New owner some concerns!

[nyyankees3511]

Hey everyone well i am a new owner of a 250ex. I love it so far but i have a few concerns. I let some friends take it for a spin and they werent really sure on how to shift it so some just didnt let go of the gas and others i have no clue. Should i be worried that they may have messed something up? Also i have some rust forming on the a arms and main frame what do you suggest i do? Thanks!

[250excrf250r]

spray some wd-40 on the rust spots and i dought u will have the problem witha friend messing it up just aslong as ur driveshaft oil and motor oil are clean u should be fine.

o 1 more thing DONT LET SOME WHO HAS NO CLUE DRIVE IT

[reconranger]

I think most riders of Honda autoclutch setups that have ES (pushbutton shifting) shift without letting off the throtle. Folks are less likely to do that with the foot shift model like yours, which is a good thing!

It is of course going to be harder on your clutch when you stay on the gas and will result in a shorter clutch life, but it isn't like is going to blow the tranny up or anything. Give them a little lesson before you let them ride!

[nyyankees3511]

Thats good to hear then. I will be much stricter now. Now i changed all the oil including the rear differential with Honda Shaft Oil and i put in GN4 10w-40 but it only took like 1.5 quarts and its pretty full now. Also sometimes my rpm varies when its warm i have no clue why? Also do you recommend i have the valves adjusted? How much will it run me? Lastly the rust is really bothering me what should i put on it and where can i get paint to match the original color? Thanks!!

[ryanh250ex]

Originally posted by 250excrf250r
spray some wd-40 on the rust spots and i dought u will have the problem witha friend messing it up just aslong as ur driveshaft oil and motor oil are clean u should be fine.

o 1 more thing DONT LET SOME WHO HAS NO CLUE DRIVE IT

the driveshaft doesn't use oil. :rolleyes:

You did use gear oil in the gear case (rear axle), right?

I'd recommend using synethetic oil next time. Next time look around for one that doesn't say "Energy Conserving" on it, they will sell that type of oil you need at the dealer. The GN-4 oil is cheap but doesn't like the heat that the air-cooled EX generates. Try Amsoil 10w40 or ELF 10w50 next time.

Rpm fluctuations usually indicate a vacuum leak...check that all your connections from carburetor to motor, airbox to carb, and filter to airfilter all are very snug.

Do you hear a loud ticking when it's running? If so, adjust the valves (easy to do by yourself), otherwise no need to do it.

I would send the arms to get covered in POR-15 to a local body shop or hot rod shop. If you are on a budget, I'm not sure, Krylon Fusion or Rustoleum?

[250excrf250r]

Originally posted by ryanh250ex
the driveshaft doesn't use oil. :rolleyes:

You did use gear oil in the gear case (rear axle), right?

yea thats wat i meant

[reconranger]

Is this a brand new quad, or just new to you???

When new, the valves should be adjusted at 20 hours, just after it is nicely broken in. After that, I think the owner's manual recommends every 100 hours.

If it is a used machine, I wouldn't assume that the previous owner did any maintenance at all, so I would adjust the valves so you know you are starting out with a clean slate.

Good oil read: http://www.thumperfaq.com/oil.htm

After break-in, I always switch to an ester synthetic oil. I am running Redline right now, but have run Maxima Extra in the past. Both are however very expensive...but my engines last forever and a day!

[nyyankees3511]

Thanks recon! It isnt a new quad its just new to me. How much would the valves run me?

[reconranger]

Around here...cost is one hour labor if the dealer does it. It's a simple 2 valve engine, so that's around $70.

If you are mechanicaly inclined, get the service manual and see what all is involved.

[nyyankees3511]

Well i went ahead and did the valves myself. They werent really that bad one was a little tight and the other just a little loose but not really bad. I did it so the gauge couldnt slide in and out very easy. Also when i aligned the crank with the marks i lined the arrow to the two parallel lines on the crank. Is this correct? There was some slack in the arms so i thought it was right?

[nyyankees3511]

Well i went back and redid it and i put it on the T this time, wasnt much of a difference. But why is it so hard to make the crank stay on the T? Everytime i would get it would spin it self back down why is that? I had to hold the wrench i was using to turn the crank to something to get it to stay. Also im kind of worried i didnt tighten valve bolts enough how much pressure should i have put on them? i was using a small wrench for it. Any help is appreciated.

[jpconard]

I use a socket/ratchet to hold the crank bolt and then put a block of wood or something in between the ratchet handle and the footpeg guard to help hold the crank at "T", then check often to make sure it doesn't move.

More than likely you tightened the locknut on the valves enough. I always use a small wrench as well, but then snug them up pretty good once the clearances are OK.

I think you can get the caps off even with the tank in place to check the nuts but I can't remember for sure.

You should rotate the engine around again and check clearances one last time before closing back up. Generally the old rule for valve clearance was to error on the looser side than tighter, but with these being fairly loose tolerances, I check you could error a little either way and still be safe for these engines.