ATV Florida Forum

I recently purchased a 2005 Honda Rancher 350 and upon arrival in Fla. it began it's career as a muddin machine.
The first few rides went fine, no problems at all in fact. After the first oil change is when things started to get a little hairy.
Now I know the owners manual says not to take the machine any deeper that 11 inches of water, but what do they know. Or so I thought.
The next time out I went thru some long, deep puddles havin a blast, not a care in the world. The next day I checked my oil to make sure I had filled it correctly, and to my surprise came forth a dipstick covered in milk.
I have since become an expert at changing oil and filters because for the next three outings I came back with water in my oil.
I finally discovered where it was coming from, and this is the warning to Rancher owners.
The recoil starter cover has a recess which is supposed to act as a drain hole for the recoil, well the water can also get in this hole, flooding the recoil with silt and water. The oil seal that goes in between the recoil assembly and the crankcase is the source of water in my engine.
To prevent this I have sealed the recoil cover with RTV and plugged the hole as well.
I took it out this weekend to test it and it worked.SEAL YOUR RECOIL IF YOU GO DEEP.Just a freindly heads up. Other than this I love my Rancher.

How in the world did you stumble across that one????  That was a good one to keep in the tool box of knowledge.

My buddies 2005 Rancher finally started smoking Sunday at 5A. He had the same problem of water getting in after every ride. He has now sealed off the pull starter as you did and is rebuilding the top end this weak.

Highlifter sells a replacement  recoil starter for all hondas that keeps it from leaking. I have a 04 with a snorkel. I never get water in the oil but it sputters when i get out of the water and i never could figure it out. Come to think of it one time i was washing it i sprayed water in that area and it started missing. Mabey i will have to give that a try.

I have an 02 Rancher, no snorkel,  no mods just all stock and it will run under water up to the top of the racks just siting still running or driving and it has never got water into the engine. I will keep an eye on the recoil.         Thanks  8)

no problem with my '03.

i dont got that on my 05 but i take it in deep water past my racks and got a snorkel but im going to seal that up thanks for the tips

I never had a problem until my battery died. I had to pull start my bike and the cord never retracted. So I took it apart and cleaned it up. That is when the problem started.

I have another friend w/ an 2001 the same way. Well it has had  26" 589 MTs since day one and has never had a problem, we estimate it has nearly 6k miles. He hasn't even changed the spark plug, just vented the carb up. And his son rags the heck out of that thing w/ water over the racks. Sometimes that thing is only bike running by the end of the day.

 ;D  I love that quad...  Honda ;)

Never had water in the oil on a 2000 rancher that often goes deep, and regularly take apart the recoil starter...once I found out there WAS one.....  heh.   I saw on with a rope tied around the rear rack, and asked what that was...

I love my Honda. The motor has had a bunch of water in it and no smoke or anything. I keep changin the oil and doing normal maintenance. I see this as a testament to how good Honda motors are. If anything bad was going to happen it woulda happend this weekend at Ocala, lots of stopping and letting the bikes run then some hard riding.