cw242

Member
May 17, 2000
37
0
let it be known that i am a dumb a$$ when it comes to non-smokers, as evident by this post,,please forgive me as i am trying to learn...

1. my timing mark plug (the small top one on the shifter side of the case) fell out while riding, when i got to my trailer i noticed oil all over my boot, hence the plug was gone, i didnt lose enough to hurt the engine but after i thought about it there shouldnt be any oil in the flywheel cover right?? possibly a bad seal?? my dealer says that when the plug fell out it acted as a vent for the crankcase which expelled oil into the cover (about a pint to be exact) .. i am smart enough to know to never trust a dealer especially under a possible warranty situation,,are they right are is there a seal failure?????

2. jetting on a four stroke is strange to me (no premix to add to the equation) the jetting is stock and the bike is very responsive, (dont fix what aint broke!) my question is the head pipe, it has turned a bronze/purple/blue color, im assuming this is normal,,,,is it or am i lean????

3. do the stock tires really suck that bad or am i just not on the gas enough??? (probably both!!)

4. during an oil change is more oil better ( top of hash marks on dipstick) or is in the middle ok ?????

5.how critical is the valve adjustment after initial break in ??? (10 hrs. or so)

6. any other tips for a NON-SMOKING NEWBIE!!!!

thanks,,,craig williams jax,fl. (FTR #242):silly: :silly: :silly: :silly:
 

z4me

Member
May 4, 2000
25
0
Originally posted by cw242

1. ...

No idea - but let us know when you find out.

2. ...the head pipe, it has turned a bronze/purple/blue color, im assuming this is normal,,,,is it or am i lean????

This is completely normal. I think they used Reynolds wrap to make the header - it is very thin and if you let your WR idle in the dark you will see it glow. The extreme heat is the reason for the discoloration.

3. do the stock tires really suck that bad or am i just not on the gas enough??? (probably both!!)

739s must have been built for somewhere - maybe your riding area? They were horrible for me. Cross some mud ruts diagonally and see if your tires cross or enter the ruts...

4. during an oil change is more oil better ( top of hash marks on dipstick) or is in the middle ok ?????

Middle is best as the volume of the oil will expand when the bike heats up. More importantly - change your oil often.

5.how critical is the valve adjustment after initial break in ??? (10 hrs. or so)

If the clearance is too small, you risk the chance of some of the valves remaining open during the combustion phase. This will superheat and destroy the valves - and your day.

6. any other tips for a NON-SMOKING NEWBIE!!!!

YZ time that puppy! The was no downside to this free modification for me.

- Sean
 

BCooper

Member
Aug 9, 2000
31
0
Your dealer is right about the hole acting as a vent. My only concern would be"how much dirt got in there?" You may want to do a couple of quick oil changes with some real cheap dino oil just to make sure you've flushed all the dirt out. Be aware. During break-in you will see all kinds of metal shavings in the oil filter, so don't let this alarm you. It is normal and may take 6 or 7 oil changes to see no more metal shavings. Go ahead and buy a bunch of oil filters now for the break-in. Some dealers have really been rippin' some people on these oil filters. You should be able to find them for around $8 or $9 each. They are re-usable, but you won't want to start re-using them until the metal shavings are about gone. Many others have lost their timing mark plugs and experienced the same "oil on the boot"
phenomenon. Someone, I think it was Patman, mentioned that real metal replacement plugs are available, but I can't remember from where.
The functionality of the stock tires is dependant on the terrain they are being used in. The stock front tire works very well on hard terrain, but not worth a damn on anything else. The stock rear tire isn't too bad. It actually performs okay over a wider range of terrain than the front. You need to post what kind of terrain and/or tracks you will be riding on in order to get good feedback on tire selection.
Coop
 
Last edited:

DualSportr

Member
Aug 22, 2000
527
0
If you haven't done it already, yank the snorkel out of the airbox, and remove the snuffer from the muffler. The bike was never intended to run with them in, and does run too hot in stock form. Oh yea, and it's got 1/2 the hp that way too!
 

ThumperPower

Member
May 12, 2001
22
0
Just wondering

I plan on buying either a Wr, or a dr. I am leaning towards the WR, but I have found it very difficult to find reviews on the WR. I am 6' 190, I am worried the WR may not have enough snap for me. I love big bore thumpers but want light weight and awesome suspension. Has anyone had any major complaints about the machine?
 

wayneo426

Sponsoring Member
Dec 30, 2000
810
1
Sandbar, NY
No complaints at all.

Absolutely the best bike I've ever owned. Period.
 

WR250F_Rider

Member
May 17, 2001
15
0
removing

"YZ time that puppy! The was no downside to this free modification for me."
-How do I go about doing this or getting more info on doing this to my WR250F?


"If you haven't done it already, yank the snorkel out of the airbox, and remove the snuffer from the muffler."
-Same question.... how do I do this?

I am 6'1" 200lbs, I will ride a very wide variety of stuff.
'01 WR250F
 

zcookie49

Seven OUT!
Dec 21, 2000
860
0
airbox snorkel

"If you haven't done it already, yank the snorkel out of the airbox, and remove the snuffer from the muffler." - quote
... if the snorkel is the metal screen on the plastic airfilter frame, i wouldnt remove it... there was post on here about 2 months ago, someone didnt have it on their plastic air filter frame, there was a back fire, that caught on fire thru the airbox, catching the seat and all on fire... Im not sure if that is what the snorkel is or not, but just fyi....
 

zcookie49

Seven OUT!
Dec 21, 2000
860
0
5.how critical is the valve adjustment after initial break in ??? (10 hrs. or so)

Hey Z4me, is this valve adjustment something a yokel like me can do with the owners manual or something that is technical and should have a shop look at, just curious, for I havent addressed that area as of yet, and I dont want any repurcusions (if spelled right)
 

z4me

Member
May 4, 2000
25
0
Checking it isn't that hard, adjusting it would be more trouble.
Feeler guages would be enough to test that the camshaft to valve clearance is large enough while the piston sits at TDC on the compression stroke. Typically these have been within specs for those who have tested them. If they are out of adjustment - you would have to refer to the charts provided in the manual to determine which shim you would need to bring the clearance within spec. I would certainly recommend checking it yourself - if you are comfortable with a wrench.

- Sean
 

marklb

Member
Aug 5, 2000
46
0
wr250f

The timing cover plugs are plastic throw them away and call BRP-web address BRPit.com they make 2 alum plugs for around $35, ask for Jim or Cameron, they also make the tripleclamps-sweet, very sweet. I think the wr250f wks best as follows: change the cam timing to the same as the yzf, take the airbox cover off and change to the yoshimura pipe, they mae a tunable end cap w/ a spark arrester and it includes 2 add'l tips to quiet it to your liking. With the cam timing changed it will work much better but still has good low end due to the heavier flywheel than the 250 f, I wouls also recommend that the acerbis 3.2 gal tank(much slimmer) and the yzf seat.I also have a 250f for moto and wanted to make the wrf as close to the yzf as possible so I do not have to adapt much for eather mount! Just my thoughts!:cool:
 

marklb

Member
Aug 5, 2000
46
0
wr250f

The timing cover plugs are plastic throw them away and call BRP-web address BRPit.com they make 2 alum plugs for around $35, ask for Jim or Cameron, they also make the tripleclamps-sweet, very sweet. I think the wr250f wks best as follows: change the cam timing to the same as the yzf, take the airbox cover off and change to the yoshimura pipe, they make a tunable end cap w/ a spark arrester and it includes 2 add'l tips to quiet it to your liking. With the cam timing changed it will work much better but still has good low end due to the heavier flywheel than the 250 f, I would also recommend that the acerbis 3.2 gal tank(much slimmer) and the yzf seat.I also have a 250f for moto and wanted to make the wrf as close to the yzf as possible so I do not have to adapt much for eather mount! Just my thoughts!:cool:
 

wrooster

Member
Feb 12, 2001
83
0
wr250f mods summary

the snorkel is not the anti-backfire screen behind the air filter. on usa WR's, at least, underneath the seat there is 1) a "cover" with a square cutout screwed to the top of the airbox and 2) a flanged square "tube" screwed to the cutout of the aforementioned cover. the "snorkel" refers to the flanged tube; but most people, when they say "remove the snorkel", they mean remove the flanged tube AND the cover. this is done in one step by removing the four screws that hold the cover to the airbox. doing so lets you fully see the air filter mounted in it's glory, a la the yz250f. i second the opinion of *NOT* removing the screen behind the air filter, that could lead to trouble (like an airbox fire in at least one case) and besides it's not hurting power. one thing you probably want to do when you remove the airbox cover and snorkel is put on the "rain flap" that came with your bike's kit; that flap will keep water from running down your gas tank and into your airbox. i had to cut mine out a little bit -- i think it was designed for the yz250f and the wr has some additional stuff in the way (e.g. rear coolant reservoir hose and tail light wiring harness) -- but it will fit.

for reviews on the wr250f, check the last couple of months of dirt bike magazine etc. (april has a full review) , and online search the archives at www.motorcycledaily.com. ah heck, here you go:
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/03feb01wr250freview1.html
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/04march01wr250freview2.html

for other mods:
1) throttle stop--
all usa wr's come with a throttle stop that limits the carb slide opening, and therefore limits engine power (this is evidently done to meet some noise or emissions spec). wr400f/426f owners know all about this. wr250f owners have to learn. basically the fix consists of cutting off a couple of mm of the throttle stop, so that the length matches the yz250f stop. a couple of months ago i did a "how-to" write up on the throttle stop mod, see
http://www.thumpertalk.com/ubb/Forum10/HTML/000207.html
and scroll about halfway down to my post of 03/09/2001.

2) exhaust baffle--
the stock exhaust baffle is very restrictive, leading to power loss (but to give it some credit the stock baffle also *very* quiet). removing the stock baffle restores power but the sound then assaults your and others eardrums pretty bad-- uncorked it's louder than a yz250f. there is a middle ground however, i.e. good flow plus less noise --> the baffle i'm using is the "Vortip" replacement insert from
http://www.finelinesuspension.com/
originally it was designed for the wr400/wr426 but it fits the wr250f just right. much less backpressure (=more power) than the stock insert and way way less noise than wide open. it takes 20 seconds to remove the old restrictive baffle and 20 more seconds to put the Vortip in. just 1 bolt on the tailpipe is all.

3) handguards--
so far the only other major mod that i have done is the addition of some "real men's aluminum"(tm) bark busters (actually cyrca pro bends from yamaha GYT-R, including the triple clamp mounts), read up at
http://www.thumpertalk.com/ubb/Forum10/HTML/000361.html
and check the notes at
http://www.thumpertalk.com/ubb/Forum10/HTML/000458.html

4) oil--
as for the oil, i too have an '01 wr250f, rec'd in february. i used yamalube 4 (dinosaur oil) for the first two oil changes, then i did one change with yamalube 4R (semi synthetic), and then i settled on mobil 1 15w50 full synth (non-EC, the RED cap). why this trip? i don't know. i figured i'd seat the engine internals with dino oil, then migrate to semi-synth, then feed it pure synth. i have no technical rationale for this except that it seemed like a good idea. i know some people run dino oil forever (castrol makes good fossil stuff) and others who run synthetic from day one (amsoil, red line, or mobil etc). my take is that the frequency of oil changes is far more important than the marginal differences in oil quality. a couple of guys i know have been racing their wr400f's with mobil 1 for a couple of years now and haven't had problems.

5) yzf timing--
soon to come, everyone seems to like it and it appears that it can be done in an hour so no big deal there. check out
http://www.thumpertalk.com/ubb/Forum10/HTML/000457.html
for some info from folks who have already done it. in addition, one of the dirt bike rags had a couple of photos on the process, someone can tell you which mag and which issue.

the wrooster
 

grunk250r

Member
Nov 16, 1999
144
0
what about starting??

I'm STILL hearing horror stories about the WR being a hard starter compared to the YZF....even after jetting/timing changes. True or false???
 

z4me

Member
May 4, 2000
25
0
No problems here.
1 kick most of the time - sometimes as much as three.
Dumped it is another story - but so is the YZF.

- Sean
 

wrooster

Member
Feb 12, 2001
83
0
grunk250r-- false! my brother has the yz250f, i have the wr250f. both were dleivered in late feb '01. the yzf was perfect from the factory. my wrf required a tweak (~0.5 turn) to the fuel screw to lean out cold starting. delivered it was too rich -- one indication of too rich is that it is easier to start the bike cold with the hot start button pulled out. this of course makes hot starting difficult to nearly impossible. so adjust the fuel screw if you have trouble starting. in addtion, starting gets easier with some miles on the bike. now both bikes start with 1 to 3 kicks hot or cold, and generally on the 1st or 2nd kick. of course when cold you use the choke, and when hot you use the hot start button. once you have "the drill" down it's pretty straightforward --> gently kick until hard (=TDC), pull comp release, kick 5-10 degrees more (just past TDC), return kickstart to top of travel, and kick like you mean it. also, we're at 100' ASL, using 93 octane pump gas, did not have to change jets.

ps
never kick thru TDC without using the compression release! some folks have snapped their kick start shafts (not the L-shaped kick start lever but the shaft that goes into the engine) trying to start without using the compression release.
 

grunk250r

Member
Nov 16, 1999
144
0
thanks guys...you know how rumors are...:silly: Now when you say half a turn leaner on the fuel screw, i'm assuming you mean OUT?? counterclockwise??
 

wrooster

Member
Feb 12, 2001
83
0
marklb,

you mentioned the acerbis 3.2gal tank in your post...do you have one of these on your wr250f and if so i have a couple of questions...

a) does the tank restrict access to the choke and hot start buttons? i mean, can you get to the hot start easily while you are on the trail?

b) do you have the "old" acerbis version or the new '01 tank?

c) how is the access to the oil dipstick in front of the tank? do you have a scotts damper on also?

thanks,
the wrooster
 

marklb

Member
Aug 5, 2000
46
0
Good Morning, I do not know if I have the new 01 tank, I assume so! It fits great getting to the hot start & choke is tougher but I have just installed the Ty Davis handlebar mounted kit which is the only way to go, no more looking down tofind the red happy switch! As fas as the dip stick it is a little harder to get as well this is magnified by the steering dampner mount but it is all worth how slim it is compared to the stock tank! Hope that helps
 

WR250F_Rider

Member
May 17, 2001
15
0
Wrooster... thanks for your post

I apreciate the info wrooster... I have a problem though...

I went ahead and did the timing adjustment for the WR... and I got it all back together... and now something isn't right.

When I take off in very low RPM's it seems fine... but when it gets to its midrange the engine misses. I moved the exhaust sprocket clockwise one tooth as was told.

How can I tell if my timing is out of whack now? How can I get it back to factory specs?

Also, the manual suggests that you use some "yamaha gasket sealer" when re-closing the cylander cover... how important is this?


Thanks alot for any help.

A very green motorcycle mechanic
Randy
 

wrooster

Member
Feb 12, 2001
83
0
randy,
i haven't done the wr-->yz timing mod yet, in fact that's what i was planning on doing tonight. now you got me all worried. i assume that you followed the cam cover/camshaft disassembly instructions in your yamaha manual, then used the pics from the may 2001 issue of "dirt bike" mag (pages 68-69) or something similar to make the adjustment to the exhaust cam (it's the one towards the front of the bike), and finally followed the yamaha manual (including the assembly oil/lube) to put it all back together. (check http://losdos.dyndns.org:8080/public/wr-yz-timing-change/wr-yz-timing-change.jpg if you don't have the mag. please note i got this off of another web site-- i'm not trying to rip off "dirt bike" mag, just trying to make sure we all don't blow up our engines!). as for the yamaha gasket sealer-- i bought some perma-tex gasket sealer the other day, i don't see any reason why it won't work just the same.

you can always take the cover back off and put the timing back where it was, is that what you mean by "factory specs"? just so we are on the same page, you do have a USA-spec wr250f, right? i've heard rumors that other countries may have the yz timing, but i'm really not sure about that.

other issues might be your jetting, also did you have the carb off of the engine when you did the mod? i'm thinking that there might be an air leak someplace in one of the carb boots.

the wrooster
 

wrooster

Member
Feb 12, 2001
83
0
randy,
a couple of other things that i just thought of --
a) do you still have the stock exhaust baffle in?
b) did you align the timing marks before disassembly?
c) did you wind up the timing chain tensioner before reassemblyr?

the wrooster
 

WR250F_Rider

Member
May 17, 2001
15
0
Nope... I didnt have to remove the carb.

I didn't have any gasket sealer at all (and being such a green mechanic, I didn't know I'd need any) so I didn't put any on... There is a rubber gasket already there, so I just put it back where it was. I am pretty sure that isn't the problem now though... I think the gasket sealer is more of a long term thing really... I am going to get some tonight though.

I do have a usa spec 2001 WR250F.

Since posting, I think I found my problem... I had difficulty finding TDC, so I (stupidly, after the cam cover was off) adjusted the chain manually till I found TDC. the problem with this is that I did it while the tensioner was out (i think) and I think its out of whack as a result.

BTW... don't be discouraged by me... I really have almost no experience working on bikes, so I probably shouldnt have even attempted to do much more than remove the gas tank.

I have tried the exhaust baffle in and out.

I did wind the timing chain tensioner before re-assembly.

I THINK (I am not sure if I understand 100% what your refering to here) I alligned the timing marks. I did find TDC.

Randy
 

wrooster

Member
Feb 12, 2001
83
0
mission complete...

randy,

good luck with your fixes.

i did the timing mod last night, took about an hour (i was slow but very careful!). all went well. although i did not ride the trails afterwards, by just playing around in the backyard and in the street out front i note that there is a difference. the real test comes this weekend. i did not have any kind of hesitation or missing in the midrange, as you experienced. however, my brother has a yz250f which i rode back to back with my re-timed wr250f. the yz250f does have a slightly stronger midrange pull, and it's certainly easier to loft the front tire with the yzf. i think that now i have to play with my jetting (it's still stock and served me well before the timing mod) to get the midrange really going strong. so the situation i have is: 2001 wr250f, yzf timing, Vortip exhaust insert, throttle stop cut, airbox lid off, stock jetting, 94octane pump gas, 100' ASL. it certainly is very rideable-- pulls strong from down low to up high, with no funny noises. but i think a midrange jetting adjustment is in order to get it just right. i'm sort of jetting-knowledge-impaired so if anyone has any thoughts on my next jetting move i'm happy to listen.

the wrooster

ps
i have a few hints for those who want to do the timing mod--

1) very important--> wash the bike well, in fact, wash the bike with the seat and the gas tank off! when you take the cam cover off and see the bright shiny stuff that yamaha so carefully put together you don't want any dirt falling in there! one piece of silica sand will ruin an intake or exhaust valve stem or make a 0.010" deep groove on one of your camshaft lobes. don't think "ok, that's clean enough" -- when you pull the cam cover out from under the frame rail, you can't help but bump the wires and tubes that are strapped to the underside of the frame rail. if there's any dirt or grit hung up there it will be inside your engine in the time it takes to fall 3". put some saran wrap around the top tube and all of the wire and tubing there *before* you take the cam cover off. place some more saran wrap around the left radiator and underneath the steering stem.

2) it's been said before, but it bears repeating. there is a steel "c" shaped clip under the camshaft cap that retains the exhaust cam bearing. if you are not careful, this clip (it looks like 1/2 of a piston ring, see your WR manual, page 4-21, item 6) will fall into the camshaft chain well and into the bottom of the engine. this happened to a couple of folks and they were lucky enough to be able to retrieve it with one of those "extendo-magnet" telescoping retrievers. but, as they say, "an ounce of prevention..." -- pay attention and locate it before completely removing the camshaft cap from the head. and before you pull the camsaft cap out from under the frame, be damn sure that the clip is either still in place on top of the cam OR your fingers are keeping it in place up underneath the camshaft cap. caveat wrencher!

3) as many others have, i did the job with the left radiator on. there was no problem with it there, but again watch out for dirt.

4) before starting in, get the specified yamaha gasket sealer or equivalent (i used permatex #2B gasket sealer from pep boys and it seemed to work just fine). you need this when you put the cam cover back on; note that the sealer only goes on about a quarter of the way around, as shown on page 4-27, bottom figure. smooth it out with a finishing nail and make sure that there is enough sealer, but not so much that it's going to glob up and drop into the engine internals when you seat the cover.

5) the photos and comments from dirt bike magazine are actually pretty helpful with meat of the operation:
http://losdos.dyndns.org:8080/public/wr-yz-timing-change/wr-yz-timing-change.jpg

6) you need a torque wrench for this operation, don't take chances when you tighten the camshaft cap bolts. steel bolts, aluminum head, long wrench, yadda yadda yadda. borrow or buy a decent t-wrench with a suitable low range (e.g. the cap bolts are 7.2ft-lbs) , and follow the criss-cross order (loosening and tightening) specified in the manual.

7) it's not necessary to remove the spark plug when doing the timing mod. just twist-tie the spark plug wire out of the way before taking the cam cover off.

8) good luck.
 
Top Bottom