i have an 1983 185s i recently put new tires on it and when i flipped it on its left side to change to put the new tire on it the recoil cover filled up with oil and started to drip out. I know this cant be right. What can i do to fix this and what is the problem. I would appreciate the help thanks alot.

 

This is a common problem on all of the ATCs that haven't been gone through since they were new.

The problem is the oil seal behind the stator plate. If you hadn't had oil in the recoil before, the seal is just beginning to go bad. Eventually, the crankcase pressure alone will cause oil to blow by the seal when running on level ground. When you tilted it on it's side, the oil level reached the seal and leaked past.

You need oil seal part# 91203-958-014

You can get it from any Honda dealer and they should already have it lying on the shelf without making a special order.

You will need to pull the flywheel to get access to this seal. Buy a puller [economy ones run about $10.00] or check with dealer and see what he would charge to yank it off for you. Have the recoil assembly already removed and he will likely charge you nothing to go out to your truck and pull it.

The seal is installed from the backside of the outer left cover. When the flywheel is removed, you then need to remove the four bolts holding the cover onto the engine. This cover uses an o-ring, so you will not need a gasket when you put it back on. The stator plate will remain bolted to the cover when you take it off.

 

Thanks alot for the help