put it together with a used top end, it fired right up, clutch shot and compression low, so I threw a new bore and piston, clutch plates and springs at it. (before dissassembly it refused to start, so I figured go ahead with the repairs) now it has like new compression, spark and gas, and will not fire. What should I look at? its and 85 or 86 LT230S. Could it be firing at the wrong time? how can it be adjusted-It seems to go together only one way. I tried all the obvious things, even starting fluid. I am a decent amatuer mechanic, but this things got me beat. CDI box? Coil? does the CDI (whatever) box under the tank control the time somehow? could it be "bad"??

 

Did you adjust the valves on top dead center, and is the timing chain aligned top dead center. If it started right up before then I wound after that, and check and see if you have a spark to the plug.

 

This is a four stroke right not a two stroke

 

now it idles when pulled down the road, soon as ya hit the gas it bogs or stalls. I cleaned the carb 5 times.....really hard to start when it cools down...AARRGGGG

 

Trikeaholic if it's getting good spark, good compress., gas and runs after getting pulled down the road but won't run past idleing then you have a carb problem. it almost sounds like it is running rich. just cleaning a carb that has been through as much as that one probably isn't going to help. you may have to get a rebuild kit for it or it may be just a simple fix like rejetting i'd recommend a rebuild kit or try a new carb. Check your timing to make sure it's correct. If you did a topend rebuild did you replace the timing chain? A stretched timing chain on the 230s can make it look in time when you install it but knock you way out after the auto adjuster engages. Have the CDI and coil checked out by a dealer also. If they are bad they still showed a spark but it wasn't a nice blue one but a gold spark. Hope this helps but make sure you get a clymer manual for it it goes into great detail on how to get the 230s running good.

 

I did not replace the timing chain. does it involve splitting the cases? if so, im not interested in trying that! the spark seems weak, but I cant tell. sometimes blue and big, sometimes yellow and more consistent sometimes nothing, depends on the plug. even my buddy who is a suzuki mechanic came by and gave the 230 the one finger salute after trying all his tricks!!

 

The clymer manual for my ladys trike says that if the CDI is defective it can screw your timing up so I would look into that, test the CDI with an ohmmeter or something. I can look the specs up if you need, just PM me.

But the carb idea sound right to me. This may not relate muck but my trike would be the same , if it fired at all as soon as i touched the gas id died. I just tore every part outta the carb, blew all the holes with compresed air and cleaned ever part with carb cleaner. I also dropped the needle one hole becase it seemed to get too much gas at idle.... And it worked afterwards.

I hope i helped a little, see ya around 3WW! (im Tri Moto there)

 

I'm not positive on this because the clymer manual went with my old sport engine when I got rid of it, but the schematics of the motor on albas website shows that the cases should not have to be split you just have to pull the flywheel and timing plate off to replace the timing chain.

after thinking about your problem some thing else came up the pickup coil that's on the timing plate went out on mine a couple times. the problem with that is you can't just buy a pickup coil but the whole timing plate. Get the specs and use an ohm meter to also check that out. Thats one problem I had when it would get good spark sometimes and nothing at other times.

 

I was Wrong[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img] you don't have to buy the whole timeing plate. The Alba action sports website doesn't list anything for the 230 but the motor design is the same but everything is just a bit bigger on the 250 so the cases won't fit. the pickup coil from a 250 sport is the same as the 230s, and the lt 250r though. Hope this helps

 

thanks, carb kit is coming, and if that does NOT do anything, then its time to test the electronics. I appreciate all the replies.