Dirt squirt

[Popacman]

Hi I just took the dirt squirt I got for a ride I can’t figure out the shift pattern. The bike I breaking up bad when it gets going any ideas

Thanks Rich

[matt glascock]

The shift pattern of the Dirt Squirt in stock trim is down for first and up for the remaining gears. That said, the first Dirt Squirt I owned had its transmission replaced with an Ace 90 transmission which has an up-for-first, down for 2,3,4 pattern. Needless to say, my first attempts to ride the bike before figuring out the transmission swap were rather amusing to onlookers. Not so much for me. This may be the case with yours. You can easily determine if this is the case with your bike as follows. Place the bike on a stand, milk crate, etc. so that the rear wheel is off the ground. Click the shift lever down, rock the rear wheel, click the shift level down, rock the rear wheel until you can't shift down any longer. Slightly raising the shift lever should place the transmission in neutral allowing the rear wheel to spin freely. If this is the case, the transmission pattern is 1st down, 2,3,4,5th up. If this is not the case, then repeat the process only in reverse to confirm a 1 up, 2,3,4th down pattern. There is a great deal of parts interchange seen on these bikes so don't be surprised if you have an earlier-style Ace transmission in your Dirt Squirt. As for the bike "breaking up bad", a more detailed description of the exact symptoms will be required before any long-range diagnoses can be entertained. Be as specific as possible and include any other details you can identify even if you think they may be unrelated.

[Popacman]

Thanks but the Kickstarter won’t even kick now it’s just like there no compression and the shift side of the bike case says ace 100

[Bullfrog]

Matt got a lot right in his response but missed one fairly important point. It is the shift cover/magneto cover which contains the mechanism to index the shifting (not the transmission itself).
The Dirt Squirt was produced with a shift cover which has "HODAKA" molded into its outer surface. This shifter case provides for a "down for 1st, up for 2nd thru 5th" shift pattern. You report that the shift cover you have says ACE 100 on the outer surface -- this shifter case gives you an "up for 1st, down for 2nd thru 5th" shift pattern. The two shift covers are easily interchangeable on your engine, so it is not at all uncommon that the "wrong" case has found its way onto your engine during the passing decades.
If you put the bike in gear and try to push it, do you have compression evidence then? And if you put the bike in neutral then try to kick 'er over with the kick starter (NO hand on clutch - clutch MUST be fully engaged on this model for kick starts), what happens? I'm thinking your kick start system has either 1) a failure of the kick roller retainer or 2) excessive wear of the kick roller "ramps" on the kick start shaft OR both #1 and #2. Unfortunately, you have to "split the cases" to repair either fault. Got a Workshop Manual???
Ed

[Popacman]

Thanks I think it’s the kick start thing because if you move it slow you can feel it move the piston and sometimes it just goes down without moving the piston

[Popacman]

But when I put it down I to first the bike doesn’t want to go anywhere and I’m have a hard time finding neutral

[taber hodaka]

Popacman what part of the country are you from? Clarence

[Popacman]

Goood old Philadelphia pa

[Bullfrog]

There are likely multiple issues involved - condition of the shift cover internals and lack of lubrication may also be causing problems. Neutral is a "half click" between 1st and 2nd. With the engine dead, you MUST rock the bike back and forth while trying to find neutral. This takes the load off the gears periodically as you rock back and forth and allows the shifting process to take place. Like virtually ALL manual transmissions, you can NOT shift when the gears are "loaded" . . . so you have to do something to remove the "load" from the gears in order to shift (rocking back and forth does that).

When in 1st gear, there may be enough compression that the rear wheel will slide before it turns. When doing a push start, try 3rd gear (or 4th if there is a really large rear sprocket). Again, when shifting thru the gears with a dead engine, rock the bike back and forth to allow the shifting to happen.
Ed

[Popacman]

Probably going to take it apart and rebuild it. The kick start doesn’t seem like it’s catching so I might as well rebuild it cause I’m going to have to take it apart to fix that
Rich

[Popacman]

Picture

[Popacman]

Tried to post a picture it won’t let me

[waynesworld66]

Keep yourhead up. It’ll work out if you keep focused. They’re old bikes that we just love to work on. Anyone can go out and buy a Honda and co.. But only real fans can rebuild and drive a Hodaka.

[olddogs]

Might want to check the clutch adjustment before you go any farther. "Kickstarter seems to slip but the piston sometimes goes up and down" and "wont seem go when put in gear" and trouble finding nuetral can be a clutch thats too tight but still dragging a little. Too many shims, the wrong perch or the wrong clutch cable thats too short?? If you unhook the cable from the clutch arm on the case the arm should have play. After 40 years, many things may have been changed by previous riders. Just a thought before you tear it down.

[thrownchain]

Bad running may be as simple as old gas. But points and condenser could also be suspect. But overall the only way to totally know what's what inside your motor is to go thru and refresh it. ( and clean the carb). ( and the tank)

[Joe Ormonde]

The first thing to do is to check the Engine Code to confirm that the engine is correct to your Dirt Squirt. The information that I have shows P62366 as the Begining Code for your bike. If it isn`t and the engine does need to be gone through, now is the time to correct it. Either the Shifter Cover was swapped out in an attempt to solve the shifting problem or the entire engine could have been. The correct engine code is critical to the value of Your Dirt Squirt and would be a total bummer to tie up money into the wrong engine. Like the other guys responding to your posting, I wish you lived closer so I could help you out. Joe Ormonde.

[viclioce]

Also, with the kick shaft, make sure the splines aren’t damaged where the lever bolts onto the shaft. If they are, it can also cause kick start lever slippage! Don’t ask me how I know this!!! Victor

[Popacman]

Thanks to all for your help going to try and bump start it see how it goes