1999 Various Questions

[Dieseldog]

So I found this Ninja for $650 on Craigslist and thought it was a good deal. It has 25,000 miles and was told it runs but needs carbs cleaned. I've always done my own carb work so I figured it would be an easy fix. Then I could spend a few bucks on tires and suspension upgrades. I have so far found out that I will need full carburetor rebuild kits, oil filter spring and washer, oil strainer gasket, choke lever, fuel cap, petcock, seat lock, air filter housing cap and strap.

I completely disassembled and cleaned the carburetors. One float needle was ruined by me trying to pry it out. The little wire retainer flew off to who knows where and when I finally got it out the rubber tip stayed in the tube. And the only other thing I found missing were the metal and rubber o-rings for the fuel adjustment screws. The carburetors were not assembled right either. The collar that goes beneath the emulsion tube was installed from the top and the idle adjustment was screwed all the way in. My friend has a Harley Davidson shop so I got a needle and the o-rings. I wanted to see if it would run then I could decide how much I wanted to put into it. While changing the oil I found parts missing from the filter assembly the spring and washer. I found a spring in my shop that appears to be a match and the washer was an easy find as well. The oil that I drained from it looked very much like 2 stroke oil. It was a greenish blue color and smelled like 2 stroke oil. The oil and filter looked new and it didn't seem to have been run through the engine. So my questions- how can I tell if the carburetors have been jetted or upgraded? I think they have been worked on because the diaphragm slide appears to have been drilled, the throttle needle doesn't appear to be stock and the pilot jet is a 40. I can't recall the size of the main jet. Also what else should I replace or service to prolong the life of the engine? What should I replace or service on the rest of the bike considering it has 25,000 miles?

I've got it running and I've rode it around the neighborhood. I'm surprised how well it runs considering it still needs the carbs rebuilt. I was able to adjust the idle to 1400 and it sounds very smooth. I've heard a Ninja idle before and I seem to remember a lot of valve train noise. Do these engines usually run so quiet with a lot of miles on them? Should I check the valve clearance anyways even though it runs good and doesn't make a bunch of valve noise? Do you think the 2 stroke oil could have done any damage to the clutch or other engine components. Should I change the oil and filter again to dilute the residual 2 stroke oil? Thank you in advance for any help or advice you can give me.

[DannoXYZ]

pilot should be 38 and main 105.

It should have at least 2 valve-adjustments with that mileage. Assume it hasn’t been done, so do valve-adjustment right away. Use a TORQUE WRENCH to tighten rocker-arm locknut. Many people have broken rocker arms by not using torque-wrench.

If you really let oil drain , it should be OK to use after putting back in full-synthetic oil. Change filter just to be sure.

[Dieseldog]

I'm going to go through the carbs again and double check everything. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Dieseldog]

Carbs cleaned and bench adjusted. My Ninja is now the bike I thought it was!! When I first got it and cleaned the carbs (before I rebuilt them) the bike didn't seem to powerful. I figured it was because it's a 250cc. Well now it runs awesome!! Next I'm adjusting the valves and syncing the carbs. Then I'll adjust the carbs. The fairings have been fiberglassed and sanded. Now I have to prime them with adhesion promoter. I'm going to use the Paint Shop system of lacquer paint

[DannoXYZ]

Awesome job!!!

[Dieseldog]

DannoXYZ thank you very much! I can't wait till I'm done painting it. I'm really excited because there are no pre gens that are these colors!! I'll post pictures as soon as I get her done!

[DannoXYZ]

Might I suggest polyurethane paint rather than lacquer? Lacquer doesn't cure with cross-linked bonds so it's not as tough. And it's harder and more crack & chip prone.

[Dieseldog]

I took into consideration the different qualities of the paints available to me and the lacquer paint appealed to me due to the fact that it can be recoated anytime. So if I take a few days wet sanding it won't be an issue with it not adhering to the previous coat. I also figured if I get chips I can just sand and recoat the chipped areas. Cause it will still adhere to the previous coats. Another reason I liked the lacquer paint is it's not expensive and if you use the primer, color and clear from the same manufacturer it claims to be scratch and chip resistant. I'm also priming the plastics with an adhesion promoter before using the lacquer. And the bare metal is being primed with etching primer before the lacquer paint. I think I'm approaching this as best as possible for the best outcome. I haven't seen a pre-gen painted these colors before so it's going to look very unique. When it's done I'll post pictures. Then you can see the colors I picked.

[BuffBills]

Originally Posted by DannoXYZ

pilot should be 38 and main 105.

It should have at least 2 valve-adjustments with that mileage. Assume it hasn’t been done, so do valve-adjustment right away. Use a TORQUE WRENCH to tighten rocker-arm locknut. Many people have broken rocker arms by not using torque-wrench.

If you really let oil drain , it should be OK to use after putting back in full-synthetic oil. Change filter just to be sure.

Ditto the valve clearance check. When I pulled the valve cover off my 99 with 8k miles saw some wear on a few rockers and cam that would have been prevented with a clearance check. I have a few good rocker arms if you need them.