DIY- Carb Work on 2008 Ninja 250 carbs

kkim · March 28th, 2011, 06:22 PM

Okay... new DIY. This time it will be a bit different than just having just a single goal. In it, I hope to explain and examine in detail different aspects and modifications that can be done to your new gen (and pregen) carbs utilizing the DIYs that have been written to date.

In a previous DIY, I covered cleaning the jets in the carbs. Unfortunately, cleaning just the jets did not bring my bike back to it's full potential. Obviously, I missed something, but the bike still runs. Instead of removing the carbs and working on them to fix a problem that could have the bike out of commission, I elected to purchase a used set of carbs and will be taking my time working on them so when they are ready, it's just a matter of removing the carbs that are presently in my bike, moving some parts from those carbs to this cleaned out set and reinstalling into the bike. My hope is that the bike will be running as new once these are in the bike. As a bonus, I will have a spare set of carb parts.

As I work through the carb, if you have any questions that I can help with as far as picture closeups or subjects that need covering, please don't hesitate to ask. Also, if you see me doing something wrong, please feel free to make corrections to my postings. I'd like for this to be a collaborative workings of the forum so we can all learn about carbs, together.

This first post is to show what I'll be working with and the state in which I received the carbs.

Picked this up from the post office. The post office lady would freak if she knew what was inside the box I had to go pick up from her.

Other than being a bit dirty, they look to be in excellent condition. I will be cleaning them before opening them up to examine the interior condition. Hope they are as good inside as they are on the outside.

YouSnooze · March 28th, 2011, 09:31 PM

You're a saint Kelly

Looking forward to this thread immensely

kkim · March 28th, 2011, 09:40 PM

Thanks, Doug. Remember, if you have any questions or requests, pertaining to carbs, don't hesitate to post them in this thread. I'll do my best to help, but this thread is open to anyone else that can help out, too. Participation is welcomed.

kkim · March 28th, 2011, 10:02 PM

Okay, time to clean up the carbs so I can get working on them.

Caution!!! This is how I do it and some may not agree with my methods... in fact, I'm sure some will seek the authorities on me, but here goes...

My tools of choice... a drain pan, gasoline and various brushes. Please, be very careful if you use gas. I'm in a well ventilated area and a fire extinguisher is only a few steps away. You can use other high flash solvents such as kerosene or mineral spirits, but I prefer gasoline. Always wear gloves when working with any type of solvent. It doesn't take long for your skin to dry out and crack when exposed to solvents for a prolonged period of time. Ask me how I know???

Put the carbs into the drain pan and pour the gas over them. Just pouring it over them loosened up quite a bit of dirt/grime. I then went to work using a 2" paint brush to get the rest of the dirt off the exterior, keeping in mind not to let the dirty gas flow down and into the carb. You don't want to be adding more dirt into the carb, if possible.

Sorry, but I couldn't take any pics while cleaning the carbs with the paint brush, but this is the end result after about 20 minutes of trying to get them as clean as I could. The carbs are in pretty good shape, actually, and the grime seems to have been road accumulation attached to the carbs' surface. I'm happy to see they're in such great shape.

kkim · March 29th, 2011, 01:11 AM

It all starts with that little black knob on the lower left hand side below the fairing next to your leg. You can just see the knob to the left of the screwdriver, between the green fairing and the black side cover.

When you turn that knob, it turns a cable inside and the end of that cable screws and unscrews and pushes a lever attached to the carb on the right side.

That plate that the end of the choke cable rotates forward or back is actually the same plate that opens and closes when you twist the throttle, only to a much smaller degree. So, when you increase your idle speed, you are actually raising the throttle plates inside the carb bodies higher to allow more air to pass through the carbs.

The idle speed should be set after the bike is fully warmed up and has been ridden for at least 10 minutes or so. The specs call for it to be set to 1250-1350 rpm. I find it much more simple to just set it to 1500 rpm as it's easier to read it on the tach to set it precisely. You may need to readjust it after a few rides initially, to get it to stay at a constant 1500, but once you get it set correct, the bike should idle at 1500 rpm consistently unless something starts to go wrong with your bike. This is a very good indicator of how your bike is running. Nice steady, consistent idle speed likely means your bike is in a good state of tune. If you see it vary, dip or not hold the same idle speed all the time after it's been warmed up, you should start looking at why.

Dirty pilot jets, carbs out of sync or even bad gas can cause you idling problems. There are many other reasons that can cause this condition, but bottom line is that if you have an idling problem, something needs work on your bike.

Alex · March 29th, 2011, 06:01 AM

/linked

CantDecide · April 28th, 2011, 08:04 AM

Thanks for the awesome pictures!

Incase anyone in the future is reading this, I can confirm the pre-gen Ninja's are exactly the same.

From the detail photos, it looks like you could accidentally back the idle screw all the way off the throttle plates. Is that true?

kkim · April 28th, 2011, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CantDecide

From the detail photos, it looks like you could accidentally back the idle screw all the way off the throttle plates. Is that true?

yes. in fact it has happened before to other members and the result is that the idle speed will not vary when you turn the idle control knob. if backed off enough, it can unscrew itself completely and the cable falls out from that threaded bracket which holds it in place. if that has happened to yours, be sure to look for that spring on the end of the cable. it is needed to keep tension on the cable to keep it from moving around once you set your idle speed.

CantDecide · April 28th, 2011, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkim

yes. in fact it has happened before to other members and the result is that the idle speed will not vary when you turn the idle control knob. if backed off enough, it can unscrew itself completely and the cable falls out from that threaded bracket which holds it in place. if that has happened to yours, be sure to look for that spring on the end of the cable. it is needed to keep tension on the cable to keep it from moving around once you set your idle speed.

Ok, thanks for the warning. My bike was idling around 4500 rpm, so I backed it out and got it down to 2500, but the screw started to get very loose (no tension on the spring I guess), so I stopped there.

You suggested on another thread to use seafoam or something else to clean the carbs, so I'll try that and see what happens.

kkim · April 28th, 2011, 11:47 AM

take a peek from the right side of the bike and see if you can see how much of the threaded adjuster is showing at the end of the cable. if you have a bit more to go, lower the idle to 1500 and see how much is left. be sure the bike is fully warmed up and the choke completely off when setting the idle speed. as long as the cable doesn't fall out of the adjuster bracket, you should be good.

Kevin2109 · May 23rd, 2011, 09:36 AM

Thought I would help out with pics a little

I'm a very visual person!

headshrink · May 23rd, 2011, 11:21 AM

Hey Kevin, you gotta drill the caps off those mixture screws to unleash the Ninjette furry!

Kevin2109 · May 23rd, 2011, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by headshrink

Hey Kevin, you gotta drill the caps off those mixture screws to unleash the Ninjette furry!

I did

lol I just didnt take pics

headshrink · May 23rd, 2011, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin2109

I did

lol I just didn't take pics

Ah, good man. I knew I was stepping out there a bit without being sure they were your pics.... guess I would make a bad lawyer.

CantDecide · May 25th, 2011, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Hey Kevin, you gotta drill the caps off those mixture screws to unleash the Ninjette furry!

What does that mean?

kkim · May 25th, 2011, 08:51 PM

Removing Mixture Screw Plug/Caps

the stock ninjette comes with aluminum plugs blocking the mixture screws. removing them allows you to tune the low rpm for a bit more power and easier riding. shimming the carbs does almost the same thing.

headshrink · May 26th, 2011, 12:40 PM

The only thing I would add to the above pictorial on removing the mix-screw caps, is be slow, and BE CAREFUL. The carb is made from pretty soft metal (aluminum I think), and I actually took a chuck off the lip as I removed one of my caps. I think I screwed the screw in a little to far, which caused the cap to expand to the point of oops. Fortunately this didn't happen to low, so functionally there is no damage..... but learn from my mistake.

CZroe · May 29th, 2011, 02:14 PM

Why does Kawi want to lock everyone away from those? EPA? I don't see them filing the bolts down on our exhausts!

sendler · May 29th, 2011, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by headshrink

The only thing I would add to the above pictorial on removing the mix-screw caps, is be slow, and BE CAREFUL.

I found out how weak the idle mixture towers are. They are machined for the fit of the bracket that ties the two carbs together to the point of almost cutting right through one side of the tower. I wish the Wiki would have mentioned how easily they can break. I was trying to get the plugs out without removing the carbs by piercing the plug with an automatic center punch as I have done hundreds of times on Mercedes mixture towers. You just pierce a hole through the plug and pry it out. I had the right side plug out within 5 minutes but when working on the left carb the impact from the center punch broke the tower off. So I ended up pulling the carbs off anyway. It was an easy and durable fix with JB Weld after that and all was well and ready for adjustment. The stock setting was about 2.3 turns out from fully closed. I set them at 2.5 and reassembled the bike. There is a funny smell from the exhaust and the bike is very cold blooded when set this lean. I set them up on an 80 degree day at 1000 feet elevation by blipping the throttle to check for a lag in the response off idle, as well as playing around with clutch killing second gear take offs. Turning the screws 1/6 turn at a time with a flat screwdriver bit that I ground down a little, I ended up at 3.33 turns out from closed as the point where any further improvements diminished. I was out to 3.5 at one point but went back to 3.33. We went out for a ride that evening and got covered with bugs but the Ninja ran great. Much less hesitation in the off idle to 3k RPM range for easier launches. Today I couldn't help second guessing the setting so off came the body work again to synch the screws and go back to 3.0 turns out to try a fuel economy setting. It was obvious that there was less torque and poor response off idle so I went back up to 3.16 turns and then up to 3.33 while lugging around in my largish parking lot. This seems to be the sweet spot for me right now. I hope it won't drop the in town fuel economy too much. I am a hypermiler shooting for a 90mpg commute.

headshrink · May 30th, 2011, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CZroe

Why does Kawi want to lock everyone away from those? EPA? I don't see them filing the bolts down on our exhausts!

I think it is another stupid law that requires them to cap them....

HMB-ninja · June 7th, 2011, 08:46 PM

Just got my carbs out and owhent to adjust the idle fuel mix screws and one seemed to be all the way in ant the other 2&1/1 turns out. Is that even possible or did I some how turn that stew in when I drilled and spun in the prying screw?

kkim · June 7th, 2011, 08:50 PM

dunno... does the screw that was all the way in have any drill marks on it? if so, maybe.

stock mixture screw settings should be...
Pilot Screws (turns out)- left- (2 1/2) right- (1 3/4)

headshrink · July 8th, 2011, 04:41 PM

I'm about to clean a new (to me) carb from ebay. The solvents I currently have are:
1) old gas
2) Kerosene (Or as I like to call it, JetA)
3) Acetone
4) Can of Carb cleaner
Which of these solvents is best? I want to be sure the Kerosene or Acetone doesn't damage any of the rubber parts.

Also, unless my wife sacrifices a glass Pyrex from the kitchen (not likely), my current parts washing bin is stamped "PP" on the bottom, which I take to mean Polypropylene. Will this type of plastic be safe with any of the above solvents?

kkim · July 8th, 2011, 05:41 PM

go buy a drain tub for when you change your oil from the parts store. it's not like you're not going to not ever use it. I don't know what type of plastics work with what solvents, but I do know if you eff up your own drain tub, you won't be crucified for it.

I've used everything but the acetone on carbs and have had no problems.

Momaru · July 8th, 2011, 05:57 PM

I'd keep the acetone away from anything plastic you wanna keep, including diaphragms, seals, o-rings, hoses, etc. It may not obviously damage things in some instances, but it will degrade stuff.

+1 to the oil drain pan. I've used all of the above in mine without issue, save the acetone.

I'd also break out an air compressor if you've got one. An air jet at ~60psi made my carb cleaning considerably faster and did a better job of clearing clogged pilot jets than either the carb cleaner or kerosene. But once again, be careful of those diaphragms.

kkim · July 8th, 2011, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Momaru

I'd also break out an air compressor if you've got one. It made my carb cleaning considerably faster and did a better job of clearing clogged jet passages than either the carb cleaner or kerosene.

soak in the solvent to loosen the gunk up and compressed air to blast it out.

headshrink · July 9th, 2011, 12:21 PM

Hey Kelly, did the new carb bring your bike back to it's potential? Did you drill the slides on the new one like you did the first?

kkim · July 9th, 2011, 12:41 PM

Bob,

New carbs are still sitting in the box they were shipped in. Haven't touched them since the day I took those photos.

headshrink · July 9th, 2011, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkim

Bob,

New carbs are still sitting in the box they were shipped in. Haven't touched them since the day I took those photos.

Ah, too bad.
The reason I asked is, IIRC, you originally drilled your slides back when you were shimming your needles, before the full FP jet kit, later adding the FP kit. I also went in this order, mainly because I didn't have the funds (or will) earlier to go to that level. So I never felt the FP kit with undrilled slides, and was curious what you thought about the difference (I now they are different than DJ in that they say you don't need to drill).

I personally haven't suspected any problems with the drilled slides, although when I was tracking down the surging gremlin (90%+ solved), it was one thing I wondered about...... but only as a R/O because I didn't think it was likely an issue.

Since I am hopefully installing the new (to me) carb today, if I don't die in the heat, I COULD try it with undrilled slides.... but I would prefer not track one more variable, while I'm getting the new carb dialed in, tracking poor compression, not convinced I don't have valve damage if things don't get a LITTLE quieter, clutch on its way out, and a flood of other project idea....

Is your bike running OK? I got the impression you haven't been riding much.

kkim · July 9th, 2011, 01:04 PM

Bike is currently sitting with an expired safety check since March, so I have to get it safety checked before I can get it back on the road.

headshrink · July 9th, 2011, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkim

Bike is currently sitting with an expired safety check since March, so I have to get it safety checked before I can get it back on the road.

A safety check for a motorcyle.... sounds ironic

Momaru · July 9th, 2011, 11:13 PM

Bob, just a thought for ya:

If you didn't install the 'new' carbs today, you might try swapping in both of the 'new' (undrilled) diaphragms to your existing, set-up carb to see whatcha get.

As the flipside, drop your 'old' (drilled) slide/diaphragms into the 'new' carb if you've already got it installed. See what ya like better.

Both of these assume you've got in-tact diaphragms for both sets. I apologize if the above is inapplicable due to damage or other conditions; I've kinda lost track of all the things you've tried/have going on w/ your bike

headshrink · July 9th, 2011, 11:32 PM

I thought about it, but I went ahead and drilled them anyways. Now I'm trying to get it dialed in again. This thing is getting to me. The sound is still there, although not as bad. I also have to totally retune it. I set it up just like before, but for some reason it got pissed at me, and didn't want to play nice. It was a long day, and then I find the electrical issue mentioned in a new thread (blinker and brake).

Momaru · July 10th, 2011, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by headshrink

I thought about it, but I went ahead and drilled them anyways. Now I'm trying to get it dialed in again. This thing is getting to me. The sound is still there, although not as bad. I also have to totally retune it. I set it up just like before, but for some reason it got pissed at me, and didn't want to play nice. It was a long day, and then I find the electrical issue mentioned in a new thread (blinker and brake).

Probably a good idea to drill 'em anyway, since that's primarily just affecting the air flow/equalization pressure on the diaphragm. Also, FWIW, I'm using a DJ kit and have drilled slides. Still helps, regardless what kit.

That suuucks on having to retune. I assume you checked all the usual culprits (vacuum leak, moving parts not movin' right, cable adjustment, clogged jets/passages, etc)?

headshrink · July 10th, 2011, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Momaru

Probably a good idea to drill 'em anyway, since that's primarily just affecting the air flow/equalization pressure on the diaphragm. Also, FWIW, I'm using a DJ kit and have drilled slides. Still helps, regardless what kit.

That suuucks on having to retune. I assume you checked all the usual culprits (vacuum leak, moving parts not movin' right, cable adjustment, clogged jets/passages, etc)?

I did, but will double check tomorrow. I reused all the jets from my old kit, but soaked in JetA first, then blew out at 100psi.

THE BIG SITT · September 7th, 2011, 11:20 AM

Anyone else have trouble seeing the photos?

headshrink · September 7th, 2011, 11:41 AM

Yes, Kkim's photos have been removed.

THE BIG SITT · September 7th, 2011, 04:18 PM

Well why'd they do that? I'd like to see those pictures….

headshrink · September 7th, 2011, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE BIG SITT

Well why'd they do that? I'd like to see those pictures….

That's kinda of a long story, and sore subject around here.... I would too.

THE BIG SITT · September 8th, 2011, 07:11 AM

Sorry but why would they do that? Did the photos have some nip-slips or something? I'm disappointed because this DIY (and any others that have had the pictures removed) are all but worthless without pictures...

March 28th, 2011, 06:22 PM	#1
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	DIY- Carb Work on 2008 Ninja 250 carbs Okay... new DIY. This time it will be a bit different than just having just a single goal. In it, I hope to explain and examine in detail different aspects and modifications that can be done to your new gen (and pregen) carbs utilizing the DIYs that have been written to date. In a previous DIY, I covered cleaning the jets in the carbs. Unfortunately, cleaning just the jets did not bring my bike back to it's full potential. Obviously, I missed something, but the bike still runs. Instead of removing the carbs and working on them to fix a problem that could have the bike out of commission, I elected to purchase a used set of carbs and will be taking my time working on them so when they are ready, it's just a matter of removing the carbs that are presently in my bike, moving some parts from those carbs to this cleaned out set and reinstalling into the bike. My hope is that the bike will be running as new once these are in the bike. As a bonus, I will have a spare set of carb parts. As I work through the carb, if you have any questions that I can help with as far as picture closeups or subjects that need covering, please don't hesitate to ask. Also, if you see me doing something wrong, please feel free to make corrections to my postings. I'd like for this to be a collaborative workings of the forum so we can all learn about carbs, together. This first post is to show what I'll be working with and the state in which I received the carbs. Picked this up from the post office. The post office lady would freak if she knew what was inside the box I had to go pick up from her. Other than being a bit dirty, they look to be in excellent condition. I will be cleaning them before opening them up to examine the interior condition. Hope they are as good inside as they are on the outside.

March 28th, 2011, 09:40 PM	#3
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	Thanks, Doug. Remember, if you have any questions or requests, pertaining to carbs, don't hesitate to post them in this thread. I'll do my best to help, but this thread is open to anyone else that can help out, too. Participation is welcomed. Last futzed with by kkim; March 29th, 2011 at 01:13 AM.

March 28th, 2011, 10:02 PM	#4
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	Cleaning up the exterior Okay, time to clean up the carbs so I can get working on them. Caution!!! This is how I do it and some may not agree with my methods... in fact, I'm sure some will seek the authorities on me, but here goes... My tools of choice... a drain pan, gasoline and various brushes. Please, be very careful if you use gas. I'm in a well ventilated area and a fire extinguisher is only a few steps away. You can use other high flash solvents such as kerosene or mineral spirits, but I prefer gasoline. Always wear gloves when working with any type of solvent. It doesn't take long for your skin to dry out and crack when exposed to solvents for a prolonged period of time. Ask me how I know??? Put the carbs into the drain pan and pour the gas over them. Just pouring it over them loosened up quite a bit of dirt/grime. I then went to work using a 2" paint brush to get the rest of the dirt off the exterior, keeping in mind not to let the dirty gas flow down and into the carb. You don't want to be adding more dirt into the carb, if possible. Sorry, but I couldn't take any pics while cleaning the carbs with the paint brush, but this is the end result after about 20 minutes of trying to get them as clean as I could. The carbs are in pretty good shape, actually, and the grime seems to have been road accumulation attached to the carbs' surface. I'm happy to see they're in such great shape. Last futzed with by kkim; March 29th, 2011 at 02:23 AM.

March 29th, 2011, 01:11 AM	#5
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	Idle Speed Control It all starts with that little black knob on the lower left hand side below the fairing next to your leg. You can just see the knob to the left of the screwdriver, between the green fairing and the black side cover. When you turn that knob, it turns a cable inside and the end of that cable screws and unscrews and pushes a lever attached to the carb on the right side. That plate that the end of the choke cable rotates forward or back is actually the same plate that opens and closes when you twist the throttle, only to a much smaller degree. So, when you increase your idle speed, you are actually raising the throttle plates inside the carb bodies higher to allow more air to pass through the carbs. The idle speed should be set after the bike is fully warmed up and has been ridden for at least 10 minutes or so. The specs call for it to be set to 1250-1350 rpm. I find it much more simple to just set it to 1500 rpm as it's easier to read it on the tach to set it precisely. You may need to readjust it after a few rides initially, to get it to stay at a constant 1500, but once you get it set correct, the bike should idle at 1500 rpm consistently unless something starts to go wrong with your bike. This is a very good indicator of how your bike is running. Nice steady, consistent idle speed likely means your bike is in a good state of tune. If you see it vary, dip or not hold the same idle speed all the time after it's been warmed up, you should start looking at why. Dirty pilot jets, carbs out of sync or even bad gas can cause you idling problems. There are many other reasons that can cause this condition, but bottom line is that if you have an idling problem, something needs work on your bike. Last futzed with by kkim; March 29th, 2011 at 02:28 AM.

March 29th, 2011, 06:01 AM	#6
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	/linked __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

March 28th, 2011, 09:31 PM	#2
YouSnooze ninjette.org member Name: Doug Location: Sydney Join Date: Oct 2010 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R Posts: 13	You're a saint Kelly Looking forward to this thread immensely

April 28th, 2011, 08:04 AM	#7
CantDecide ninjette.org member Name: Josh Location: Boston Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Ninja 250 Posts: 23	Thanks for the awesome pictures! Incase anyone in the future is reading this, I can confirm the pre-gen Ninja's are exactly the same. From the detail photos, it looks like you could accidentally back the idle screw all the way off the throttle plates. Is that true?

April 28th, 2011, 11:47 AM	#10
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	take a peek from the right side of the bike and see if you can see how much of the threaded adjuster is showing at the end of the cable. if you have a bit more to go, lower the idle to 1500 and see how much is left. be sure the bike is fully warmed up and the choke completely off when setting the idle speed. as long as the cable doesn't fall out of the adjuster bracket, you should be good.

May 23rd, 2011, 09:36 AM	#11
Kevin2109 KThanksBye Name: Kevin Location: Orange County Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2006 zx636r Posts: A lot.	Thought I would help out with pics a little I'm a very visual person!

May 23rd, 2011, 11:21 AM	#12
headshrink ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Bob Location: CA Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250r, '14 CBR500r Posts: A lot.	Hey Kevin, you gotta drill the caps off those mixture screws to unleash the Ninjette furry! __________________________________________________ Honda Interceptor VFR800 DLX (2014, 8th gen) Honda CBR500r (2014) - FOR SALE Kawi Ninja 250r (2008) - Restored and passed-down within family, only to be abandoned

May 25th, 2011, 08:51 PM	#16
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	Removing Mixture Screw Plug/Caps the stock ninjette comes with aluminum plugs blocking the mixture screws. removing them allows you to tune the low rpm for a bit more power and easier riding. shimming the carbs does almost the same thing. Last futzed with by kkim; May 26th, 2011 at 01:26 PM.

May 26th, 2011, 12:40 PM	#17
headshrink ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Bob Location: CA Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250r, '14 CBR500r Posts: A lot.	The only thing I would add to the above pictorial on removing the mix-screw caps, is be slow, and BE CAREFUL. The carb is made from pretty soft metal (aluminum I think), and I actually took a chuck off the lip as I removed one of my caps. I think I screwed the screw in a little to far, which caused the cap to expand to the point of oops. Fortunately this didn't happen to low, so functionally there is no damage..... but learn from my mistake. __________________________________________________ Honda Interceptor VFR800 DLX (2014, 8th gen) Honda CBR500r (2014) - FOR SALE Kawi Ninja 250r (2008) - Restored and passed-down within family, only to be abandoned

May 29th, 2011, 02:14 PM	#18
CZroe CPT Falcon Name: J.Emmett Turner Location: Newnan, GA Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): '08 CP Blue EX250J, '97 unpainted EX250F, 2nd '97 unpainted EX250F (no engine), '07 black EX250F Posts: A lot.	Why does Kawi want to lock everyone away from those? EPA? I don't see them filing the bolts down on our exhausts!

June 7th, 2011, 08:46 PM	#21
HMB-ninja ninjette.org member Name: David Location: Bay Area Join Date: Aug 2009 Motorcycle(s): 08 Ninja 250R(red) 09 Ninja 650R(red) 08 PGO Buddy 150(Pamplona) Posts: 41	Just got my carbs out and owhent to adjust the idle fuel mix screws and one seemed to be all the way in ant the other 2&1/1 turns out. Is that even possible or did I some how turn that stew in when I drilled and spun in the prying screw?

June 7th, 2011, 08:50 PM	#22
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	dunno... does the screw that was all the way in have any drill marks on it? if so, maybe. stock mixture screw settings should be... Pilot Screws (turns out)- left- (2 1/2) right- (1 3/4)

July 8th, 2011, 04:41 PM	#23
headshrink ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Bob Location: CA Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250r, '14 CBR500r Posts: A lot.	I'm about to clean a new (to me) carb from ebay. The solvents I currently have are: 1) old gas 2) Kerosene (Or as I like to call it, JetA) 3) Acetone 4) Can of Carb cleaner Which of these solvents is best? I want to be sure the Kerosene or Acetone doesn't damage any of the rubber parts. Also, unless my wife sacrifices a glass Pyrex from the kitchen (not likely), my current parts washing bin is stamped "PP" on the bottom, which I take to mean Polypropylene. Will this type of plastic be safe with any of the above solvents? __________________________________________________ Honda Interceptor VFR800 DLX (2014, 8th gen) Honda CBR500r (2014) - FOR SALE Kawi Ninja 250r (2008) - Restored and passed-down within family, only to be abandoned

July 8th, 2011, 05:41 PM	#24
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	go buy a drain tub for when you change your oil from the parts store. it's not like you're not going to not ever use it. I don't know what type of plastics work with what solvents, but I do know if you eff up your own drain tub, you won't be crucified for it. I've used everything but the acetone on carbs and have had no problems.

July 8th, 2011, 05:57 PM	#25
Momaru ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Paul Location: Roanoke, VA Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Candy Plasma Blue 250R Posts: A lot.	I'd keep the acetone away from anything plastic you wanna keep, including diaphragms, seals, o-rings, hoses, etc. It may not obviously damage things in some instances, but it will degrade stuff. +1 to the oil drain pan. I've used all of the above in mine without issue, save the acetone. I'd also break out an air compressor if you've got one. An air jet at ~60psi made my carb cleaning considerably faster and did a better job of clearing clogged pilot jets than either the carb cleaner or kerosene. But once again, be careful of those diaphragms. __________________________________________________ Proud member of the Blue Army

July 9th, 2011, 12:21 PM	#27
headshrink ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Bob Location: CA Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250r, '14 CBR500r Posts: A lot.	Hey Kelly, did the new carb bring your bike back to it's potential? Did you drill the slides on the new one like you did the first? __________________________________________________ Honda Interceptor VFR800 DLX (2014, 8th gen) Honda CBR500r (2014) - FOR SALE Kawi Ninja 250r (2008) - Restored and passed-down within family, only to be abandoned

July 9th, 2011, 12:41 PM	#28
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	Bob, New carbs are still sitting in the box they were shipped in. Haven't touched them since the day I took those photos.

July 9th, 2011, 01:04 PM	#30
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	Bike is currently sitting with an expired safety check since March, so I have to get it safety checked before I can get it back on the road.

July 9th, 2011, 11:13 PM	#32
Momaru ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Paul Location: Roanoke, VA Join Date: Jun 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Candy Plasma Blue 250R Posts: A lot.	Bob, just a thought for ya: If you didn't install the 'new' carbs today, you might try swapping in both of the 'new' (undrilled) diaphragms to your existing, set-up carb to see whatcha get. As the flipside, drop your 'old' (drilled) slide/diaphragms into the 'new' carb if you've already got it installed. See what ya like better. Both of these assume you've got in-tact diaphragms for both sets. I apologize if the above is inapplicable due to damage or other conditions; I've kinda lost track of all the things you've tried/have going on w/ your bike __________________________________________________ Proud member of the Blue Army

July 9th, 2011, 11:32 PM	#33
headshrink ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Bob Location: CA Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250r, '14 CBR500r Posts: A lot.	I thought about it, but I went ahead and drilled them anyways. Now I'm trying to get it dialed in again. This thing is getting to me. The sound is still there, although not as bad. I also have to totally retune it. I set it up just like before, but for some reason it got pissed at me, and didn't want to play nice. It was a long day, and then I find the electrical issue mentioned in a new thread (blinker and brake). __________________________________________________ Honda Interceptor VFR800 DLX (2014, 8th gen) Honda CBR500r (2014) - FOR SALE Kawi Ninja 250r (2008) - Restored and passed-down within family, only to be abandoned

September 7th, 2011, 11:20 AM	#36
THE BIG SITT ninjette.org sage Name: Andy Location: Indianapolis Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Posts: 771	Anyone else have trouble seeing the photos?

September 7th, 2011, 11:41 AM	#37
headshrink ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Bob Location: CA Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250r, '14 CBR500r Posts: A lot.	Yes, Kkim's photos have been removed. __________________________________________________ Honda Interceptor VFR800 DLX (2014, 8th gen) Honda CBR500r (2014) - FOR SALE Kawi Ninja 250r (2008) - Restored and passed-down within family, only to be abandoned

September 7th, 2011, 04:18 PM	#38
THE BIG SITT ninjette.org sage Name: Andy Location: Indianapolis Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Posts: 771	Well why'd they do that? I'd like to see those pictures….

September 8th, 2011, 07:11 AM	#40
THE BIG SITT ninjette.org sage Name: Andy Location: Indianapolis Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Posts: 771	Sorry but why would they do that? Did the photos have some nip-slips or something? I'm disappointed because this DIY (and any others that have had the pictures removed) are all but worthless without pictures...