1994 YZ250 Rescue

vosser130
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vosser130
Edited Date/Time 3/21/2019 5:07pm
Got this bike for $300. The goal is to make it a nice bike for under $1000 more. It’s not running, I guess it’s bored over, more to come. Just getting started on it. Initially, there appears to be a kick starter issue. Starter wants to go further forward than its natural “resting” point. Also has a sweet aftermarket SAE drain plug. Learning as I go on this one.







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JB500
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JB500 12/11/2018 5:02pm
12/11/2018 5:02pm
$300 well spent!
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sandman768
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sandman768 12/11/2018 6:46pm
12/11/2018 6:46pm
Looks like a good starting point! Kick start spring broken or popped off?
1
denrobert19
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denrobert19 12/11/2018 10:58pm
12/11/2018 10:58pm
Great deal you got there. You're on a good start with your build. Keep us updated.
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vosser130
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vosser130 12/12/2018 5:33am
12/12/2018 5:33am
In the process of pulling the motor and I’m dealing with a stuck swing arm pivot bolt. Anyone have a tip to remove without destroying it?

Were these holes in the air box a thing regularly done to these bikes?

I also really dig the frame protectors that were on it, I’ll try and clean them up when it’s plastic salvage time.




The Shop

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Honda Man 66 12/12/2018 6:09am
12/12/2018 6:09am
get an air chisel. Cut the end off of the chisel bit, so you are left with a round rod. Use the modified bit in the air chisel to push out the swing arm pivot bolt.
1
sandman768
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sandman768 12/12/2018 6:52am
12/12/2018 6:52am
Be patient....donot start beating on it....the first thing I do when I get a neglected bike ready for teardown is as follows: place large sheet or card board under the entire bike. Spray all nuts,bolts, swingarm, linkage... Everything that comes apart with a penetrating spray, I like pb blaster but there are several different sprays. Then let sit for a day...spray swingarm area"s several times, lay bike on its side so it can get down into the bearings ect. Put the nut back on the bolt for a few threads, you just want it to get moving first...if you beat the bolt threaded end you will destroy it... Search stuck swingarm bolt on this site... A lot of good suggestions... This is very common on neglected bikes...
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FWYT
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FWYT 12/12/2018 8:10am
12/12/2018 8:10am
sandman768 wrote:
Be patient....donot start beating on it....the first thing I do when I get a neglected bike ready for teardown is as follows: place large sheet or...
Be patient....donot start beating on it....the first thing I do when I get a neglected bike ready for teardown is as follows: place large sheet or card board under the entire bike. Spray all nuts,bolts, swingarm, linkage... Everything that comes apart with a penetrating spray, I like pb blaster but there are several different sprays. Then let sit for a day...spray swingarm area"s several times, lay bike on its side so it can get down into the bearings ect. Put the nut back on the bolt for a few threads, you just want it to get moving first...if you beat the bolt threaded end you will destroy it... Search stuck swingarm bolt on this site... A lot of good suggestions... This is very common on neglected bikes...
Vosser- do what Sandman suggests. I just built a '95 YZ250 and Sandman's tip might have saved me
a snapped motor mount bolt.

Yes, those holes in the airbox are standard. You can get lots of parts for these bikes, still, with the exception
of the seat base and its brackets. Those are hard to find so cherish yours!

Man, $300.00 is a score! If you want to see my bike and all the stuff I did, you might find something helpful. I had
SAE bolts on mine, too. Crap like that makes me want to slap the prior owner. LaughingLaughingLaughing
https://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Bike-Builds,46/1995-YZ-250-No-frills-no-…
vosser130
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vosser130 12/12/2018 9:15am
12/12/2018 9:15am
sandman768 wrote:
Be patient....donot start beating on it....the first thing I do when I get a neglected bike ready for teardown is as follows: place large sheet or...
Be patient....donot start beating on it....the first thing I do when I get a neglected bike ready for teardown is as follows: place large sheet or card board under the entire bike. Spray all nuts,bolts, swingarm, linkage... Everything that comes apart with a penetrating spray, I like pb blaster but there are several different sprays. Then let sit for a day...spray swingarm area"s several times, lay bike on its side so it can get down into the bearings ect. Put the nut back on the bolt for a few threads, you just want it to get moving first...if you beat the bolt threaded end you will destroy it... Search stuck swingarm bolt on this site... A lot of good suggestions... This is very common on neglected bikes...
FWYT wrote:
Vosser- do what Sandman suggests. I just built a '95 YZ250 and Sandman's tip might have saved me a snapped motor mount bolt. Yes, those holes...
Vosser- do what Sandman suggests. I just built a '95 YZ250 and Sandman's tip might have saved me
a snapped motor mount bolt.

Yes, those holes in the airbox are standard. You can get lots of parts for these bikes, still, with the exception
of the seat base and its brackets. Those are hard to find so cherish yours!

Man, $300.00 is a score! If you want to see my bike and all the stuff I did, you might find something helpful. I had
SAE bolts on mine, too. Crap like that makes me want to slap the prior owner. LaughingLaughingLaughing
https://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Bike-Builds,46/1995-YZ-250-No-frills-no-…
Great advice from both of you. Trying to keep as many things in one piece as possible.

FWYT - That is a great looking bike you've got. I'd like for this to be half your bike!
vosser130
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vosser130 12/14/2018 7:30am
12/14/2018 7:30am
Slow progress after taking Sandman’s advice. Used an aluminum rod to get the swing arm bolt moving. See photo of swing arm removal kit.

6
vosser130
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vosser130 12/18/2018 4:10pm
12/18/2018 4:10pm
Kickstart shaft was broken which explains the kickstart position issue and (hopefully) one running issue.

Swing arm was trashed do to chain wear. Nabbed a nice one on eBay though, pictures to come.

FWYT
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FWYT 12/18/2018 11:29pm
12/18/2018 11:29pm
Whaddya know! That tab on my kickstart shaft had come loose on mine, as well. Didn't break, but apparently that is a weak area. You should be able to get one cheap on eBay. I picked one up for about $20.00.
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danman
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danman 12/19/2018 7:04am
12/19/2018 7:04am
vosser130 wrote:
Slow progress after taking Sandman’s advice. Used an aluminum rod to get the swing arm bolt moving. See photo of swing arm removal kit. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2018/12/14/309896/s1200_68479FDB_DFB8_4AB2_A979_E6905190C2E2.jpg[/img]
Slow progress after taking Sandman’s advice. Used an aluminum rod to get the swing arm bolt moving. See photo of swing arm removal kit.

Only one can???? You're very patient!
1
vosser130
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vosser130 12/19/2018 8:42am
12/19/2018 8:42am
FWYT wrote:
Whaddya know! That tab on my kickstart shaft had come loose on mine, as well. Didn't break, but apparently that is a weak area. You should...
Whaddya know! That tab on my kickstart shaft had come loose on mine, as well. Didn't break, but apparently that is a weak area. You should be able to get one cheap on eBay. I picked one up for about $20.00.
ordered the complete assembly for $25 last night. For as much of an issue as it seems to be, there sure are a lot of them on ebay.
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vosser130
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vosser130 12/22/2018 2:13pm
12/22/2018 2:13pm
A little update. The crank nut was barely hanging on and had been working on the inner cover. Good news is that nothing seems to be too hurt.


I broke off what would have been the last bolt out of the frame. Caused a minor setback and ended up putting an insert in. The frame and subframe will be headed to powder coat next week.





Here is the swingarm that was on the bike. I ordered another one on eBay ($50) which is in decent enough shape. Is this one fixable?




FWYT
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FWYT 12/22/2018 11:57pm
12/22/2018 11:57pm
I broke one of those same motor mount bolts, too!!!! ShockedShocked
vosser130
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vosser130 1/7/2019 4:57pm
1/7/2019 4:57pm
I got the fram and swingarm back from powder coat today. Went full blown purple on this one! It’s definitely not exactly stock but it’s should still be alright. The motor is back together and working on getting suspension back together. Pictures to come.




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vosser130
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vosser130 1/24/2019 6:51am
1/24/2019 6:51am
Slow and steady progress. Picking up swingarm and suspension bearings this afternoon. I will eventually replace the tank but figured I should make it rideable first.

Pit Row

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vosser130
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vosser130 2/9/2019 1:48pm
2/9/2019 1:48pm
Pipe on and we got a runner! Wheels, brakes, and backordered plastics up next.

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sandman768
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sandman768 2/9/2019 2:25pm
2/9/2019 2:25pm
vosser130 wrote:
Kickstart shaft was broken which explains the kickstart position issue and (hopefully) one running issue. Swing arm was trashed do to chain wear. Nabbed a nice...
Kickstart shaft was broken which explains the kickstart position issue and (hopefully) one running issue.

Swing arm was trashed do to chain wear. Nabbed a nice one on eBay though, pictures to come.

I am rebuilding a friends 81YZ 250 engine and it has the same kick start stopper breakage issue! Seems like in 13 years they would have fixed that issue!
sandman768
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sandman768 2/9/2019 2:26pm
2/9/2019 2:26pm
vosser130 wrote:
Pipe on and we got a runner! Wheels, brakes, and backordered plastics up next. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2019/02/09/324261/s1200_591E78C7_9E67_4327_B7A8_392A243E10E8.jpg[/img]
Pipe on and we got a runner! Wheels, brakes, and backordered plastics up next.

Looking good!
Dave #125
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Dave #125 2/12/2019 4:15pm
2/12/2019 4:15pm
I'm doing a 1994 YZ125, will be following your build!!
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YZed250
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YZed250 2/13/2019 2:20pm
2/13/2019 2:20pm
That's the 1995 YZ250 color, rather than the 1994. It would look great with 1995 seat cover and OEM graphics. Check out the differences 1994 to 1995 on google. Both look good, IMHO!

Between the new pipe, decent anodizing condition on the forks and a nice clean shop, it's looking 5-star!

You had a question about drilling the airbox … that was a pretty standard mod of the YZs of that era, kinda like it is to drill a Husky airbox cover, these days.

Be sure to red-Loctite that primary nut.

From memory and first hand experience with these bikes, here are some problem areas to look at:
Chain adjusters seize.
Chain slider bolts strip out of the swingarm
Rear brake pedal pivot gets worn … can put a new brass bush in the pedal.
Spokes seize to the nipple at the valve stem and rim lock. The spokes spin in the rear hub once they seize.
The rear subframe bolts come loose and get chopped by the subframe on hard landings. Need good quality/OEM bolts at lower mounting points.
The front brake feels hard with almost no modulation and is not adjustable in terms of reach. We tapped a small adjuster to push the lever in toward the bar.
The footpegs can be widened and sharpened with Works Connection weld-on teeth.
Good luck on the build! Kinda jealous about this one.

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vosser130
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vosser130 2/14/2019 8:01am
2/14/2019 8:01am
YZed250 wrote:
That's the 1995 YZ250 color, rather than the 1994. It would look great with 1995 seat cover and OEM graphics. Check out the differences 1994 to...
That's the 1995 YZ250 color, rather than the 1994. It would look great with 1995 seat cover and OEM graphics. Check out the differences 1994 to 1995 on google. Both look good, IMHO!

Between the new pipe, decent anodizing condition on the forks and a nice clean shop, it's looking 5-star!

You had a question about drilling the airbox … that was a pretty standard mod of the YZs of that era, kinda like it is to drill a Husky airbox cover, these days.

Be sure to red-Loctite that primary nut.

From memory and first hand experience with these bikes, here are some problem areas to look at:
Chain adjusters seize.
Chain slider bolts strip out of the swingarm
Rear brake pedal pivot gets worn … can put a new brass bush in the pedal.
Spokes seize to the nipple at the valve stem and rim lock. The spokes spin in the rear hub once they seize.
The rear subframe bolts come loose and get chopped by the subframe on hard landings. Need good quality/OEM bolts at lower mounting points.
The front brake feels hard with almost no modulation and is not adjustable in terms of reach. We tapped a small adjuster to push the lever in toward the bar.
The footpegs can be widened and sharpened with Works Connection weld-on teeth.
Good luck on the build! Kinda jealous about this one.

Good call on the 1995 graphics and seat cover, it would match the frame much better than the 1994 stuff. I haven't ordered graphics yet as the original goal was to have a complete running motorcycle first and foremost (and my ufo plastics are on the slow boat from china).

I appreciate the tips. Fortunately there wasn't much that was stripped on the bike. Anything that hasn't been in at least decent shape has been replaced.

As for having a clean shop, I'm fortunate enough to work at a Harley dealer that lets me work on the bike at the shop. That certainly beats working in my one car garage which the first photos are taken in.
vosser130
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vosser130 2/21/2019 5:58pm
2/21/2019 5:58pm
The build continues to plug away. Still waiting on back orders for plastics. This is the point where I’ve hit my initial budget. $1400 total into this bike. Only things left for a complete, rideable bike are; grips, plastics and chain. On the want list are; graphics, seat cover and top triple clamp. I will say that I’ve stuck to the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” policy up to this point. Now, perfectionism is getting the best of me.

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Randal
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Randal 3/20/2019 2:36pm
3/20/2019 2:36pm
Who did your powder coat looks sweet.
vosser130
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vosser130 3/21/2019 5:07pm
3/21/2019 5:07pm
Back order plastics are in, going to spin around the yard! Lots to do before it’s perfect, definitely not the collectors authentic build by any means.


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