I REALIZE THIS VIDEO IS LIKE 4 YEARS OLD BUT I JUST HAD TO COMMENT ON IT. GREAT VIDEO, I'M JUST NOW IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING MY CAM CHAIN ON MY 2002 XR 250. SO WATCHING YOU DO ALL THIS IS SO HELPFUL. MY BIKE HAS BEEN MAKING THIS TERRIBLE CLANGING NOISE ON THE TOP END. SO I ADJUSTED THE VALVES, QUITE A FEW TIMES SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER HAD TO THAT ON A BIKE. NOT BEING SURE OF MYSELF I TOOK IT APART A FEW TIMES SINCE THE NOISE DIDN'T GO AWAY. SO NOW I'M CONVINCED THAT IT IS THE CAM CHAIN SLAPPING AROUND. I JUST WISH I KNEW ABOUT PUTTING SOME RINGS OR WHATEVER ON THE ROCKERS BEFORE I PUT THE COVER BACK ON BECAUSE NOW I DON'T KNOW IF THAT THREW THINGS OFF EVEN MORE OR WHAT....? SO I'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS TO FIGURE OUT NOW. I BOUGHT THE BIKE LIKE 4 YEARS AGO & ITS RAN GREAT ALL THAT TIME UNTIL THIS ISSUE CAME UP. THERE'S NOT REALLY ANYONE AROUND HERE THAT I KNOW OF THAT WORKS ON DIRT BIKES, SO ITS KIND OF UP TO ME TO FIX THIS PROBLEM..... FUN !!! YEAH......... BUT AGAIN , GREAT INFORMATION ON YOUR VIDEO. THANK YOU 🤘🤘🤘🤘
Brother i needed your video just to show me the ropes. Recently just repaired the head Gasket shims and some tires head bolts on my 25000 mile xr250l. Your video was invaluable to me i watch it over and over for enjoyment now
Awesome! I'm glad to hear it's helping out so much! I never found much info on these so I figured I would make some detailed as possible for others. Thanks for watching man!
Thanks for the vid, I’m 14. Got a free 86’ XR250r as a basket case. I was curious how the tensioners worked on these bikes as compared to other bikes like the XR80s or TTR125. I’m sure my manual would have told me but I figured I’d give UA-cam a shot first. Definitely ought to help me once I start reassembling this motor. 👌
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this XR250 series. Your comments, explanations and tips have been hugely helpful to me as I’ve been restoring my 1990 example. I never would have thought to use a sheet of glass and lapping compound to true up the mating surfaces, but it worked like a charm. Very grateful to you. BTW, where is your shop located? Best wishes to you for much success.
@@trxtech3010 - I have 87 XL250R FVC, your oring idea for rocker arms is better than Chiltons rubber bands, & Chilton says to "preload" that kickstart decompression lever on right side of head cover, u said to move it around, could you go into more detail please, Thanks.
I really only know how to tear up some ground on my CR500. I don't have much experience working on dirt bikes myself, but this was really helpful! Would you recommend finding an older bike like this and working on it to get some practice? (There is a 89 250R right down the road from me I now have my eye on) Keep doing what youre doing!
Forbsure, these engines are a little more complicated so ifnyou can tear one of these down and do work on one then a CR500 would be nothing because 2nstrooes are much easier.
My only caveat would be, yes these bikes are awesome, but avoid the dual carb bikes unless you’re particularly attached to them. They are prone to cracked heads, cam wear problems, and carb balancing issues. And parts are like hens teeth compared to the 86+ versions.
Thank you for this excellent set of videos! I have 1992 XR 250R in really good shape. It just doesn't have any compression. I am going to use these videos as my reference after I leak down test it.....To see where I'm losing compression. Do you think this 1984 and my 1992 similar enough to each other?
Absolutely they're similar enough. Only difference in the Crank Stroke is a bit shorter, Piston bore was a bit wider and the cam shaft has a more aggressive duration and lift.
@Nate Stapp The 84 would be a dual carb version as well, they have a different head and air box, are internal sump engines as opposed to the external sump and oil coolers of the later ones.
@@trxtech3010 Alright well I got mine running! Had almost zero compression....Found that the timing chain had stretched....Piston hit the intake valves and bent them... Exhaust valves were fine and the dome of the head was perfectly fine, no damage....I purchased a good condition head with good valves....Replaced valve seals and lapped the valves to be sure...New timing chain and guide, new head gasket.... Rebuilt the carburetor and new KandN air filter...Oil change, and it's running Awesome! Easy to start, 1 or 2 kicks....Stoked cause man is it a fun bike to ride!! So COMFY
Pretty much anything you seen on my Videos will be what you need to know. DO be careful don;t over torque the head bolts they do pull threads very easily and are very well known to do so.
I just purchased a XR 250 2004 came across your video and I have to say it’s a tremendous help. I plan on restoring the bike it currently has terrible compression I’ll be following the sets in the videos. My question is I noticed your bike is much older maybe a 1995 and mine is a 2004 all should be similar correct?
Drew Solis The bike that you see in the video is actually a 1986 with a 1994 engine in it. but yes everything should be pretty much the same just make sure you get the right piston and piston rings for your year because they did change the bore and stroke from 84 to 86 and rhen I belive that the 1994 to 2004 are exactly the same bire/stroke
Hey man awsome video been working on a XR250R for a couple days now.. keeps smoking on me super bad.. was thinking it was a piston ring but has great compression and starts.. could it be something with the valve adjustment.. and did you get new rocker arms never discussed in video
Yes I replaced the Rocker Arms. As for the Smoking, if it's bad Valve Guide Seals it will only smoke during the first start up or when it's cold. Now as for bad piston rings you will notice it start t smoke more and more as it warms up ( yes you can have good compression with worn out piston rings) I would personally replace the Piston Rings, Valve guide Seals and get the Cylinder re honed (new cross hatching) which Can be done with a hand drill. Most AutoZone's and other car part stores sell Hones that go on a drill that cost about 30 to 50 bucks and is easy to do. Almost all top end Gasket kits you buy will come with the Valve Guide Seals. Make sure to torque the head bolts down ONLY TO WHAT THEY CALL FOR even a few pounds over they will pull the threads and blow the head gaskets.
@@trxtech3010 awesome will do.. was also wondering if i was the one to cause that because when i got the bike it was dry so what i did was overfill it ans let it sit overnight just to get stuff lubed up and in the morning i was going to drain the excess oil then run it but i completley forgot and ran it with the oil overfilled.. could this have cause the smoking problem.. since then ive been trying to burn off the oil but it wont seem to stop.. still most likely piston rigs? Ps what brand piston rings and what size did you get them after honing?
@@nick_1964 So the Wiseco piston rings are what I found to fit stock piston (even though wiseco claims their rings wont fit) they actually do. Anyhow as for the over filling it all depends. Chrck the air box and see if it's full of oil. Usually that is where the PCV breather goes to so if it gets over filled first place oil will go is into the air box.
@@trxtech3010 and what is the stock size for the piston on a 92 xr250r im reading 73mm but some places say 78mm and if I get size 73.5 for the ring will that work or what does the piston clearance have to be and what size ring should I use.. So many questions.. lol been trying to find manual for torque specs and stuff but can find anything just shady websites
90% of the time YES they do. If you're planning on Running Race fuel, Nitrous, sand Drags which will create a lot of load on the engine then it's good to open the gap up another 10 to 15" Thou. But If you're doing normal trail riding or typical street riding leave it at what thet come with. Sorry for the late response. UA-cam for some reason has not been giving me notifications.
The owner if the bike had a spare valve cover. If needed you can have the old lifters repair blwith TIG weld and thrn reground and reshaped. I have started getting into doing that.
I believe it was this set. They claim to onlyfit "Wiseco" However they fir perfectly on the OEM piston. Just make sure they are the right size and that they are the "XC" style rings. Here is a link www.ebay.com/itm/143002348687?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=TC6Z2KeKQju&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=hMMlLD-FSxO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
it is important to rotate the engine the same way that it rotates when running that will keep the chain slack on the tentioner side if the chain slack is on the wrong side it can change the timing...another point ....I am no 100% positive but iI think only the cam bearing next to the cam gear is shealded the other one does not have a shield.. and the rocker gaket should never be in place untill it is needed.... you put the gasket in danger of being damaged .. and you rotated the engine backwards when you did the timing alignment ...my intention there is ment to be helpful you made a cool video
I have done many many engines with out that O-Rings never once had an issue. Not entirely sure the point of it to be hones but never seen a problem. I belive it just stops oil from seeping inbetween the cylinder and sleeve is all.
Listen to it purr! Nice when your hard work pays off, & have something that runs without the smoke!
Best series on the internet rn. Just got mine opened up for repair
I REALIZE THIS VIDEO IS LIKE 4 YEARS OLD BUT I JUST HAD TO COMMENT ON IT. GREAT VIDEO, I'M
JUST NOW IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING MY CAM CHAIN ON MY 2002 XR 250.
SO WATCHING YOU DO ALL THIS IS SO HELPFUL. MY BIKE HAS BEEN MAKING THIS TERRIBLE CLANGING NOISE ON THE TOP END. SO I ADJUSTED THE VALVES, QUITE A FEW TIMES SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER HAD TO THAT ON A BIKE. NOT BEING SURE OF MYSELF I TOOK IT APART A FEW TIMES SINCE THE NOISE DIDN'T GO AWAY. SO NOW I'M CONVINCED THAT IT IS THE CAM CHAIN SLAPPING AROUND. I JUST WISH I KNEW ABOUT PUTTING SOME RINGS OR WHATEVER ON THE ROCKERS BEFORE I PUT THE COVER BACK ON BECAUSE NOW I DON'T KNOW IF THAT THREW THINGS OFF EVEN MORE OR WHAT....? SO I'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS TO FIGURE OUT NOW.
I BOUGHT THE BIKE LIKE 4 YEARS AGO & ITS RAN GREAT ALL THAT TIME UNTIL THIS ISSUE CAME UP.
THERE'S NOT REALLY ANYONE AROUND HERE THAT I KNOW OF THAT WORKS ON DIRT BIKES, SO ITS KIND OF UP TO ME TO FIX THIS PROBLEM..... FUN !!! YEAH.........
BUT AGAIN , GREAT INFORMATION ON YOUR VIDEO. THANK YOU
🤘🤘🤘🤘
Deffinatly replace the Rocker Arms and Piston rings while you're in there.
Thank you for the posative feed back! I'm glad that it helped you out.
Brother i needed your video just to show me the ropes. Recently just repaired the head Gasket shims and some tires head bolts on my 25000 mile xr250l. Your video was invaluable to me i watch it over and over for enjoyment now
Awesome! I'm glad to hear it's helping out so much! I never found much info on these so I figured I would make some detailed as possible for others. Thanks for watching man!
Thanks for the vid, I’m 14. Got a free 86’ XR250r as a basket case. I was curious how the tensioners worked on these bikes as compared to other bikes like the XR80s or TTR125. I’m sure my manual would have told me but I figured I’d give UA-cam a shot first. Definitely ought to help me once I start reassembling this motor. 👌
@@tacodog91 haha Glad to hear! Hope it works out for ya! Need help just ask me.
Great video! Thanks, I wish I had had access to it when I first restored my 85, 4 years ago
I watched your tutorial while fitting new head gasket to my bike very good good vid very informative thank you 👍🏼👍🏼
Awesome! Thanks for the posative feedback!
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this XR250 series. Your comments, explanations and tips have been hugely helpful to me as I’ve been restoring my 1990 example. I never would have thought to use a sheet of glass and lapping compound to true up the mating surfaces, but it worked like a charm. Very grateful to you. BTW, where is your shop located? Best wishes to you for much success.
Glad it helped! Thank you for watching 😃
@@trxtech3010 - I have 87 XL250R FVC, your oring idea for rocker arms is better than Chiltons rubber bands, & Chilton says to "preload" that kickstart decompression lever on right side of head cover, u said to move it around, could you go into more detail please, Thanks.
my 1974 xl 250 needed to have the rear side chain tensioner slacked to allow the chain to go over the sprocket.
Damn fine video! Very easy to follow. Thank YOU!!
Thank you sir.
I really only know how to tear up some ground on my CR500. I don't have much experience working on dirt bikes myself, but this was really helpful! Would you recommend finding an older bike like this and working on it to get some practice? (There is a 89 250R right down the road from me I now have my eye on) Keep doing what youre doing!
Forbsure, these engines are a little more complicated so ifnyou can tear one of these down and do work on one then a CR500 would be nothing because 2nstrooes are much easier.
My only caveat would be, yes these bikes are awesome, but avoid the dual carb bikes unless you’re particularly attached to them. They are prone to cracked heads, cam wear problems, and carb balancing issues. And parts are like hens teeth compared to the 86+ versions.
Good job! Thanks for the vids. Enjoyed them.
Anytime. Thanks for watching!
Thanks
Amazing video.
Thank you!
Nice job!
Thank you sir.
Thank you for this excellent set of videos!
I have 1992 XR 250R in really good shape. It just doesn't have any compression.
I am going to use these videos as my reference after I leak down test it.....To see where I'm losing compression.
Do you think this 1984 and my 1992 similar enough to each other?
Absolutely they're similar enough. Only difference in the Crank Stroke is a bit shorter, Piston bore was a bit wider and the cam shaft has a more aggressive duration and lift.
@Nate Stapp The 84 would be a dual carb version as well, they have a different head and air box, are internal sump engines as opposed to the external sump and oil coolers of the later ones.
@@trxtech3010 Alright well I got mine running! Had almost zero compression....Found that the timing chain had stretched....Piston hit the intake valves and bent them... Exhaust valves were fine and the dome of the head was perfectly fine, no damage....I purchased a good condition head with good valves....Replaced valve seals and lapped the valves to be sure...New timing chain and guide, new head gasket.... Rebuilt the carburetor and new KandN air filter...Oil change, and it's running Awesome! Easy to start, 1 or 2 kicks....Stoked cause man is it a fun bike to ride!! So COMFY
@@craigtupper103 Thank you for the info, Craig. I appreciate understanding the differences in the years!
@@natestapp5573 no problem! Glad to hear you brought it back. Mine is still in progress, but close.
is there Any additional tips before i get to work on XR250R MD30
Pretty much anything you seen on my Videos will be what you need to know. DO be careful don;t over torque the head bolts they do pull threads very easily and are very well known to do so.
Excelent job .
Luis Guerra Thank you.
I just purchased a XR 250 2004 came across your video and I have to say it’s a tremendous help. I plan on restoring the bike it currently has terrible compression I’ll be following the sets in the videos. My question is I noticed your bike is much older maybe a 1995 and mine is a 2004 all should be similar correct?
Drew Solis The bike that you see in the video is actually a 1986 with a 1994 engine in it. but yes everything should be pretty much the same just make sure you get the right piston and piston rings for your year because they did change the bore and stroke from 84 to 86 and rhen I belive that the 1994 to 2004 are exactly the same bire/stroke
TRX Tech awesome appreciate the help I’ll be posting some videos of where I’m at with the Bike can’t wait to get started
Hey man awsome video been working on a XR250R for a couple days now.. keeps smoking on me super bad.. was thinking it was a piston ring but has great compression and starts.. could it be something with the valve adjustment.. and did you get new rocker arms never discussed in video
Yes I replaced the Rocker Arms. As for the Smoking, if it's bad Valve Guide Seals it will only smoke during the first start up or when it's cold.
Now as for bad piston rings you will notice it start t smoke more and more as it warms up ( yes you can have good compression with worn out piston rings) I would personally replace the Piston Rings, Valve guide Seals and get the Cylinder re honed (new cross hatching) which Can be done with a hand drill. Most AutoZone's and other car part stores sell Hones that go on a drill that cost about 30 to 50 bucks and is easy to do. Almost all top end Gasket kits you buy will come with the Valve Guide Seals. Make sure to torque the head bolts down ONLY TO WHAT THEY CALL FOR even a few pounds over they will pull the threads and blow the head gaskets.
@@trxtech3010 awesome will do.. was also wondering if i was the one to cause that because when i got the bike it was dry so what i did was overfill it ans let it sit overnight just to get stuff lubed up and in the morning i was going to drain the excess oil then run it but i completley forgot and ran it with the oil overfilled.. could this have cause the smoking problem.. since then ive been trying to burn off the oil but it wont seem to stop.. still most likely piston rigs? Ps what brand piston rings and what size did you get them after honing?
@@nick_1964 So the Wiseco piston rings are what I found to fit stock piston (even though wiseco claims their rings wont fit) they actually do. Anyhow as for the over filling it all depends. Chrck the air box and see if it's full of oil. Usually that is where the PCV breather goes to so if it gets over filled first place oil will go is into the air box.
@@trxtech3010 and what is the stock size for the piston on a 92 xr250r im reading 73mm but some places say 78mm and if I get size 73.5 for the ring will that work or what does the piston clearance have to be and what size ring should I use.. So many questions.. lol been trying to find manual for torque specs and stuff but can find anything just shady websites
Verdad que el balancín de el descomprecionador es liso por qué yo tengo uno y tiene desgaste
did you replace all the rockers or just the 2 bad ones?
I believe I replaced all 4 of them.
Can u rebuild rear .shock
Hey man, I do not rebiuld shocks unfortunately. I probably could if I had all the parts but I don't have the experience and tools.
So do the rings for the piston already come with the correct gap? Or do you have to do it yourself
If you could reply and tell me this I would really appreciate it!
90% of the time YES they do. If you're planning on Running Race fuel, Nitrous, sand Drags which will create a lot of load on the engine then it's good to open the gap up another 10 to 15" Thou. But If you're doing normal trail riding or typical street riding leave it at what thet come with. Sorry for the late response. UA-cam for some reason has not been giving me notifications.
Where di you end up finding the new lifters?
The owner if the bike had a spare valve cover. If needed you can have the old lifters repair blwith TIG weld and thrn reground and reshaped. I have started getting into doing that.
Where can I get the piston rings??? To by
I believe it was this set. They claim to onlyfit "Wiseco" However they fir perfectly on the OEM piston. Just make sure they are the right size and that they are the "XC" style rings. Here is a link www.ebay.com/itm/143002348687?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=TC6Z2KeKQju&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=hMMlLD-FSxO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Cam I do rear shock
What do you mean?
So they all the same length r what that's my question don't no yet TF they always show something else
it is important to rotate the engine the same way that it rotates when running that will keep the chain slack on the tentioner side if the chain slack is on the wrong side it can change the timing...another point ....I am no 100% positive but iI think only the cam bearing next to the cam gear is shealded the other one does not have a shield.. and the rocker gaket should never be in place untill it is needed.... you put the gasket in danger of being damaged .. and you rotated the engine backwards when you did the timing alignment ...my intention there is ment to be helpful you made a cool video
Thanks for the feedback. Sorry for th lat response.
Looks like you forgot the O-ring?
I have done many many engines with out that O-Rings never once had an issue. Not entirely sure the point of it to be hones but never seen a problem. I belive it just stops oil from seeping inbetween the cylinder and sleeve is all.
Nic clip
Thank you!
Thats an xlr not xr
Thanks for the info.
Doodoofart
Yep
Thanks