250R Motor Locked Up While Parked

[darren250r]

As the title reads, my girlfriend's 86' 250R was running fine and parked. Several hours later she went to start it and it turned over about 1/2 a rotation and then locked.

When the bike is in gear you can push it and hear the piston moving in the cylinder. It will only roll about a foot and then you hear a clunk in the motor when it gets to the "locked" part and it won't budge any further. If you roll it backwards the motor turns about 1/2-3/4 of a rotation and then hits the "locked" spot again. Pulling in the clutch has no effect and there doesn't seem to be abnormal resistance when the motor is rotating between the two points where it "locks".

I'll start by letting you know that I have rebuilt the bottom end of my 250R several times, so I am very familiar with the components and configuration of the motors in these bikes.

I assumed it might be somthing to do with the kickstarter, clutch, or counter balancer but we pulled the clutch cover and everthing looks perfect. I pulled the couterbalancer and it looked good too. I didn't pull the clutch. Next we pulled the stator cover off and again, everything looked fine in there too.

My next step is to pull the motor and probably split the cases, but I thought I'd post here first to see if by a small chance this sounds like something someone else has gone through. I am hesitant to go through the trouble of splitting the cases since there was no obvious failure while it was running.

If anyone has any ideas or past experiences that apply, please post up. The thing that confuses me is the fact that it was running fine with no strange noises, no oil or coolant contamination and proper oil/fuel mix.

Thanks in Advance,

Darren

[matt250r21]

Could the float needle be stuck open and flooded the bottomend? Mabey its hydro locked from the fuel. Just throwing it out there. Or a ring catching a port window?

[darren250r]

It's definitly not hydrolocked. When it locks it is solid metal on metal "knock" sound.

Keep the ideas coming.

Darren

[blasterandy]

Sounds kinda like a rings catching the port. Is it locking in the same place everytime. When was ur last rebuild. I bet while the piston was moving it wasn't stoping it but once the quad stopped everything kinda shrunk then the clearances got tighter and making it catch. You may try pull starting it behind a ute.(just about the only thing there good for). It might just need to get turned over once.
Just a thought. Take the topend off and check it out.

[pdxbigfoot]

It might of happened right after you shut her down...???

[chris46250r]

Originally posted by blasterandy
Sounds kinda like a rings catching the port. Is it locking in the same place everytime. When was ur last rebuild. I bet while the piston was moving it wasn't stoping it but once the quad stopped everything kinda shrunk then the clearances got tighter and making it catch. You may try pull starting it behind a ute.(just about the only thing there good for). It might just need to get turned over once.
Just a thought. Take the topend off and check it out.

DO NOT pull start it! Take the head and cylinder off and see whats going on.

[zedicus00]

if pulling in the clutch has no effect then its in the tranny, bent shift fork or busted gear that has a tooth bent out. that would explain the partial roll lock to lock anyways.

BUT are you absolutly sure the piston is moving? ive seen a ring break and stick the piston in one place. the quad will move about a foot or so each way depending on the gear its in but the piston wont actually move.

i would pull the topend and go from there, i dont think pull starting it would be a good idea.

[blasterandy]

prolly a good idea not too your right. :| I was just throwing that out there if he was dead set on not taking the head off. I prolly should have said that.

[pdxbigfoot]

It might of happened right after you shut her down...???

[GOTFEAR]

Check your stater might have came apart or somthing.

[atvmxr]

stupid answer but your sure dont have rocks or something in the chain, sprockets or brake rotors?? I put a lock in my rear rotor when its parked and if I tried to roll it around with the lock in, it would be exactly as you describe, with the lock hitting the caliper and skid plate......

[86 Quad R]

since ya have the clutch cover off. remove the drive gear from the crank and find neutral in the tranny. rotate the crank and counter sprocket, this will allow you to pinpoint if its in the tranny or the rotating assembly.

and for god sakes dont try and pull start it before finding the culprit.

[darren250r]

Originally posted by 86 Quad R
since ya have the clutch cover off. remove the drive gear from the crank and find neutral in the tranny. rotate the crank and counter sprocket, this will allow you to pinpoint if its in the tranny or the rotating assembly.

and for god sakes dont try and pull start it before finding the culprit.

Thanks for the replies. Thats a good way of telling whether its the crank or tranny. I'll take a look...

FYI, there will be no pull starting.

Darren