1985 250sx kickstarter issue

[93cr250]

hey im new to this forum and we have a few 3 wheelers, but anyway our 1985 250sx has a problem where kickstarter doesn't catch 90% of the time, and the e-start doesnt catch 75% of the time but when it does it knocks quite loudly (only when you are pressing the button, not after its started) the bike runs great but its a hassle getting it started. Any help will be appreciated, thanks

[atc500x]

you will need to change the one-way bearing behind the centrifugal clutch,easy to change but don't forget that the clutch nut is LH,clockwise turn to loose the nut

[93cr250]

you will need to change the one-way bearing behind the centrifugal clutch,easy to change but don't forget that the clutch nut is LH,clockwise turn to loose the nut

thanks, ive done 5-6 complete engine rebuilds, just wanted to know what i needed, also it has a valve ticking noise in it, ive adjusted the valves but it didnt help, any ideas?

[tri again]

oh, valve noise.
Real hard to imagine how people get them to .003 or 004 and honestly know the difference.

I got an orig owner 87 br for 200 bucks because someone adjusted the valves with a rusty shovel. The knock from those rockers sounded like a death rod and would make anyone sick from 50 yards when it ran.

It really should be set at confirmed TDC and they say a bent square drive deck screw is the same size as the adjuster.

I slipped on a tight piece of fuel line and did it as meticulously as I could.

Now what I don't want to tell you is the timing chains are not user adjustable.

So is the tick an exhaust leak?
chain slap or just a noisy rocker.

I'd like to know if there's a way to check oil pressure in these things since the cam chain tensioner is technically oil (pressure??) dampened.

If it's really a valve lash tick, you can run it with the covers off and try holding the rockers down with a rag to take the slop (and tick) out of them.

Oil WILL try to fly everywhere but that will also tell you if you've got some sort of oil pressure.

Fresh oil and filter (112 or 113) change?

[93cr250]

oh, valve noise.
Real hard to imagine how people get them to .003 or 004 and honestly know the difference.

I got an orig owner 87 br for 200 bucks because someone adjusted the valves with a rusty shovel. The knock from those rockers sounded like a death rod and would make anyone sick from 50 yards when it ran.

It really should be set at confirmed TDC and they say a bent square drive deck screw is the same size as the adjuster.

I slipped on a tight piece of fuel line and did it as meticulously as I could.

Now what I don't want to tell you is the timing chains are not user adjustable.

So is the tick an exhaust leak?
chain slap or just a noisy rocker.

I'd like to know if there's a way to check oil pressure in these things since the cam chain tensioner is technically oil (pressure??) dampened.

If it's really a valve lash tick, you can run it with the covers off and try holding the rockers down with a rag to take the slop (and tick) out of them.

Oil WILL try to fly everywhere but that will also tell you if you've got some sort of oil pressure.

Fresh oil and filter (112 or 113) change?

I can assure you they were checked with a feeler gauge and not a rusty shovel lol, my dad is an automotive mechanic and has had bikes all his life and we have a manual for every bike we have. Its not like im just a guy in his backyard that knows nothing about bikes. Its been ticking for a while but we have 10+ bikes and never got around to looking at it. My dad is the one who knows about the 3 wheelers and he said the cam chain tensioner could be bad? I cant remember which one but he said he put a cam chain in either the 250sx or the kawi klt 250, i will ask him tomorrow. Im thinking its the cam chain slapping around since we adjusted the valves. I just changed the oil and filter a couple months ago and its probably been ridden 3 times since then.

[tri again]

I can assure you they were checked with a feeler gauge and not a rusty shovel lol, my dad is an automotive mechanic and has had bikes all his life and we have a manual for every bike we have. Its not like im just a guy in his backyard that knows nothing about bikes. Its been ticking for a while but we have 10+ bikes and never got around to looking at it. My dad is the one who knows about the 3 wheelers and he said the cam chain tensioner could be bad? I cant remember which one but he said he put a cam chain in either the 250sx or the kawi klt 250, i will ask him tomorrow. Im thinking its the cam chain slapping around since we adjusted the valves. I just changed the oil and filter a couple months ago and its probably been ridden 3 times since then.

What they say is..
there might be some way to lace in a new chain without a complete teardown, but even of that's true, they also say the chain rails and tensioner should be changed. I also wonder if the tensioner would go back in if you COULD
manage to get a new tight chain in there and hope the guide rails aren't too worn.

Once every 25 years ain't bad if it does have to be done.

No I wasn't implying you had the factory authorized rusty shovel feeler gauge. bit the only thing I can think of is that the engine was not at TDC so it may have gotten adjusted with the cam lobes pointing down instead of up.on the one I got.

I had a heck of a time standing on my head trying to get the adjusters to stay put as I tightened them and I think I gave up and got them close and just made sure they had slight motion by feel, and then rechecked them with a feeler gauge.

If that never happened, I wouldn't have one of the 4,000 87 big reds bolted
to the floor in my living room ;-)

I'm not sure what can go really wrong if the chain get sloppy because I really don't feel like changing mine.

Maybe it just gets embarrasingly noisy and doesn't ruin anything else.

Hey, maybe your dad has some idea how to check oil pressure in these things??

If you do go for the chain and guides and stuff, maybe you can post the procedure as I'm also sure you'll come up with some shortcuts the manual won't mention.

[93cr250]

I'll see if the manual says anything about oil pressure, and im pretty sure the lobes were facing down (not against the rockers) we actually didnt have to adjust them at all, they were still in spec after 25 years. Im wondering if i can take the chain out through the ignition side seal hole like i did in the xr 100? Anyway i have to finish the xr 100's complete engine rebuild then put a crank in the cr 80, and then before i look at the valve tick noise on this i have to replace the one way bearing so the kickstart will work then put in the new alternator. So it might be a while lol.

[93cr250]

hey another question, i was out looking at the 250sx and sometimes when you kick over the motor it turns the e-starter over, it that another sign of the on way bearing?

[3 or die]

I just changed my cam chain. I dought very much that it could be done without removing the top end minus jug. Its a very tight fit.

[93cr250]

are you on the wrong thread? because that is completely unrelated lol

[3 or die]

What they say is..
there might be some way to lace in a new chain without a complete teardown, but even of that's true, they also say the chain rails and tensioner should be changed. I also wonder if the tensioner would go back in if you COULD
manage to get a new tight chain in there and hope the guide rails aren't too worn.

Once every 25 years ain't bad if it does have to be done.

No I wasn't implying you had the factory authorized rusty shovel feeler gauge. bit the only thing I can think of is that the engine was not at TDC so it may have gotten adjusted with the cam lobes pointing down instead of up.on the one I got.

I had a heck of a time standing on my head trying to get the adjusters to stay put as I tightened them and I think I gave up and got them close and just made sure they had slight motion by feel, and then rechecked them with a feeler gauge.

If that never happened, I wouldn't have one of the 4,000 87 big reds bolted
to the floor in my living room ;-)

I'm not sure what can go really wrong if the chain get sloppy because I really don't feel like changing mine.

Maybe it just gets embarrasingly noisy and doesn't ruin anything else.

Hey, maybe your dad has some idea how to check oil pressure in these things??

If you do go for the chain and guides and stuff, maybe you can post the procedure as I'm also sure you'll come up with some shortcuts the manual won't mention.
Last edited by drjoe171; 4 Days Ago at 05:14 AM.



You must have missed it on #6

[93cr250]

i havent been paying attention very well...sorry lol