Official XT225+250 Rider's Group Home Page

2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video

Posted By: Organix

2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/23/21 03:11 PM

Hi All,


I posted this in the Welcome section, as part of my introduction. This is a 2012 XT250, with 11k miles. The valves were adjusted a few days ago. There is this audible ticking noise coming from the engine, this was present before the valve adjustments, video link: https://youtu.be/tZxfO025UTQ . Should I be concerned?
Posted By: 2wheelfun

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/23/21 07:32 PM

Sounds like a ticking valve to me. Is it full of oil? If it were me I'd have a reputable independent m/c shop give it a go. 11,000mi is nothing for these motors. Hopefully it's a minor issue and you'll get 50,000mi out of it. I wouldn't stress the bike by riding it till the issue is known and corrected.
Posted By: JerryH

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/23/21 11:39 PM

It does sound like loose valves, but it sounds a bit too loud to me. I replied to your other post. I would go back and check the valve clearances again. While some valve noise is normal on some bikes, that sounds like too much.
Posted By: peejman

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/24/21 12:40 AM

Definitely sounds like valve clatter.
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/24/21 02:25 AM

Found the issue. Not sure how I didn’t see this when I checked the valves. Intake valve is mushroomed while the exhaust one is fine.I took pictures but Not sure how to upload pics from phone
Posted By: JerryH

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/24/21 04:02 AM

I'm assuming you mean the end of the valve stem where it contacts the rocker is mushroomed? I wonder if at some point the valve could have been stuck, or possibly contacted the piston? It is not uncommon for an engine that has sat for a long time to have what is known as a "dropped valve" That means the valve opens, but then sticks open, and will not close against spring pressure. Then the piston comes up and hits it. This usually causes damage to both ends of the valve, and often the top of the piston as well. That's one of the reasons I never let an engine sit for very long without starting it or at least turning it over.

You will need to remove the head, then remove the valve. You will have to cut off or grind down the end of the valve stem to get it through the valve guide. While the head is off, examine the top of the piston very carefully. If it shows any indication of having hit the valve, or if the valve is bent inside the combustion chamber (which is a clear indication that it was struck by the piston) you should probably replace the piston as well. Even what may look like minor damage may be a lot worse than it looks. If the piston is cracked, even if you can't see the crack, it could come apart while the engine is running, destroying the entire top end, and probably dropping pieces of metal down into the bottom end as well.

Edit: Pictures. You will need to upload the pictures to a photo hosting site, then copy and past a link to them here. I use Flickr, some use Imgur. Both work fairly well.
Posted By: Az4x4

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/24/21 05:51 PM


Originally Posted by Organix
.....Not sure how to upload pics from phone..

Pretty simple actually. For example, I use https://imgur.com/, a free photo hosting site, to store my photos. Check it out, then create a free account and upload your photos to your account page.

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Once you have your photos uploaded, click on the thumbnail of the photo you want to share on this site and it will open full size with a menu to the right.

From that menu click the option to copy the link that's intended for use on bulletin boards like Muniac's site.

Then paste that link where you want the photo to display in the post you're preparing, and you're good to go!..

..Hope that wasn't more than 7 seconds!..

Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/25/21 01:43 PM

Thanks!!
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/25/21 01:47 PM

Ok, so here are some pics that I took, showing the exhaust and intake valve. Also, I took pictures of the piston head and the bottom of the valves. It looks to me that the piston head is fine, just has carbon build up.[img]https://imgur.com/gallery/MLsHHkj[/img] If anyone sees anything to be concerned about please let me know. I have new valves, springs and gaskets on the way. Do I need to replace the camshaft? Lastly anyone know a way to remove the carbon buildup from the piston head without actually removing the piston?
Posted By: Az4x4

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/25/21 04:02 PM


Not sure how your IMGUR account is set up, but the "[img]https://imgur.com/gallery/MLsHHkj[/img]" link you provided doesn't display your photos here because the image address you have between the "[img]...[/img]" brackets doesn't end in .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif or some other common image format.

For example, had you used the image's .jpeg address, "https://i.imgur.com/Iyb4FoT.jpeg", and simply bracketed that address with "[img].....[/img]", you'd have the image itself, as shown below, displaying in your last post instead of a link that doesn't do what you wanted it to do.

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Double check your IMGUR setup making sure you see individual image thumbnails displayed on your accounts home page. Then click each image thumbnail you want to display full size here, one at a time. Each of these will open in a separate page. Click the "Copy" button on the 5th selection down the menu list to the right of the full size image you want to display here, the menu selection reading "BBCode (message boards & forums)".

Paste what you copied by clicking on the "Copy" button, as detailed above, into the post you're working on. Then click "Preview Reply" and you'll see the photo itself displayed in your post as shown here..

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

You'll get it, and you'll find it a lot easier to do when you work with this in your PC's web browser instead of on your phone..
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/25/21 04:46 PM

Hope this should fix it :

Piston head looks to be ok. If anyone is seeing something, let me know.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Intake Valve
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Exhaust Valve
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

So I accidentally dropped the camshaft on the floor from the workbench, I dont see any deformation, just a slight scratch on one of the cam, should i change it? Also any ideas on how to remove the carbon from the piston without removing it from the cylinder?
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/25/21 06:29 PM

Update. Camshaft broke off at the bearing inside the head. didnt even realize when I took it off. Looked at the diagram from the service manual and didnt see the rubber o-ring. Started looking more closely and realized that a piece of the camshaft is still left inside the bearing in the head. FML. Cant get it out, will need to drill a hole on the other side and punch it out, then maybe jbweld. Ahhhh Btw. Will a 2013 top end fit on a 2012. i know the 2013 are Fuel Injected, while the 2012 are carbs? might be cheaper just to buy a complete one instead of messing with this.
Posted By: Az4x4

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/25/21 07:14 PM


Here's the eBay XT250 Engine & Parts page if you need it, which it sounds like you will. Haven't looked through it yet, but the parts you'll need should be available there. As far as fitting a 2013 top end to a 2012 engine, I wouldn't be surprised if it worked, but thoroughly research that swap before jumping into it to make sure..
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/25/21 08:09 PM

The only difference that I see is that the 2013 has a wire coming our of the head next to the carb gasket, everything else looks same.
Posted By: JerryH

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/25/21 11:04 PM

Wow, that engine has some problems. A smashed valve stem, a broken camshaft, and both the top of the piston and inside of the head are completely caked in carbon. I have to wonder what caused those issues. Something really had to hammer that valve to damage it like that. Probably the same thing that broke the cam. I wonder if it happened all at once, or over time. I don't see any damage to the top of the piston, but it could be hidden under all that carbon buildup, which is some of the worst I have ever seen.

I don't know of a perfect way to clean carbon from the top of a piston with it still in the cylinder. It is pretty much impossible to do it without getting some down between the piston and cylinder wall, above the top ring. I have done it both wet and dry. Doing it dry I scrap it with a screwdriver in one hand, and a very small shop vac nozzle in the other hand to try and suck up as much as possible while scraping. Or you could try it this way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEyus9alwIY If you use anything flammable, like acetone, DON'T use a shop vac. They have brushed motors that make sparks. Just soaking it in oil for a while might soften it up a little, you might have to soak and scrape over and over again to get it all. I'd be tempted to go ahead and remove the cylinder and stuff rags around the con rod.

I saw the 2013 cylinder head on eBay. I have no idea what the wire is for, since it has EFI. It might explain that in the service manual. The 2012 and 2013 cylinder heads do have different part numbers.
Posted By: peejman

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/26/21 01:26 PM

Wow. I agree, that's pretty rough looking. It's been treated poorly somewhere along the way for sure. I suspect you'll want to pull the piston anyway as I bet the rings likely need replaced.
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/26/21 02:00 PM

Thank you for the feedback. So I decided to order a new piston and rings. I figured since I have it apart, might as well change those now. I hope that this should be it. I havent pulled the old piston out yet, just waiting to receive parts. I am very surprised that not many used parts are available for this platform, would have been cheaper if I could have gotten a used cylinder head instead of buying all the parts. So far, I paid $1,100 for the bike, $40 for new valves, springs, $340 or so for new piston, rings, camshaft, bearing, and all gaskets, plus about $200 in tools. So im about $1,680 in, maybe a little more. Plus I still have to do both front and back brake piston rebuild, new pads, rotors and new fluid. I'm guessing after all set and done, should be about $2,100 to $2,400 total cost. Ahh really didnt want to spend this much. To make thins even more interesting, this is the this is my first time doing this, I have some experience with 2 cycle engines, like a 50cc, did a new piston and rings once, so we shall see how everything is going to come together, luckily I have the shop manual for reference crazy. Btw, why is the shipping so slow for motorcycle parts? I ordered a part for my washing machine and it literally shipped out the same day, while motorcycle parts that I ordered a few days ago havent shipped.
Posted By: Paul49

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/27/21 04:21 PM

Have you nailed what caused the issues? Don't want it happening again with all the expense you've laid out.

I'd be guessing the seized cam, usually caused by lack of oil.
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/27/21 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by Paul49
Have you nailed what caused the issues? Don't want it happening again with all the expense you've laid out.

I'd be guessing the seized cam, usually caused by lack of oil.

There was plenty of oil on the valves. It looks like that the inside bearing in the camshaft failed. It feels very gritty when spinning it. I am replacing the bearing. There is a small bolt in the on the side cylinder head that you supposed to unscrew when the bike is running and oil should come out, if not then there is a problem with the oil delivery system. Will do this one I have everything together to rule that out
Posted By: Az4x4

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/27/21 10:32 PM


Originally Posted by Organix
Originally Posted by Paul49
Have you nailed what caused the issues? Don't want it happening again with all the expense you've laid out.. I'd be guessing the seized cam, usually caused by lack of oil.

There was plenty of oil on the valves. It looks like that the inside bearing in the camshaft failed. It feels very gritty when spinning it. I am replacing the bearing. There is a small bolt in the on the side cylinder head that you supposed to unscrew when the bike is running and oil should come out, if not then there is a problem with the oil delivery system. Will do this one I have everything together to rule that out

Not sure how you'd go about it without searching out appropriate videos, but if Paul is right and the broken cam bearing is related to poor oil delivery, then you'd be smart to track that problem down before putting everything back together.
Posted By: peejman

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/28/21 01:01 AM

Originally Posted by Organix
Originally Posted by Paul49
Have you nailed what caused the issues? Don't want it happening again with all the expense you've laid out.

I'd be guessing the seized cam, usually caused by lack of oil.

There was plenty of oil on the valves. It looks like that the inside bearing in the camshaft failed. It feels very gritty when spinning it. I am replacing the bearing. There is a small bolt in the on the side cylinder head that you supposed to unscrew when the bike is running and oil should come out, if not then there is a problem with the oil delivery system. Will do this one I have everything together to rule that out


Could've been run low on oil at a relatively recent point in the past and then refilled, but the damage was done. It takes time for bearings to fail.

That happened to a car I had years ago. The oil pan gasket blew out while I was driving down the highway and most of the oil leaked out.
I didn't have a temp or pressure gauge to know anything was wrong until I started it up the next morning and the oil light came on. Found only a bit of oil on the bottom of the dipstick. Fixed the pan gasket and refilled with oil. Engine didn't give any indication there was any damage until 4-6 months later when it spun a rod bearing.... the one farthest from the oil pump. Every other cylinder looked perfect.
Posted By: JerryH

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/28/21 02:03 AM

A lack of oil should have resulted in severely scored and galled cam lobes. How do they look? It usually takes some kind of force to break a camshaft, like an impact. Same thing with the damage to the end of the valve stem. It looks like it was hammered on. What kind of condition is the cam chain in? And do any of the parts show heat discoloration?
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/28/21 03:18 AM

The previous owner didnt use the bike much lately, thats what he told me. He said that he hasnt srtarted it in over a year. The inspection sticker shows the bike passing inspection in 2019 and nothing after that. Here are the pictures of the camshaft and chain, let me know if you see anything :
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Posted By: peejman

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/28/21 02:59 PM

The cam lobes and chain look ok to me. The bearing outer race looks like it was turning in the bore, which isn't good. Could mean the pocket is a little oversize.
Posted By: onceona50

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/28/21 03:54 PM

I don't have any advice, only well wishes on your project.
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/28/21 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by peejman
The cam lobes and chain look ok to me. The bearing outer race looks like it was turning in the bore, which isn't good. Could mean the pocket is a little oversize.

The inner bearing was a pain to take out. The front one popper out with a little pressure. What would be the best way to make the front bearing fit a little tighter in the pocket. I won’t really know if it fits loosely until I get the new parts
Posted By: skypupbob

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/28/21 05:03 PM

Don't know if you are familiar with Loctite bearing retaining compound? The name says it all, clean it up real good first.
Posted By: Az4x4

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/28/21 06:23 PM


Loctite's maximum strength retaining compound is used where high dynamic force or cyclic loading is expected. Locks cylindrical assemblies up to 0.010" diameter clearance. Takes just 5 minutes to set up. Check it out on Amazon..
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/28/21 07:06 PM

Just ordered a bottle
Posted By: JerryH

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/29/21 05:43 AM

Everything but that outer bearing race looks ok to me. But the bearing definitely has rotation wear on it. What does the recess in the head where the bearing goes look like? I agree with Az4x4 on the Loctite 638. I still don't see anything that would account for the broken cam and the damage to the valve. If the cam bearing had frozen, that would have almost certainly broke the chain. The chain looks ok, but I have never trusted chains. There really is no good way to check it except to see if any of the links are stiff, or obvious signs of something broken. A chain can be almost broken and there is no way to tell by looking at it.

I also don't trust automatic cam chain tensioners either. Kawasaki made a LOT of bikes with defective cam chain tensioners, my Vulcan 750 included. Fortunately I belong to a forum for that bike and found out about it before it was too late. I heard the cam chain rattle (that bike has FOUR cam chains) and replaced the 2 automatic tensioners with aftermarket manual tensioners before any damage occurred (hopefully) Kawasaki made that bike completely unchanged from 1985-2006, with the same defective cam chain tensioners. The aftermarket tensioners were made as a solution to that problem. There were likely millions of bikes affected.

I would completely disassemble and clean the head, and lap both valves. And look very carefully for any other damage. Something caused that broken cam and smashed valve.
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/29/21 01:29 PM

Does anyone know if the Wiseco high compression piston will work. Its says that is it for model year 2013 and up. I see on the parts diagram that the piston part numbers for 2012 and 2013 are different. Im thinking as long as they are the same size it shouldn't be a problem
Posted By: Az4x4

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/29/21 02:45 PM


Before you go the high compression piston route in your 2012 XT250, Wrisco or otherwise, take a moment and read This Thread.

Not saying you'd necessarily run into the same issue if a higher compression piston that works on your bike can be sourced. Just that being aware of something you might encounter with that modification should be of some value in making that decision..
Posted By: JerryH

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/29/21 07:48 PM

IMO a high compression piston in an XT250 would be a bad idea. It would serve no purpose, the power increase would be marginal, but it would cause the engine to run hotter, require much higher octane gas, and put more stress on the engine, shortening the life of the engine. The XT250 (and XT225) are trail bikes, not MX bikes. There are a lot of places where improvements can be made, but the engine is not one of them.

Having been a drag racer most of my life, I am very familiar with high compression engines. I have built several, with a lot of other high performance modifications as well. In order not to blow up, they have to be built from the ground up out of high dollar aftermarket parts, and they are still finicky, temperamental machines not well suited for anything but racing. I quit racing a couple years ago due to physical disabilities, but still have my race car (truck). I drive it on the street sometimes. It was built with the idea of being street drivable, but it is definitely not well suited to street use. Even with a much larger radiator and high volume electric fans, it runs hot in stop and go traffic. I have to use super unleaded with an octane booster. 100octane race gas would be a lot better, but is over $10 a gallon. Because of it's high lift long duration cam it makes most of it's power much higher up in the rpm range than a stock engine. It is very easy to stall at a stop light, because it was meant to be launched off the line at around 6000 rpm, not just above idle. All in all, it is a handful on the street. My intention is to replace that engine with a near stock version, at some point.

Things get even worse when you install a high performance part in or on an otherwise stock engine. I have seen a lot of stock engines destroyed by using NOS, or a bolt on turbocharger or supercharger on a stock engine, which will barely handle stock power. One of the reasons I have never tried to modify a motorcycle engine, is that there are no parts available to beef it up to handle the extra power. Even an aftermarket exhaust can shorten engine life. And when you start bolting on big bore kits and high compression pistons onto an otherwise stock engine, it probably won't last that long. And it won't be as much fun to ride while it does last.
Posted By: Az4x4

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/29/21 08:11 PM


Originally Posted by JerryH
..IMO a high compression piston in an XT250 would be a bad idea. It would serve no purpose, the power increase would be marginal, but it would cause the engine to run hotter, require much higher octane gas, and put more stress on the engine....... when you start bolting on big bore kits and high compression pistons onto an otherwise stock engine, it probably won't last that long. And it won't be as much fun to ride while it does last..

I agree with Jerry. These XTs aren't meant to be MX bikes. They're designed and built as light weight dual sports, engineered from the factory to serve that role reliably and well. There's a number of attempts shared here detailing big money efforts to make an XT stronger, faster, more powerful. They've all had issues that had to be dealt with, and as far as I'm aware none of these are still being ridden - at least they're not being actively commented about here.
Posted By: Az4x4

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/29/21 08:18 PM


James Springate, a member of this forum, comes to mind as someone who spent big bucks turning an XT225 into a faster, more powerful bike. His final post, in which he comments about what all that effort was worth, is found HERE. Well worth reading for anyone contemplating such serious modifications..
Posted By: JerryH

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/31/21 12:27 AM

I used to have a Yamaha Zuma 125 scooter. Bought it new (mostly for around town riding) and joined a Zuma forum. Most of the members there were the 'tuner" type. Big bore kits with a lot of porting and polishing, hotter cam, bigger carburetors, low restriction air filters, very expensive expansion chamber exhausts, lots of tuning on the CVT (these scooters have a belt drive continuously variable transmission) aftermarket ECU with no rev limiter, and anything else they could find to make it go faster. They definitely made them go faster, as much as 20 mph faster, which is a LOT on a scooter of that size. But it came at a high price. They spent thousands of $$$ modifying them, and were constantly blowing up engines. When their super expensive high powered engine blew up, the first thing they would say is, "well since I have to rebuild it anyway, I'm going to try and make it even faster" I quickly realized that it was not about riding for them, it was about building, and rebuilding, over and over again, in a never ending quest for more speed and power. Yet they were not racers, which is something I can understand. They seemed to have an abundance of time and money.

The XT225 is a mild mannered trail bike that weighs almost exactly the same as I do. I can easily lift one end of it off the floor and swing it around when it is inside the house. Doesn't seem heavy to me. Less than half the weight of my 1200 Sportster, which I couldn't begin to lift. It's very happy plonking along at 15 mph in second gear, which is exactly what I want. Very tractable and easy to toss around. Most of the power is down low in the powerband, which is where you want it for a trail bike. Not so much power that it might be likely to get away from me. Bikes like that exist if you want one. The Yamaha WR250 has almost exactly twice the power of the XT, and is the way I would go if I wanted a really fast bike.
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/31/21 01:34 PM

Thank you all for your feedback. I decided just to go stock. So with that in mind, does anyone know if a 2013 and up piston will work for the 2012. Yamaha apparently has a delay and wont have anything in stock until May. I see aftermarket options that are not from China for the 2013 and up. Will this fit ?
Wiseco STD piston
Posted By: Az4x4

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/31/21 02:00 PM


Originally Posted by Organix
.....does anyone know if a 2013 and up piston will work for the 2012. Yamaha apparently has a delay and wont have anything in stock until May. .....Will this fit? Wiseco STD piston..

From what I read that's a Wiseco standard bore high compression piston intended specifically for the 2013 and up Yamaha XT250 engine. For whatever reason it's not listed as compatible with the 2008 to 2012 Yamaha XT250..
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/31/21 02:17 PM

I know. I cant find standard pistons that are available for MY 2008 - 2012. So I am looking at MY2013 and up, but dont know if they will work. The 2012 and 2013 pistons have different part numbers. Logic tells me that they should fit, but I am hesitant. Hopefully someone might know. Would save me a lot of time waiting for this part.
Posted By: JerryH

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 03/31/21 11:25 PM

Cheapcycleparts.com has the piston, rings, and everything else for the top end 2012 model.

https://www.cheapcycleparts.com/oemparts/a/yam/5004d835f87002275461de3a/crankshaft-piston
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 04/01/21 01:12 AM

Originally Posted by JerryH
Cheapcycleparts.com has the piston, rings, and everything else for the top end 2012 model.

https://www.cheapcycleparts.com/oemparts/a/yam/5004d835f87002275461de3a/crankshaft-piston


I called them earlier, they don’t have it in stock. They are back ordered until May. I went ahead and ordered a wiseco 74mm 9.5:1 compression, just like stock. They show it for MY13 and up.
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 04/04/21 12:47 AM

So the wiseco piston came in. To my surprise, it looks very different from stock. See pictures [Linked Image from i.imgur.com], [Linked Image from i.imgur.com], [Linked Image from i.imgur.com].
This is a stock piston from a 2013 XT250 I saw on ebay, looks identical to the 2012 [Linked Image from i.imgur.com]. Anyone got any ideas why the different design in the Wiseco piston. This is the 9.5:1 compression piston just like stock.
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 04/04/21 01:53 AM

So it wont work. The MY 2013 and up have a bigger piston pin. So the Wiseco is going back. So I cleaned up the old Piston and it looks good to me, see pictures. Do you guys and gals thing I can still reuse this? I will add new piston rings. [Linked Image from i.imgur.com], [Linked Image from i.imgur.com], [Linked Image from i.imgur.com], [Linked Image from i.imgur.com], [Linked Image from i.imgur.com], [Linked Image from i.imgur.com], [Linked Image from i.imgur.com], [Linked Image from i.imgur.com], [Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Posted By: JerryH

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 04/04/21 02:33 AM

That Wiseco piston looks like the higher compression version to me. That big bump on top would take up a lot more space in the combustion chamber, raising the compression. If it fit at all. It may just be the wrong piston. The original piston does look ok, but I would go ahead and remove the rest of the carbon before reusing it, for three reasons. One, that carbon is thick enough to ever so slightly raise the compression, two, it could act like a glow plug, causing pre ignition, and three, not likely but it could still be hiding something.
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 04/07/21 07:58 PM

Quick update. Was able to locate an OEM piston. Last night, installed, new piston, rings, pin, retaining c-clips and gasket. Also found a OEM camshaft. Should have had the camshaft on Monday, but USPS strikes again. My package is delayed so no idea when I will get it. Ahh the camshaft is the only thing that I am missing now to put everything back together.
Posted By: Az4x4

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 04/07/21 08:37 PM


You're on track with your engine repair job, and that's gotta be encouraging. Hopefully the camshaft will be there soon and your XT250 will be up and running again. Looking forward to that final report, Organix. Fingers crossed that things go well for you..
Posted By: peejman

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 04/08/21 01:11 PM

Glad you're making progress.
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 04/19/21 07:26 PM

Quick update. Bike is up an running. Have put 20 miles on it so far, runs much quieter and feels like it has more power. Now waiting for my registration paperwork so I can take this thing on the road. Just wanted to thank you all for helping me through this build
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 04/27/21 05:44 PM

So back at it again. Decided to do a compression test on the rebuild. Used a harbor freight compression gauge. It reads about 100 psi when warmed up. Added a little oil and the compression stayed the same. Bike starts fine, idles and runs fine. I tested the gauge with an Air compressor to see if it is accurate and its about 5 to 8 psi off. I know the valves seal well, I did a quick test with water before installing the head, no leakage from either intake or exhaust. The compression test was done as per service manual. Not sure if it matters, but the bike wont start when cold without a choke, once warmed up it starts right away, no choke necessary, checked valves and they are within spec. I ordered a leak down tester, to have it a go. Any ideas ? Oh btw, I have put about 40 miles so far on the new build.
Posted By: 2wheelfun

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 04/27/21 06:41 PM

That's why they make chokes, to help start cold carbed machines. Great work!
Posted By: Az4x4

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 04/27/21 07:28 PM


Originally Posted by Organix
.....Not sure if it matters, but the bike wont start when cold without a choke, once warmed up it starts right away, no choke necessary...

Welcome to cold blooded won't start without the choke being on thumpers. That's the 'nature of the beast' with our XTs. Once warmed up they'll run all day, but the cold weather starting routine is pretty much the same on all of them..
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 04/27/21 10:03 PM

Stupid Harbor freight gauge. Changed out the adapter for a different style and compression is around 155psi. Still a little lower they where it should be
Posted By: Organix

Re: 2012 XT250 ticking sound - Video - 04/29/21 11:16 AM

So ran the test again after a long ride. The gauge read 155 psi. If I am correct and the gauge is reading about 10 psi lower then what is actually is, this would put me around 165 psi. I’ll keep riding it and change the oil after about 500 miles and do the test again. Hopefully the rings will be seated better by then.
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