there is no better in detail explanation problem shooting fixing channel as he does few years ago i got my first mx bike and started full rebuild on my crf450r i learned most of him that can not be usual to know from manuals
Joe is squared away and married to a teacher. I'm an old guy who remembers many of his buys and I get a kick out of watching him bring them back and does it well.
I work at a Kawasaki dealer and a few years ago we ran into a KX250F with the same issue, it was a newer efi but the cam sprocket had spun on the cam throwing the timing off without knowing it at first glance. It was a huge headache until it was caught, same situation of thinking it was a bunch of different things that all resulted in the bike not starting or running correctly. replaced both valves to be safe and it was night and day difference. Had forgotten about that until this video, it’s a good reminder to keep an eye out for that on these bikes!
@@gamerX-wk7ctwe’re in NH, the bike was like a 2011-12 I don’t remember been so long, was probably 5-6 years ago at this point. If I remember correctly Kawasaki said a violent back fire may have caused it to spin.
Great find Sir! Take it from an old Tool & Diemaker....when you measure with calipers, always measure back in the thick part of the jaws. The thin tips get worn out and will measure one to two thou smaller. When the tips get worn out enough, it's time to throw them away and buy another set. Try it yourself on the shank of a drill bit. Measure out on the tips and then back in the jaw. You'll see the difference in measurements.
Had the same issue with a customers kx250f. When you put the intake cam back in the bike make sure it spins freely. The cam journal on your bike looked like it had some heat marks and since it was mushrooming keeping the valve bucket in, may need to be addressed or you’ll spin another cam sprocket out of time. Ask me how I know… 😂
💯 You beat me to it. First thing I would check is the radiator cap, I've experienced the issue multiple times over the, years with cars and bikes. There's a good chance, if he swaps the cap with a new one, the coolant overflow problem will be resolved.
that´s a great observation. a weak spring can also cause the cap to open too early, standard they are 1.1 bar i believe but they also come with 1.6 bar caps
I watch at least one of these every day. If I may say, I think these sellers will take less for non-running because they are hard to sell for more than parts price. In 2016, I found a running, 30-year-old trx 250r for $1300, not looking. I was offered more money before doing anything. Before I discovered it was a faulty kill switch, I spent over $1400 replacing everything. It would backfire, spit and sputter, then foil plugs. When the project was complete, I sold it running great and looking good for $1700. Included a video link and a picture of the compression in the advertisement. I just wanted it gone before it sucked more money out of me. Though I took a loss, I still feel satisfied that I didn't give up and learned a valuable lesson.
I had a couple of machines like that. The first was my 1985 Suzuki QuadSport 230. I freaking LOVED that thing. The second was my 1993 Yamaha YZ 125. I bought it from a local expert, and that bike handled beautifully. He reinforced the frame and swingarm (he was HARD on his equipment), which made it feel rock solid on the track.
Watching you kickstart over and over makes my leg hurt....i feel your pain, on a bike I had years ago, the valve seats were bad and it was super hard to start when it got warm
It seems like by now he would get tired of kick starting a bike that he is working on and doesn't run, And would get a rear wheel electric assist starter, There are videos on how to build a DIY one, There's no way I would keep kicking the bikes over, And tear my knees up, And taking the chance of breaking the engine cases, He needs a rear wheel assist starter,
four strokes with carbs were so easy to flood, I got a tip from someone back in the day to take your hand off the throttle after you give it a couple squirts with the accelerator pump and never had problems flooding again.
Just used your technique of using a dremel tool to cut a slot into a broken screw in order to remove it. Worked like a charm, makes watching all your videos well worth it lol.
I know I hammer on you alot about your need for cleanliness, but your diagnostic savvy is right on, and you nailed it on this one perfectly, once you get that new cam in there it should solve the overflow issue provided the water pump is working right. GREAT JOB SIR!!!
Fist bike I had was a YZ 80. My dad surprised me with it and my brother took it on its first ride. After a couple minutes the engine blew. They put a new top end in it and put way too much rtv. Every coolant hole was clogged. I was bummed but dad fixed it and that was one fun bike. Wish I never sold it now I have a son.
You should buy one again then, they are not that expensive. With a bit of digging you can probably even find one of the same model year or one thats at least of the same generation as the one you had. I am sure your kid would approve.
Wowww what a journey through this motor. In the end you did figure it out, big respect. Your attitude is great in all directions. Would be great to see a follow up on this one!
Always excited to see a new project BOYK! Just a suggestion...but you may want to invest in a fan and open the garage door before starting motorcycles. Those two-cycles put out a lot of hydrocarbon-rich vapors, which are not good to breathe. Over time, you are inhaling far more than the average person. Don't take this as a rebuke, but as concern for your long term health. Take care! I appreciate all you do and LOVE watching your videos!!!
Nice job on being persistent and digging deep to find the problem. I’ve been watching your videos for a couple of years now… I have learned a lot from you and I thank you for sharing your knowledge. The growth is evident in both your mechanical skills and video presentation. Good job and keep up the great work!
Joe you are a true gun on systematic troubleshooting these days, great pickup on the cam. One thought I had was that muffler sounded a little bit weird , maybe when someone packed it they over packed it and its slightly restricted.?!? Good work mate, from AUS.
Give it no throttle or full throttle. Full throttle is for flooded engines. Don't twist the throttle everytime you kick it. That adds more fuel. That's my tsb for the day.
And another very good, near, fix. When the video started I were thinking, spark plug, timing, carburetor, piston rings. The spark plug is that first, timing is always the second, the third is the carb. Well, that is how I do/did my checks on car engines, it was back in the old days of the Wolseley 16/60.
Great video man, your channel inspired me to make my own TH-cam channel doing something similar, thanks for the inspiration. I always feel like I learn something new when watching your videos
With the intake bucket shims being -0 clearance that cam gear slipped due to the cam being too tight. 1st clue to me was the grooves in the cam and the smashed valley making it hard to remove the bucket. Check the needle position on the slide. Change out the oversized idle jet and order up some new cams. 👍
Thoroughly enjoy you challenging yourself. The only way to grow as a tech is to take on the tasks that others fail on. +37 years as a tech and I always enjoy the challenges. Just not every single job.
3 comments: 1. As other say, that radiator cap is junk. I've had that same cap fail on me. 2. That's a lot of smoke. You should really know how much you're losing on your leakdown test. I would suspect a scratched cylinder. 3. Thanks for the content. You're a smart man. I always enjoy your videos. 👍
Been following you for a while (since solex's video's) crazy of much of an improvements mechanic wise you made, i'm learning all sorts of new failure and how to fix them thanks to you! Thank you so much!
I think you got it with the cam being out of sink. It's running better after you advanced it but smoking like crazy. I think you need a new cam. Great job again!
Feels good when you figure out the problem. Nice job. I really do like how you don't give up but keep trying to fix the problem. Not a Kawi fan really. Hard to find parts for them locally where I live.
Joe, some people might think you do this for the money, others may think it's the showcasing of your skills. Those reasons may both be true, however I think the main reason is the exercise you get kicking all those bikes. A wise man once said "Find something you like to do, and then figure out a way to get exercise doing it." or something like that.
Really good stuff. An expert being an expert. Always cool to watch somone who knows what they are doing and admits to either making a mistake or not fault finding correctly until it is through knowledge experience and ability. I had better stop now or you will be barfing all over the floor ! Brilliant thanks :)
What a great example of mechanical sleuthing. Thanks for being so persistent and helping us all learn from you, Joe. I’d like to learn how you developed such sound diagnostic skills? Training or just self taught?
Joe, the issue with the cam and gear slipping could have been avoided, had the factory used a keyway. Look at what happens with GM's Duramax diesel that has no keyway in the crank for the harmonic balancer. They are notorious for breaking cranks because some fool thought saving 25 cents per unit was a smart thing to do. If you can get a machinist to machine the gear and cam for a roll pin or keyway, you can have a reliable cam once again.
everyone else???the guy he got the bike from only did it himeslf,nobody else looked at it.joe just likes to pad himself on the back a lot with bad titles!!
For the coolant leaking out of the overflow - try replacing the rad cap. I’ve had one randomly go bad on me and that was the symptom. It looked fine but it leaked. Especially if that thermostat cap is Tusk, replace it with a factory one.
Yes, it wouldn't hurt to check out the water pump, impeller & such. Regardless of repairs needed, bike looks to be in really good shape & well worth the money you paid.
As soon as you put oil in and compression came up I would have taken it to a nice hill and started bumping it. Bet it would have fired and ran to let the new rings bed in. Had a DRZ 400 act the same way after sitting a winter.
I just found this Channel and I have been binge-watching it for 3 days. Keep on kicking Joe
It is addictive. From what I've found, this is the only channel of its kind. As soon as I found it it's become my favorite one.
Thanks for watching!
there is no better in detail explanation problem shooting fixing channel as he does few years ago i got my first mx bike and started full rebuild on my crf450r i learned most of him that can not be usual to know from manuals
Joe is squared away and married to a teacher.
I'm an old guy who remembers many of his buys and I get a kick out of watching him bring them back and does it well.
I even watch ones again that I have already watched 😂
Joe instinctively called the problem at 29:50- unbelievable. What a great channel.
That's right, he already said it. The wear on the axle is also different.
I work at a Kawasaki dealer and a few years ago we ran into a KX250F with the same issue, it was a newer efi but the cam sprocket had spun on the cam throwing the timing off without knowing it at first glance. It was a huge headache until it was caught, same situation of thinking it was a bunch of different things that all resulted in the bike not starting or running correctly. replaced both valves to be safe and it was night and day difference. Had forgotten about that until this video, it’s a good reminder to keep an eye out for that on these bikes!
what dealer ? I'm asking because this was a issue in 07 to so we always checked the cam first . this issue was happening more .
@@gamerX-wk7ctwe’re in NH, the bike was like a 2011-12 I don’t remember been so long, was probably 5-6 years ago at this point. If I remember correctly Kawasaki said a violent back fire may have caused it to spin.
Great find Sir! Take it from an old Tool & Diemaker....when you measure with calipers, always measure back in the thick part of the jaws. The thin tips get worn out and will measure one to two thou smaller. When the tips get worn out enough, it's time to throw them away and buy another set. Try it yourself on the shank of a drill bit. Measure out on the tips and then back in the jaw. You'll see the difference in measurements.
Dude you are such a badass mechanic. A true wizard when it comes to engines.
He’s not a mechanic buddy.. hes a moron… he checks the vin after buying the bike.. says it all.. also moron is flooding it by twisting the throttle
I'm quite impressed with your diagnostic procedure you're one heck of a bike mechanic
Thanks for finally telling us about the sewing oil bottles! I been looking forever.
Swamp cooler oil would work just as well same container
Had the same issue with a customers kx250f. When you put the intake cam back in the bike make sure it spins freely. The cam journal on your bike looked like it had some heat marks and since it was mushrooming keeping the valve bucket in, may need to be addressed or you’ll spin another cam sprocket out of time. Ask me how I know… 😂
You are hands down the best small engine mechanic I’ve ever had the pleasure of learning from. Wow. Never fail to impress me.
lol!!!
Possible that the radiator cap is not sealing causing coolant to come out of the overflow. It is aftermarket.
💯 You beat me to it. First thing I would check is the radiator cap, I've experienced the issue multiple times over the, years with cars and bikes. There's a good chance, if he swaps the cap with a new one, the coolant overflow problem will be resolved.
I'll try that!
that´s a great observation. a weak spring can also cause the cap to open too early, standard they are 1.1 bar i believe but they also come with 1.6 bar caps
Especially those Amazon temp gauge ones, they are really common failures
@@2vintage that happened to me I had a bad seal and put a new cap on stopped leaking out of the overflow
Open that garage door. I'm smelling it here in Florida 🤣
I watch at least one of these every day. If I may say, I think these sellers will take less for non-running because they are hard to sell for more than parts price.
In 2016, I found a running, 30-year-old trx 250r for $1300, not looking. I was offered more money before doing anything. Before I discovered it was a faulty kill switch, I spent over $1400 replacing everything. It would backfire, spit and sputter, then foil plugs.
When the project was complete, I sold it running great and looking good for $1700. Included a video link and a picture of the compression in the advertisement. I just wanted it gone before it sucked more money out of me. Though I took a loss, I still feel satisfied that I didn't give up and learned a valuable lesson.
Had a 08 kx 250f in high school. Loved that bike. Wish I had it back
I had a couple of machines like that. The first was my 1985 Suzuki QuadSport 230. I freaking LOVED that thing. The second was my 1993 Yamaha YZ 125. I bought it from a local expert, and that bike handled beautifully. He reinforced the frame and swingarm (he was HARD on his equipment), which made it feel rock solid on the track.
Great explanation of the shims Joe thanks pal😊
Great diagnosis Joe! 🇨🇦
Congrats on 500k, Joe! This channel is awesome.
He buys his subs and views. Common practice
Watching you kickstart over and over makes my leg hurt....i feel your pain, on a bike I had years ago, the valve seats were bad and it was super hard to start when it got warm
It seems like by now he would get tired of kick starting a bike that he is working on and doesn't run, And would get a rear wheel electric assist starter, There are videos on how to build a DIY one, There's no way I would keep kicking the bikes over, And tear my knees up, And taking the chance of breaking the engine cases, He needs a rear wheel assist starter,
four strokes with carbs were so easy to flood, I got a tip from someone back in the day to take your hand off the throttle after you give it a couple squirts with the accelerator pump and never had problems flooding again.
as good as Joe is, he still hasn't figured this out, just twists and twists the throttle... makes me cringe
As an 18 year old living in yukon canada, i’ve learned a TON from this guy about how things work and trouble shooting and how it works, thanks joe!
Just used your technique of using a dremel tool to cut a slot into a broken screw in order to remove it. Worked like a charm, makes watching all your videos well worth it lol.
I know I hammer on you alot about your need for cleanliness, but your diagnostic savvy is right on, and you nailed it on this one perfectly, once you get that new cam in there it should solve the overflow issue provided the water pump is working right. GREAT JOB SIR!!!
Ol' Joe love his dirkbikes. Great find, again pushing the limits of your knowledge and especially patience. Lots of learning/teaching moments
Fist bike I had was a YZ 80. My dad surprised me with it and my brother took it on its first ride. After a couple minutes the engine blew. They put a new top end in it and put way too much rtv. Every coolant hole was clogged. I was bummed but dad fixed it and that was one fun bike. Wish I never sold it now I have a son.
You should buy one again then, they are not that expensive. With a bit of digging you can probably even find one of the same model year or one thats at least of the same generation as the one you had. I am sure your kid would approve.
Wowww what a journey through this motor. In the end you did figure it out, big respect.
Your attitude is great in all directions. Would be great to see a follow up on this one!
Coffee n Joe in the shop up in Northern MN this a.m.!
Some people just dont know how to troubleshoot, but you do🎉
Great diagnosis. That explains why seller said they adjusted timing multiple times.
Always excited to see a new project BOYK!
Just a suggestion...but you may want to invest in a fan and open the garage door before starting motorcycles. Those two-cycles put out a lot of hydrocarbon-rich vapors, which are not good to breathe. Over time, you are inhaling far more than the average person. Don't take this as a rebuke, but as concern for your long term health. Take care! I appreciate all you do and LOVE watching your videos!!!
This one is a 4-stroke, though. The fumes are not as bad as the 2-strokes although still bad over long exposure in poorly ventilated environments.
You arent wrong but I doubt that amount of time will do any serious harm. Got to be many orders of magnutide lower than smoking etc.
15:44 that explains it! I knew I’ve seen these before! My mother was a seamstress for years!
Good spot on the cam issue Joe. A hard one to diagnose.
I find your videos addictive patience persistence enthusiasm but most of all obvious passion for what you do are your secret 👏👍
The problem solving in this video is a real pleasure to watch!!
I luv the way u diagnosed this fault keep them coming Joe this is my favourite channel
Good morning everyone 🌅
Good morning😊
☕️⭐️🇺🇸
Good evening already in Indonesia, have a great Wednesday Europe and US
I really admire your patience and perseverance to get to the root of a problem, great work 👍
Nice job on being persistent and digging deep to find the problem. I’ve been watching your videos for a couple of years now… I have learned a lot from you and I thank you for sharing your knowledge. The growth is evident in both your mechanical skills and video presentation. Good job and keep up the great work!
Another great learning experience. So many things to learn from Joe.
This dude amazes me more each video his diagnostic skills are unbelievable I enjoy all your videos Joe keep on wrenching man Thx for the content
Great video Joe watching from Edinburgh Scotland UK 🇬🇧
Much better, nice work, I don’t recall any 4 stroke bike ever being hard to start.
You locked on and nailed this like a fighter pilot, nice work.
Have been watching your channel for a while and strangely I really enjoy it … this piece of detection work is one of your best. Well done!
Joe you are a true gun on systematic troubleshooting these days, great pickup on the cam. One thought I had was that muffler sounded a little bit weird , maybe when someone packed it they over packed it and its slightly restricted.?!? Good work mate, from AUS.
U definitely got your leg workout on this motorcycle
One tip, Never use the throttle when you kick a 4 stroke. If Your 4 stroke is hard to start, try to adjust the idle
He said “think it’s flooded” proceeds to crank throttle😂😂
Yeah, I noticed he was twisting the throttle on almost every kick. I figured he had his reasons, but it did look like he was flooding it.
Joe waits till he can’t walk before putting a boot on. What does that tell you?
Give it no throttle or full throttle. Full throttle is for flooded engines. Don't twist the throttle everytime you kick it. That adds more fuel. That's my tsb for the day.
And another very good, near, fix. When the video started I were thinking, spark plug, timing, carburetor, piston rings. The spark plug is that first, timing is always the second, the third is the carb. Well, that is how I do/did my checks on car engines, it was back in the old days of the Wolseley 16/60.
Great video man, your channel inspired me to make my own TH-cam channel doing something similar, thanks for the inspiration. I always feel like I learn something new when watching your videos
That’s a nice looking bike
I got to say that early 90s look sticker kit that the got on this bike is right up my alley. Hot pink and purple goes well with green...
Happy Days Joe Has Posted 🔥🔥🔥
Well done on that one. That was a tough one to figure out.
With the intake bucket shims being -0 clearance that cam gear slipped due to the cam being too tight. 1st clue to me was the grooves in the cam and the smashed valley making it hard to remove the bucket. Check the needle position on the slide. Change out the oversized idle jet and order up some new cams. 👍
Thoroughly enjoy you challenging yourself. The only way to grow as a tech is to take on the tasks that others fail on. +37 years as a tech and I always enjoy the challenges. Just not every single job.
3 comments:
1. As other say, that radiator cap is junk. I've had that same cap fail on me.
2. That's a lot of smoke. You should really know how much you're losing on your leakdown test. I would suspect a scratched cylinder.
3. Thanks for the content. You're a smart man. I always enjoy your videos. 👍
Fixes everything in an hour! What a troubleshooter!! Love your videos.
That's an hour of video time. I wonder how long it takes before editing?
If it doesn’t start in 3 or 4 kicks, I’m done!You are amazing with your kicking prowess.
Not really 3 or 4, but not 75 like you.
Hey brah, I’ve been subscribed for two years and dude your channel is so sick. You are a legend brother. Don’t listen to the hater’s.
Been following you for a while (since solex's video's) crazy of much of an improvements mechanic wise you made, i'm learning all sorts of new failure and how to fix them thanks to you! Thank you so much!
Monumental error on Kawasaki for press fitting cam sprockets. So stupid. Great catch Joe.
oh yeah !!! been awhile since you did a motocross 4 stroke ! killing it Joe ! keep grinding
Ironically there's one for sale i was looking at a few days ago here in town that doesn't work for 1200$. Glad i spotted this video first.
Hes are man for sure. Smart guy. And he just loves it. What a great work ethnic joe has. Few and far beyond awesome.
Brilliant! Well done that man! Wouldn't have thought of that in a month of Sundays. Manufacturers take note.
I think you got it with the cam being out of sink. It's running better after you advanced it but smoking like crazy. I think you need a new cam. Great job again!
Feels good when you figure out the problem. Nice job. I really do like how you don't give up but keep trying to fix the problem. Not a Kawi fan really. Hard to find parts for them locally where I live.
You are a great mechanic Joe. So smart man. Awesome video
Joe the master always finds the issue or problem well done.
Wow, that's something you only learn from experience and good ole repetition 👍 good job.
Constantly learning something on your channel. Now I know why the previous owner could not figure it out.
Yet another great informative video Joe,great stuff,really enjoyed em!!👍👍
Them darn kill switches will have you kickin all day lol
The man has so much knowledge now! Master mechanic right here!!
What 😂
2V, what a challenge in diagnostics! Congrats!
This is an awesome channel, a person can learn a lot.
Joe, some people might think you do this for the money, others may think it's the showcasing of your skills. Those reasons may both be true, however I think the main reason is the exercise you get kicking all those bikes. A wise man once said "Find something you like to do, and then figure out a way to get exercise doing it." or something like that.
He is fit.😊
Hes going to be walking in counter clockwise circles when hes going anywhere, with how much stronger his right leg gets.
I’ve been binge watching your vids for weeks. But forgot to subscribe. All fixed now. Keep up the fantastic vids!
Well done mate. Doubt I would have found that, especially so quickly.
I called that right when you said what kind of bike it was. Very common problem with these bikes.
Really good stuff. An expert being an expert. Always cool to watch somone who knows what they are doing and admits to either making a mistake or not fault finding correctly until it is through knowledge experience and ability. I had better stop now or you will be barfing all over the floor ! Brilliant thanks :)
What a great example of mechanical sleuthing. Thanks for being so persistent and helping us all learn from you, Joe. I’d like to learn how you developed such sound diagnostic skills? Training or just self taught?
Great little cycle. Again don't know if I would have tackled the project. Keep up the hard work
Joe, the issue with the cam and gear slipping could have been avoided, had the factory used a keyway. Look at what happens with GM's Duramax diesel that has no keyway in the crank for the harmonic balancer. They are notorious for breaking cranks because some fool thought saving 25 cents per unit was a smart thing to do. If you can get a machinist to machine the gear and cam for a roll pin or keyway, you can have a reliable cam once again.
He must've been having issues with the heat and that's why he fitted the cap with the gauge on. Looking forward to seeing what you find.👍
Dam joe you know your stuff , i was thinking timing but i didn't want to guess.
Good find man. That would have gone unnoticed by most.
I really injoy watching how you get those machines running, and I've learned so much from watching your vids🎉🎉🎉
Good job figuring that out, Joe.
Love these troubleshooting vlogs, Joe, learning heaps, from you, mate .
That feeling when you solve the problem everyone else couldn't 👍
Who is "everyone else"? Only the seller (just some guy) tried to fix it.
everyone else???the guy he got the bike from only did it himeslf,nobody else looked at it.joe just likes to pad himself on the back a lot with bad titles!!
For the coolant leaking out of the overflow - try replacing the rad cap. I’ve had one randomly go bad on me and that was the symptom. It looked fine but it leaked. Especially if that thermostat cap is Tusk, replace it with a factory one.
Great episode. I was truly stumped on this one.
56:51 wow!!!!! You’re amazing, Joe!!!! 👏👏👏
Thanks for the explanation of the shims. Good education!!
Great lesson in patience. Before watching I wouldn't have removed the valve cover more than twice.
Yes, it wouldn't hurt to check out the water pump, impeller & such.
Regardless of repairs needed, bike looks to be in really good shape & well worth the money you paid.
Really enjoyed this one very complicated problem though
Joe's new nickname, "DK" = Diagnosis King. Another great video. Love the channel.
I was wondering if this one would stump ya and I was getting angry just watching. Very impressive Joe thank you.
As soon as you put oil in and compression came up I would have taken it to a nice hill and started bumping it. Bet it would have fired and ran to let the new rings bed in. Had a DRZ 400 act the same way after sitting a winter.
Wow! Way to go figuring that one out!