Looking at a 2001 YZ250

[Chasbo]

I am almost broke because of RMATV, I should get some sort of special christmas card from them this between my SXC and this YZ. 

[Chasbo]

Today was both good and bad. That's become the norm with this bike I have discovered. Every time I make a little progress, I find something new to fix LOL.  I got the tire on my new rear wheel (new USED that is). I went ahead and put on a new rim strip, rim lock and tube since the old ones were pretty much toast. The rear tire came with the bike, it has a couple of miles on it, but is in good enough condition to go ahead and run. Then it was a new Tusk brake rotor and JT 50 tooth sprocket. New bolts for both as well. I threw some 242 Loctite on the rotor bolts so they don't sneak out down the road. In fact, I am one of those guys that puts 242 on almost every bolt to keep them secure. After that, I put the wheel on the bike and liberally greased the axel while I was at it. Then I sized the chain and threw on the new front sprocket, a 14 tooth Moose Racing, with a new lock washer and got that all in place and torqued up proper. Then I threw the new MSR shifter on the bike, along with the front sprocket guard.

 

 

The not so good came when I pulled the bike of my stand and found some oil on it. Crawling under the bike I saw that it ccould be coming from a couple of different spots. The clutch cover has been repaired with a little JB Weld, so it could be coming from that. There was some oil under the water pump and there might be a small leak there. The PO mentioned that the water pump was recently rebuilt. I am wondering how good a job was done. Plus, it looked like the CS seal and shifter seal were a bit moist, so they will need to be replaced at some point soon as well. I wiped everything of and put a fresh pice of cardboard under the engine and will check on things tomorrow to see where it is coming from. Stuff seems to constantly need to be added to my list, but at least the bike has TWO wheels back on it. That is a little visual progress, even if I will need to pull the front of when I do the fork seals and bushings. I 

[mikeylikesit]

you can use baby powder to track down the leak. Wipe everything clean then pour it on and watch the white turn dark.

If it is the shifter seal, I wouldn't ride it until it's fixed or you may strip the splines.

[YZDOC]

If you only replace the CS seal/o-ring, shifter seal, outer case gasket go with OEM. Otherwise get the Tusk seal kit from your favorit place, and OEM on the gaskets and CS O-ring. 

 

Call it a day.

 

And, in the photos... it looks like your shifter is too high, and you will make grinding noise wne you up-shift that will make you think your tranny is done and its just your shifter rubbing on the chain.

[Chasbo]

_{Yeah, I noticed the shifter was too high after I finished installing it...figures LOL.} 

 

_{I am ordering a new CS and shifter seal next week.} 

_{Do I need to pull off the outer case to replace them?}

 

I will try the baby powder trick tomorrow, as well. I am going to replace the clutch cover when I service the clutch next month. 

[YZDOC]

_{Yeah, I noticed the shifter was too high after I finished installing it...figures LOL.} 

 

_{I am ordering a new CS and shifter seal next week.} 

_{Do I need to pull off the outer case to replace them?}

 

I will try the baby powder trick tomorrow, as well. I am going to replace the clutch cover when I service the clutch next month. 

 

No need to pull off outer case.

Do not forget the 0-Ring on the CS shaft, so.... seal, 0-ring, lock washer, then the seal for the shifter also. Not to easy to pull out the seal with the shift shaft in, but with the proper dental tool/hook will yield success. Just dont scuff the shaft. 

[Chasbo]

Cool, I will add that stuff to my next RMATV order. It never gets smaller, the stuff on it just changes over time. 

[Chasbo]

Looks like my biggest oil leak is the clutch cover itself. In the spot that looks like it has been repaired by JB Weld, there is a tiny crack with a hole. The repair itself was done with what looks to be grey silicon bathroom seal. It simply peeled off when I scratched at it with a fingernail. Un-eff-ing-believable. Also, a couple of the water pump housing bolts were loose as well. It makes me wonder who did the water pump repair and just how good a job was done. I also went ahead and pried the shifter back off and saw that there is indeed a leak at the seal. The seal itself looks as if it has some silver paint on it. I don't know if that means one of the previous owners painted the engine at some point and had some overspray, or if it came that way from the factory. Also, near as I can tell, there is no crush washer on the oil drain bolt, so I have a little weep of oil there. So lots of shade tree work on the bike just to keep it running on the cheap. No problem, I don't half ass stuff and will do the repair work needed the proper way. All of this isn't too depressing. I knew at the price I paid I would be uncovering some issues and all of this seems to be fairly minor stuff so far. I have updated my list of things to buy and my other list of things to do. It is kind of funny that after a month I am still somewhat in triage mode finding new issues every time I work on the bike. 

[YZDOC]

You can pick up 10mm washers for the drain plug at the auto house. Same as the Toyota 22R motors. The fiber OEM ones are nice.

[Chasbo]

Yeah, I am going to change the tranny oil as a matter of the refresh and already have a couple on hand. I absolutely laughed my ass off when I found out that the "JB Weld" on the clutch cover was actually silicon seal. Had it been me, I would have used JB Weld for an emergency and then replaced the cover as soon as I found a good used one (which I will do now). So it is off to FleaBay to find another cover and a new gasket will go on Bike Bandit. I have been getting all my OEM stuff from Bike Bandit and all my aftermarket stuff from RMATV.  I can't find an OEM parts diagrm on RMATV. 

[YZDOC]

RMATV has them on the upper left of the toolbar. What I don't like is that it closes after a short time and you have to re-open it. Motorsport, partzilla, even chaparral stay on the page forever until you close it. Only reason for RMATV is the 10% off and the bonus points. My problem is the bonus points hit 9000 and you get no more. I hit that by July/August every year with my little therapy builds. So I created another account hehehe.... BB has to long shipping and the price is a little higher on "some" parts.

[Chasbo]

Yeah, I saw that Palmer, but the thing is, it doesn't list a 2001 YZ250, just the YZ250F model. It has other years, just not mine. 

[YZDOC]

Yeah, I saw that Palmer, but the thing is, it doesn't list a 2001 YZ250, just the YZ250F model. It has other years, just not mine. 

 

Yes it does. Hahaha,

its called a

COMPETITION - YZ250N1 - 2001 OEM Parts

at the top of the drop down. I looked for a while also when I was restoring one... 

[YZDOC]

Oh yah, and the Tusk engine seal kit will not list the 2001 either because the kick start shaft is 14mm not 12mm. So just buy the 2002 kit and get that seal OEM or don't get a new one until it leaks. Only rotates when you kick. 

[Chasbo]

Holy smokes, I cannot believe I missed that. Thank you.  ?

[Chasbo]

Best part is that I don't have to order from frickin Bike Bandit any more. 

[YZDOC]

Holy smokes, I cannot believe I missed that. Thank you.  ?

 

Did you go out in the garage and kick yourself in the asz? ?  It took me a couple reviews to say... WT H E L L, why is it at the top and not lined up with YZ....? ? ?  OOOOOOOOHH, because it was called a "competition"     

[Chasbo]

The only thing unavailable from RMATV is the counter shaft seal. I may have to find that elsewhere.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Chasbo

[Chasbo]

Did you go out in the garage and kick yourself in the asz? ?  It took me a couple reviews to say... WT H E L L, why is it at the top and not lined up with YZ....? ? ?  OOOOOOOOHH, because it was called a "competition"     

 

 

That is exactly what I did. Every other parts house lists it as YZ...LOL

[YZDOC]

Best part is that I don't have to order from frickin Bike Bandit any more. 

Name BANDIT? 

The only thing unavailable from TRMATV is the counter shaft seal. I may have to find that elsewhere.

Really? are they not showing in stock or what? EDIT Never mind (just don't show it for any years.) Just get the Tusk kit and use those. Two seals are the same, shifter and clutch lever in the stator/FW cover. 

 

 

Oh, and the PV on head and outer case. 

Edited December 17, 2015 by PALMER84ONE