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Sealing the Recoil Pull Starter

36399 Views 61 Replies 37 Participants Last post by  climbcamp4
Disclaimer: Hondaforeman.com is not responsible for any damage caused to you or your bike. This modification is only an attempt to minimze the risk of damage. It will not completly eliminate any chances of damages occuring in any way.

This was performed on my 2005 Foreman ES, The steps should hold true for most hondas.

Here are the few simple steps to sealing off the Recoil pull starter.

This way you can seal it off from dirt and water minimizing their chances of causing damage. Plus you will still reatain the use of the pull stater if it is ever needed.
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Nice writeup there mike, I was thinking that I need to do that to mine. I know there is mud in it I can't even pull it.
I would do it before you end up in smoke, right Forewoman...
anyone did this type of write up for a Rubicon?
Is there not a gasket on the recoil starter cover from factory? Or does it just have one and it is not very good or just dont have one at all. This looks like a very good write up on how to do this. I am thinking about doing it myself on mine in a few weeks.
Thanks Mike for that write up. I was curious on how to do it.
QUOTE ("bigbird":2qwzlz95)
anyone did this type of write up for a Rubicon?
Same exact thing as a regular 4man.
There is no gasket from the factory.
awesome good work!
QUOTE ("Truegrit":27j7l6sp)
I would do it before you end up in smoke, right Forewoman...
Yeah!
Shane got my bike back in business today! It's purrin' like a kitten! AND, he sealed up the pull start just for good measure. I have never used it before and it wouldn't even pull out cuz of all the dirt and stuff in there. Wish I knew where that water was getting in. Shane rode it all in the lake a couple weeks before with NO trouble. I went down the fence line and then some and it crapped! Not a drop of water in the airbox but it was all in the oil!
So, another $200 plus sweat later, I'm ready to tear it up again I guess!
Block off

I have a Plexi Glass Block off plate on my. I works perfect. You just dont have a recoil starter. If you batterie goes down you still can push start it.
Well that is a much better alternative to the plexiglass shield, no offense to those who have it, I am sure it works great, but how are you gonna push start a 4-wheeler in a mud hole???
Superforman did mine & Jennifers last night. Just cut the pull cord which
didn't work anyway, & put some RTV Silicone in the hole. Good to go.
What is best to use to seal? Where to get that sealant?
I used Black RTV. You can get at any auto parts store even WalMart.
I sealed my pull start on my 350 last summer. Last night went to adjust valves, when i broke pull start handle loose to turn engine over, i found pull start housing full of engine oil. Now i have to remove and replace rear crank seal.
But just think if you hadn't sealed it that is where the water would have gotten into your engine at.
Has anyone else ever had this problem with having oil in the recoil starter cover? Is it because the seal was bad or because the cover was siliconed up?
Bad seal
How about just puttin' regular clear silicone in where the pull start is. I tried
to pull start mine last week & the cord broke, so i put some Black RTV in
where the cord was. I don't think i let it dry good enough before i cranked
it up & rode it around. I just put some clear silicone in the pull start hole. Hope
it works. It said on the back of the tube not to use on things that reach
400 degrees or above. Do the engines get that hot?? I hope not or i'll have
to get that stuff out.
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