Ninja 250 Valve Clearance adjustment

If you're careful, you can remove the cylinder head cover without draining
the coolant. I've adjusted the valves on my EX250 a couple of times without
draining the coolant--much simpler this way.

Mark is right on the need for purchasing the OEM valve adjustment tool.
Otherwise, valve adjustment on this bike is very tough.

--

wrote in message



[... snipped ...]

  > > this (coolant drain and replace, cylinder head cover sealant, etc.) I
have

[... snipped ...]

 > really that hard to take off the plastics, drain the coolant, etc. In
 >> Stay informed about: Ninja 250 Valve Clearance adjustment 

"NA" wrote in message ...
 > If you're careful, you can remove the cylinder head cover without draining
 > the coolant. I've adjusted the valves on my EX250 a couple of times without
 > draining the coolant--much simpler this way.
 >
 > Mark is right on the need for purchasing the OEM valve adjustment tool.
 > Otherwise, valve adjustment on this bike is very tough.
 >
 > --
 >



 >
 > [... snipped ...]
 >
   > > > this (coolant drain and replace, cylinder head cover sealant, etc.) I
 > have
 >
 > [... snipped ...]
 >
  > > really that hard to take off the plastics, drain the coolant, etc. In


any suggestions on where i may get the maintenance manual for this bike? thx!!
 >> Stay informed about: Ninja 250 Valve Clearance adjustment 

2_shar wrote:

 > any suggestions on where i may get the maintenance manual for this bike? thx!!

I bought mine from <a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://www.ronayers.com" target="_blank">http://www.ronayers.com</a>

Part Number: 99924-1066-01
Description: Service Manual EX250E
Price: $28.82

Part Number: 99924-1109-60
Description: Service Manual Supplement EX250
Price: $19.46

The base manual covers the 86-87 models (EX250-E1 and EX250-E2), the
supplement details the changes over the years, for model years 88-02,
(EX250-F2 thru EX250-F16).

--
Mark '01 SV650S '81 CM400T '99 EX250-F13
DoD #959635 RFB #2 (my email domain is net)
 >> Stay informed about: Ninja 250 Valve Clearance adjustment 

i would check it, then forget it.
by the way, i made a tool out of a 10 mm deep quarter inch drive socket.
ground flats on it to fit an end wrench, 7/16" i seem to remember.
the screwdriver fits down the center nicely.
i don't remember (and it HAS been a while since i bought the basket cases)
having to dump the fluids........but it has been a while.
good luck, sammmm

--
toys:
diesel BMW motorcycle, gold wing trike, honda gyros, dodge diesel dualie,
fiat osca 1500 cabriolet,
W3CYO/R, 145.49, 224.40, 443.300 mhz. repeater


"C. J. Klingman" wrote in message

 > My new EX250R is coming up on the milage (400mi) which among other things
a
 > valve adjustment check is recommended. There is a lot involved with doing
 > this (coolant drain and replace, cylinder head cover sealant, etc.) I
have
 > the maint manuals, tools, and mechanical experience to do this myself (
 > probably as well as most dealership mechanics) but wonder if it is really
 > necessary. I've seen preventive maintenance cause as many problems as it
 > cures in my working life. I believe in fluid replacements, of course, but
 > massive disassembly to inspect something that usually doesn't need
anything
 > is often counter productive.
 >
 > I'm sure this being a 14,000 rpm engine (probably will never go above
10,000
 > in my case, never close to this yet) has some bearing on valve clearance
 > inspection intervals.
 >
 > In any case, give me some opinions on this subject.
 >
 > C. J. Klingman
 > Austin, TX
 >
 >
 >> Stay informed about: Ninja 250 Valve Clearance adjustment 

 >I've seen preventive maintenance cause as many problems as it cures in my
working life. I believe in fluid replacements, of course, but massive
disassembly to inspect something that usually doesn't need anything
is often counter productive.

It's possible that pressed-in valve seats might move, taking up some valuable
clearance, and the valves might burn. Checking them after a few hundred miles
is good insurance. Or maybe an adjuster locknut was left loose when the break
whistle blew and the assembler at the Kawasaki factory wasn't nearly as
dedicated as we have been led to believe...

I do agree that maintenance manuals tend to advise the owner to over-maintain
their motorcycles, and, after you've done the initial valve clearance check
after several hundred miles, you can then do the checks about half as often
(twice as many miles) as recommended.

In 31K miles on my GSXR, I have checked the valves only four times, and I
should have done it nearly nine times according to the manual.

When you do adjust your valves, disassemble your feeler gauge so that you have
about three blades in the range that you need. Use an American feeler gauge,
not a Metric gauge. Suppose the range of clearances is 0.07mm to 0.09mm. You'd
want to hit the dead center of the range, 0.08mm.

But, the difference between a 0.08 mm blade and a 0.09 mm blade is *less than
4/10,000th's of an inch*, and you can spend hours fooling around with getting
the valve clearances set to exactly 0.08mm and every time you tighten the
locknut, the clearance gets slightly looser, toward the 0.09mm end of the
range...

That's why I use American feeler gauges. And I tie a string to the blades so
they can't fall down inside the cam chain tunnel. One experience of that
misfortune is good for a lifetime...

My Yamaha FZR-1000 is coming up for its first valve clearance check after
25,000 miles. I sure hope I don't have to pull the camshafts out to re-shim a
valve that is more than 1/1000th of an inch too tight. What a PITA that would
be...
 >> Stay informed about: Ninja 250 Valve Clearance adjustment 

Kaybearjr wrote:
 > My Yamaha FZR-1000 is coming up for its first valve clearance check
 > after 25,000 miles. I sure hope I don't have to pull the camshafts
 > out to re-shim a valve that is more than 1/1000th of an inch too
 > tight. What a PITA that would be...

I checked the valve clearances on my FZR1000Exup at 20,000miles (4,000miles
before it was due). Every single inlet valve clearance was tight and outside
spec., the exhaust valve clearances were all fine. The reason I checked it
early was that an FZR forum had many reports of reducing inlet valve
clearances, well before the check was due.

The Aprilia RSV has its first sheduled valve check/adjust at 600 miles! I
guess this it to make sure any errors in the factory are sorted quickly. The
next check/adjust is at 9,300 miles but it is very rare any adjustment is
required, which is a good job as there are 4 cams (plus balance shaft) and 8
valves to contend with.
--
Steve Ho

Discovery 200TDi - 1990
BMW R80/7 - 1979
Aprilia RSV1000 Mille - 2000
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