slow speeds. The Heel Clicker springs are very long for high pre-load at idle. The arms have a chunk of weight outside the rollers called the shoulder that is pulling on the arms from idle up. So the short of it is that the Heel Clicker kit makes the clutch more efficient at low speeds. It allows for a lower engagement because the high spring load prevents over shifting. The more low end torque the engine makes, the bigger the improvement. A single cylinder reed engine benefits a lot. A 600 triple piston port sled engine would see little benefit.

http://www.aftershockmotorsports.com/Honda-FL350R-Odyssey/Clutches-Belts/Heel-Clicker-Kit

FL350Kid

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Re: Noob to the site & the FL350
« Reply #12 on: October 12, 2013, 11:26:21 AM »
Thanks again for all your help and direction!  Now that it's the weekend, I hope to get some work done on her.  I'll also raise the rear and post a video if possible.  Again, thanks to each of you for helping me out!