Hi all, I'm James from Texas-DFW
Finally picked up an FL350 about 5 months ago. We had an one of those yellow 250 way back when, and loved it. Especially since I was climbing hills I never would have attempted with my old Kawasaki 100, I was 13yrs old at the time and my feet would not reach the end of the foot well. about the third hill I hit and just didn't quite make it, I remember holding on for dear life as I came back down end over end, it had the full roll bars that came from the back to the front bumper and found out why they were there. after I relaxed the old sphincter muscle and found out that I was still on all 4 wheels at the bottom of the hill, like nothing happed, man I was hooked . Never really knew or remember now why the old man sold it. But soon forgot about it as I was getting into sports and hell razing at school. Now that I'm wiser and with a kid of my own, I bought a couple of 4wheelers (Suzuki LTZ250) and started hitting the trailers with my wife and kid. That's when I saw this dude come zoom by us with a FL350 and all those memories hit, I knew I had to find one.
I looked all around and didn't know they made a "Pilot". Man, those things are not cheap. So, I stuck with finding a FL350 that was in decent shape. I'm not a "Mechanic" in any way form or fashion. However, I have repaired this thing on my own since I haven't find anyone here that can help me work on it. The Honda Dealers here won't even look at it. I think I have read and researched your threads here that pertain to what I was doing, so I have been able to get it up and running somewhat, And even stopping. I was going to reply to some of them then, but then realize they were 5 yrs. old, LOL. so thanks for the info, Greatly appreciated. Looks like I may be late to this party with an FL350, with all the threads about Pilots. But, here are some pictures of the Odyssey I found. Bought it in California and brought it back to Texas. I have done some Mods to it all ready, but don't have new pictures on this computer.

Nice 350, thanks for sharing the pics....looks to be pretty nice...

Great story & nice looking FL350.

Welcome to the site. Nice ody and cool story. I am curious about your gravity feed tank and carb setup. Is it a stock carb? If so, you need to still use the fuel pump (I cant tell from your pics if you still have it or not). The stock carb is not set up to run just a gravity tank, it will run lean and melt your piston (I have done it before lol.)

Welcome to the addiction!!! I being a 2yr newbie myself have learned to get rid of the aluminum wheels and find some steel wheels! I have toasted 3 aluminum wheels to date! There nice for trailer queens and the queers that like em...lol! But when it comes down to fast-hard ridin go back to steel! Denuch has a 350 that we have tortured and beat the hell out of and it has a gravity feed tank and were still waiting for this proof kaboom thing all these others speak of!(nothing personal to those who have done the poofkaboom). Enjoy the 350... We have a blast evertime it fires up!

My $.02!

What carb is he using?

It is a Keihin 32mm. when I ran it the first time, it always bogged down when trying to go full throttle and a little a 1/4, but ran great and half and would get up and go. it had a 142 main jet in it. I figured I need to change it since I added and other air hose to the air box. I got a carb kit from sigma 6, they told me to run a 145, I did and it made it worse and smoked like a old freight train, but I think that was because I let the gas set for a few weeks before I got back to it, I don't know. so I went to a 140 main and it worked a lot better, but bogged down and the very top of the full throttle. I'd figured I'd try a 138. but there is no fuel pump, gas line straight down to carb with filter, so I figured it was not getting enough gas from the tank to run a 145. I'm no "Mechanic" in any way shape or form. figured this much out just by reading yawls threads and directions from a kit with sigma 6. did manage to get the rear brakes working great, with a stainless line. and fixed the emergency brake with parts from ebay.

excuses typos I got to run to a meeting and I'm trying to get this added real quick. :)

and when I bought it the guy told me it is one over bore. so it was just bored for the first time.

Wow that looks super-clean. Nice find! Congrats!

Oem carb

welcome to the site.nice looking 350,looks pretty clean.Im in the Houston area,where do you go riding at?

Mainly
Cross Bar Ranch-Davis, OK
Rocky Ridge Ranch - Decatur, Tx
Red River ATV Park - Bonham, Tx


I want to try, just haven't had time is:
Sabine ATV Park - Bukeville, Tx
Hidden Falls Adventure - Marble Falls
Mud Creek & River Run - Jacksonville

Ive been to Hidden Falls,it had pretty good trails.I brought my fl350 I had and met 2 other guys with Pilots.It had a lot of rocks though,I didnt like that about it,but we just flew over them
Whats your favorite park out of the ones youve been too?
This is where Im usually at
http://downsouthoffroad.com/

Hopefully nothing bad happens. Does he have the fuel pump still?

If I were you, I would drain the old gas and start over fresh. I would also put a bung in the filler neck of the tank and put the fuel pump back on. It sounds like it is starving for fuel on top end and jetting will not cure that (if this is the case anyway).

Bung in the filler neck? it has a shut-off valve under the tank, that the fuel line attaches to, if that's what you mean. I'd have to buy a fuel pump and everything to connect it up, Would it be better/easier to get a carb that'll work the Gravity tank? or will have the same problem?

Cross bar Ranch, it's 6500 acres and city run, that nobody real goes to, but it has the problem with all the rocks on the trails though, you can fly over the ones on the main roads. and there are parts that you can open it up on for a short run. And that's what I have been doing to get this thing running right. it also has some really rocky hills that are harder trails to ride for the more experienced, its fun with the 4wheelers. Rocky Ridge about 1000 acres or so, is ok since it is a short ride too it for me, And the Red River 2500 acre has a lot more trails but some do get narrow and that place gets crowded, haven't taking the Odyssey there yet but that's were I saw this guy running around on one. so I don't really have a favorite yet, for the odyssey. saving for a gopro to show what I'm talking about. The wife and kid like the day trips, haven't really been able to get them to stay overnight yet.

Go with the fuel pump. I have a carburetor on my Ody that was designed to be gravity fed but still use a fuel pump system. Another issue with the gravity feed..... Is if the tank is vented properly to allow the use of gravity feed? One issue I found was when my upper fuel was vented properly to use gravity feed, it would leak fuel and make a mess.

Just go with the fuel pump setup. You'll be glad you did.

Rand

I do have a new problem that just came up. Rolled it, I got the back brakes to where they would lock up and I could slid to a stop, and whip it around on the dirt roads instead of turning it around by having to back up. I was trying to stop because I saw a trail off of the main road I was going to go down and locked up the back brakes, well I started doing a power slid completely sideways. it was fun but the road had a bend it where I was at, and as soon as I hit the grass field off to the side. it grabbed and over I went, twice. bent the roll cage.
I got it home and started looking it over, I don't think I can bend it back without it becoming a paper clip at the top. so if anyone has one I could buy, let me know. the down tubes from the main cage look to be alright.

OK, Thanks for advise. I'll have to start looking for a pump.

Cross Bar ranch looks pretty good,its hard to tell by pics,too far way for me to try.If im going to drive that far I'd rather keep going and go to Little Sahara Ok.If you havent been there you need to check that place out,its a lot closer to you than it is to me.
Heres a video of some of us from the forum there.

Wow looks like you tweaked the cage pretty good maybe you can get it out in the sun take some better over all pics from different angles.

Front brakes working? I use the fronts 90% of the time on my Pilot (same brakes) but the rears are fun for sliding around a quick hit on fronts right before you lock up the rears helps scrub off a bunch of speed before the stunt driving.

after bleeding and replacing pads the Front brakes are still really mushy. its more like a suggestion to stop, LOL, and then it'll tell me, No I don't think so. it hit harder than I thought on that first roll. I just got some stainless lines in the mail that I ordered to put on the front, like I did for the back. waiting on rain to stop here to get it out, there should be a brake in it sometime. Hopefully I'll be able to find another cage and give this one to someone here that would know how to fix it, if possible. I get better pictures when I can.

don't give up on the front brakes yet, if your pretty sure you have all the air out adjust the front brakes with the rims on and so tight its hard to rotate the front tire, really dragging hard, you want the front shoe (leading shoe) to contact first then the following shoe

Once you get both sides done then bleed the brakes one more time and make sure your cables are as tight as you can get them without it moving the pistons.

Go ride it use the shit out of the brakes, with drums you usually have to make them wear to match the drums so might have to adjust them a few times after they are worn to match and you have them adjusted right you wont need to adjust them for a long wile and if you used Honda shoes its probably the last set you will need to ever buy.

With them adjusted real tight and dragging slightly you can over heat the drums enough where the brakes will lock up so take short rides at first check the temps so your not stranded from home or camp with locked up brakes lol

Once dialed in you can lock them up on pavement if you wanted and they are impossible to over heat.

I had a fun little accidental brake related spin last week in the Ody.

I was chasing Ridindirty and was hauling ass. I came around a corner at about 45mph and there he was sitting waiting for me about 75 feet in front of me. I hit both front and rear brakes trying to slow down but unfortunately the rear end came right on around. I was thinking...Hmmm I wonder if I'm going to roll over into that ditch I see there? I got lucky and just wound up doing a 180 facing the other way. I can only imagine what Ridindirty though I was thinking as he was watching me in his rear view mirror!

Rand