Joe's pulling out all the golden era stuff. To me the mid 80's to the mid 90s was the best years for the most sketchiest funnest stuff. Awesome stuff since then obviously but it just seemed like they threw everything at the wall back then. Honda Odyssey is another one id like to see soon if possible.
The 70s was actually the golden age for bikes, quads, boats.., To me the Honda 305 was the best, most reliable bike ever made. I have two of them from the 70s, and both run like the day I bought them new for me and my now ex. Also got a 360 that's beat to hell, rode up and down the mountains and streams of NW Montana, looks like someone drove a tank over it, but it runs like a Cheetah😅😂
In my area, there are zero deals to be found. A seller could have an ATV that looks like it barrel rolled down a mountain, and still want like full retail. You're very lucky with the deals you get.
i just bought a 91 xr 250 r at a garage sale for 150 bucks and it came with a bumper hitch bike rack. got it home all it needs is a new piston and bored due to sitting out in the weather with the carb off. seller told me it was going through oil faster than normal. about a quart every 4 hours. parts 300 bucks to repair it
You have to just show up with cash in hand and talk to the owner.. No one, nor will I, do any negotiating or haggling over the phone, text, or messenger.. I will come down or cut deals when someone shows up.. Its all about face to face talk.. if someone is asking $2500 you can't say will you take $1800, cuz it might already be a screaming deal, or a hunk of shit.. pictures do nothing, just go and talk.. there are deals in every town in the USA..
I bought a brand new 1987 Honda XL259R when I was in high school. You can use the turn signals from the 650XL to replace the rear pair. You can also use the headlight housing from the 650XL and the H4 headlight plug from an older Rebel 250, it has the pig tail with the bullet connectors that will plug into the XL250 wire harness and you will now have a replaceable headlight bulb or convert to a LED headlight bulb.
You found the thrust bearings... That is the side play of the rod. Oil starvation due to oil foaming which happens with low oil level and pulling air through the pump. Turn the cylinder head cumbustion chamber up on the bench, fill it with solvent for a valve leak down test.
No need to do any of that with the cyl head. . . Joe said it was ‘perfect’ so it must be, just like the oil pump that he never cleaned or measured tolerances on. How bout all those case bearings? Nah, they’re all good to go oh except for that counter balance shaft bearing.. ‘toast’. Thing is with Joe Dirt.. he doesn’t clean anything or measure tolerances, he’s a self taught mechanic, wouldn’t last 5 minutes in a bike shop among trained automotive engineers. I guess it’s just a hobby for him.
@@munter10open your eyes. There is so much more than just mechanics going on here. He has Vinny the dog. He can also kick start a bike like a mule. Guess you don't watch many of these.
@@munter10 So what would be the point of that since this bike only has 9838 miles on the counter? Would it be metal flakes or the over heating damaging those bearings?
You are the eternal optimist.. Your patience is also amazing. Unfortunately, I can lose my mind and scream and holler for a minute. Then feel dumb for acting like a total goof, only to do it again about 30 minutes later.
It's nice to see Joe catching the old four-stroke bug. These bikes were built before planned obsolescence was invented, and it shows. My main form of transportation before I got my bike license was my '83 XR200R and it was an absolute tank. Nothing stopped that thing.
Honda built a great company on the backs of those bikes. The founder is long gone but he insisted on long range planning and not pushing the engineers until they had confidence in the design.
Sucking in air won't blow up the bottom of the crank. It will cause a lean condition in the combustion chamber, but that crank failed due to overheating and/or lack of oil. Bottom end doesn't care if its lean or rich. Only matters in the combustion chamber where the flame is.
Exactly my thoughts also. This only shows that wacky thought process of a self taught mechanic like Joe. If only he’d listen to the suggestions coming from his viewers that KNOW and gave worked in the automotive trade! The crank thrusts and rod bearing obviously failed to lack of oil lubrication and excess heat due to lack of lubrication. The piston looked to be in reasonable condition, not overheated which would cause damage to cylinder liner.
You are kinda wrong and kinda right. If it runs too lean and hard the bottom bearing holding the position obviously will get affected, also you dont take into consideration the heat transfer on this bike, this bike is aircooled. If the engine starts heating up, heat starts wandering around and spread. Also the cracked intake could have taken in water which cant be compressed, causing MASSIVE force on, you guessed it, the rod bearing.
@@800_k_7 Joe is no master mechanic and he is learning as he goes, but as evidenced in his videos, many of his methods leave something to be desired and his explanation of things is sometimes wholly incorrect. He is interesting to watch and very personable though and is getting there.
Always great content Joe! The know it alls in the comments can say whatever they want about you not doing things the right way or using the right tools, but I’m 41 years old and have been fixing motors and machines my whole life and I still learn things from watching you 👍
You are learning BECAUSE you are at an entry level a little lower than Joe is on the knowledge/experience scale. I’m 66, worked in automotive workshops for 48 years and I shudder when I watch Joe at work… I really enjoy the comments section here though!
@@munter10 oh good I love the snarky old know it all assholes! I was a mechanic for case ih for 7 years, now a metal fabricator. Why would you even stoop to watching Joes videos then if him and everyone else are so far beneath you?
I bought one of these the year they came out. Very nice multipurpose bike. I drag raced my brothers 750 Honda Shadow and won every time. We raced on private property and there was only room to get up to about 65. I remember when I first got it and went wide open with it after break in. I hit 2nd and it hit the power band at the same time I was crossing a small hump in the road. The front wheel shot skyward and I had to nail the rear brake to keep from going over. I had a 750 Yamaha before this and dismissed this small 250 as a toy. It was not a toy at all. I learned real fast to respect it and had a lot of fun riding both on and off road after that.
I wish we had RUclips when I was a kid. Your videos would have come in handy because my knowledge of engines wasn't the best. I did have a next-door neighbor who worked on everything from bikes to tractors, and I learned a bit from him while growing up. However, he left for the Army when I was 12 years old and never really returned, except for holidays. When he did come back, he didn't really want to work on stuff as it was his downtime. He was a diesel mechanic in Puckapunyal, Victoria, Australia. Armed Division.(TANKS) It's good to see young fellas getting their hands dirty.
I was about to say the the same thing, intake manifold boot, plus a compete gasket set with all the seal, and those two case bearings that are locked up and trashed, , New plug and I would also hand lap the value and replace the valve stem seals, timings chain, guide and tenioner. I know it will be a bit more money, but hey the way I look at it, is if it is worth doing, then it is worth doing right! Good Video Joe.
Joe will do it his self taught way… he doesn’t seem to take on board any suggestions from guys here that know the right way of repairing and rebuilding engines. Shame 😢
@@munter10if you have a problem with the content, just don't watch it, or don't comment. Haven't you ever heard the phrase, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"?
Im very surprised that the cam and rockers were in such good condition.. Theyre usually the first to go with a low oil condition as its the furthest away from the oil pump. Keep the vintage hondas coming!
Beautiful bike, minimal work on aesthetics. Had one a while back.. fun little go to town beater bike. Not built to race but was fun to put around in town on. Good luck, great find! Enjoy.
Joe it's looking like it might be time to start selling some of those fixed up bikes you have. There is a lot of them there in the background. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on fixing them all. You do a fantastic job presenting your skills.
Ol' Joe loves his dirtbikes. Good looking, but a little rough around the edges. Hasn't run in years vs ran when I put it away yesterday. Now let's tear it apart. Love the ENGINE OUT - ease of access, bending (I'm too old), scraped knuckles.
Got an 87 xr600 and it's the best bike I've ever owned.i love it.always starts and runs great .only thing I had to fix ever was the clutch cable mount.xrsonly makes a bolt on mount that's awesome.better than the factory mount.
@@Minimotoace As long as you use the right paint it doesn't hurt. The benefit is that the oil drains back to the bottom end quicker; less adhesion to the smooth paint compared to the rough casting. Painting the lifter valley on a V8 engine is an old engine builder trick. Helps keep a high volume oil pump from running dry.
With the number of engines I have remanufactured, I can tell you that many were painted on the interior for drainage as well as corrosion prevention. That two mile drive you do to teh corner 7-11 for beer does the majority of damage. Why? Because the engine never reaches operating temperature long enough to eliminate condensation and fuel residue. The majority of blowby happens at less than operating temperature. Nothing insane about ensuring drainage to the sump as well as corrosion prevention, only common sense!
Hope you can find those intake boots that bolt to the head. Good find even though it's blown up! Will look forward to the reassembly video, thanks Joe!
While you are waiting for the engine parts, you should detail the rolling chassis and deep clean the engine cases so that when you put it all back together it looks like new.
Great start to a Saturday morning! Awesome video once again. I've been working on restoring my 1973 Suzuki tc100, just got my high/low selector for the transmission working smoothly. Was able to find a NOS head, cylinder and piston on eBay and got it running like a Singer sewing machine. Love your videos
You're right about it obviously being run lean and that contributed to the situation, but I think the end game is that it ran low on oil; these things were great, but they did tend to use some oil; the 400 even had an oil cooler to try and help the situation. It was running really hot due the lean condition, thinned the oil, burned even more oil and ran low on pressure to the bearings and there you go.
I admire your perseverance and I get the feeling that you really want to see these old bikes running again and not just for the money. Keep going mate.
Imma start off by saying this was a bulletproof bike in my opinion, had one for a bit n never left me out on the trail n Cuzin had the 86 600R n it was a torque monster that would always start n run!!!
Awesome video - glad to see some older Honda XLs :-) That's the sane issue my 87 XR600r (with a XL600r) motor had.... took it apart and have a new rod / oversized piston for it but waiting on the $$ to get it bored and crank rebuilt :-) They do run forever if you take care of them... When you first pulled those pieces out, I was like those look like a rod bearing spacer / washer! - yup they were. If you find a good source for parts , please post... I have had some issues getting parts for mine.
@@tuberNunya Considered that, but I gotta have a press to press it apart and then back together and realigning / balancing it sounds like a pain. I also have a local shop that is very good and reasonable here in the Memphis area.
You are kinda wrong and kinda right. If it runs too lean and hard the bottom bearing holding the position obviously will get affected, you dont take into consideration the heat transfer on this bike, this bike is aircooled. If the engine starts heating up, heat starts wandering around and spread. Also the cracked intake could have taken in water which cant be compressed, causing MASSIVE force on, you guessed it, the rod bearing.
I bought a 85 XL600 new and they had a recall on those intake manifolds due to them cracking and causing a lean mixture. I went to my dealer and they gave me a new manifold and I put it on myself so I completely understand how much of a pain in the arss it is to get those carbs off and back on.
I can't believe you reuse the crank bearings and other assorted transmission and case bearings with all of the loose "chunks and flakes" floating around. The bearings will "look and feel good" until a chunk you missed locks it all up again or tears something else up.
I had that exact bike when I was 13. It was an 87. It was way too tall for me and I almost broke my ankle several times trying to start it, but it was an absolute beast and I've regretted selling it ever since. Would love to find another one in his shape. So many good times were had on that bike!
Really enjoyed this one, was able to roughly work it out, as you diagnoised it. it looks like i've been learning from your video that i've been watching. Be great to see a second part of this video, putting it back to getting and see it working again. Be interesting how much in total it cost you and see how much you sell it for at the end. many thanks for your videos.
Them older xr bikes from the 200 an up are reall great on off rode bikes . And from the 400 cc and up is where they start making sum great power to have fun with an reliable
That's a sick ass bike bro, I just wanted to throw this out there that my son bought your kawasaki 100 2 stroke years back! 😂 it's the bike with the 2vintage sticker kit that's says she's a fast lil girl lol Needless to say we rebuilt the bile from the frame up, nothing was left untouched, powdercoated the frame n all, new crank, rod, piston, force 3reeds pipe silencer n much much more
I had one just like it back in the day. It was my 4th bike I owned. Mine was a used Canada Safety Council course bike. Les than 200 km on the odo. Still felt very new when I brought it home. Had just a tiny scuff on the front fender. Loved that bike. Then I ruined it riding on the salty roads all winter as it was that or walking every where. Young and dumb...... Then I got a Honda Reflex. Also a used safety course bike.
Good deal with negotiation. The clean gas tank was the best part of this deal and being so clean even has tailight and turning signal's still. Joe, u need to figure how to put connecting rod and balance them your very capable. It's not to hard to do, heck I can do it lol . Bike need's new fork boot's to make it look real nice.
Will watch to see how you do with this later. BUT a street legal dirt bike is not something you see every day. Being a Honda and street legal is a very good reason to put lots of effort in it for it to work and pass safety
Don't forget to clean out the oil pump sump area! I did a full rebuild. New crank pistons rings blah blah blah and left some metal shavings in the oil pump. Sump and blew up the engine very quickly. Also, the master link is installed backwards..
I’ve discovered you about 2 months ago when I was researching top end rebuild for a Honda Rancher 350. Been watching you ever since, even been going to your old videos from thru the years. I do have to say with video in particular would stressed me out breaking the block all the way down lol. I honestly wouldn’t be able to put it all back together like a jig saw puzzle. I’d be lost as balls in high weeds 😂
Oh no... although I am overjoyed to see another fresh upload, this means no Sunday morning joe ☕️ with Joe!!! 😱 😬 Maybe I will save this for tomorrow morning so it doesn't mess up my schedule 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
The RFVC engine was known to run extremely hot. The later years they moved to a dry sump and put the oil in the frame to help cool. It was better but they still run hot. Judging by the oil I would say the failure was a loss of viscosity due to heat and that intake leak was not helping either since a lean condition will further add to the overheating. I think your cam bearings were in backwards. Pretty sure the shielded side should be facing out.
The seller must be like me. He probably more than got his money's worth years ago and just wanted it gone. On the other extreme there are very greedy people out there who want more than they probably paid for it years ago!
@user-pz1qs7ex9q Yup... it's definitely a $400 bike due to engine needing rebuilt but still clean and a nice candidate for pumping a few bucks back into it. This would have been a dream bike for me when it came out in 80's. I had a brand new 82 xl185 when I was 12 and a few years later a bike like this would have been a killer upgrade. That red, white and blue color scheme was incredible!!!
Thank you for posting so much content, I know it’s not easy to do with a family! Love the videos, watch these with my kids before they go to bed hahaha. Keep rebuilding !
Now that is a smoking deal for sure, in Arizona that bike would be at least $1800 as is. Fully repaired and cleaned, it would be worth at least $2500 obo. I personally would love to have that bike, it's a perfect trail bike for us older riders and grandchildren. I think you were 100% correct in your diagnosis of what happens in a lean burning engine, it could have been so much worse. I'm looking forward to seeing the final repair of this beauty. God Bless from AZ.
@zrkn1 , do you think that a lean condition in the combustion chamber would cause the rod bearing to fail due to overheating without any damage to the piston or head? Check out diagnosis by @Sunspot-19 (low oil, air through oil pump, foaming, overheated low end bearing) .
I really enjoy your site. Keep the videos coming. I’m not sure you get these messages but I’m looking for one episode where you took the head off a bike and the piston was completely gone. Do you remember that one and could you send me the link? I thought that was hilarious, thanks again. You’re doing a great job.
Are we going to have to et a petition started to get a Vinnie appearance in every video lol another great buy with hopefully an awesome outcome when the parts come in keep up the great videos Joe
I’m guessing that Rod bearing got starved of oil and heated up. Don’t think the piston and cylinder would have survived that well in your scenario….inlet rubbers can be badly cracked but ok until you pull them off and they let go..!!…..I do love the suspense of these tear downs ….💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
Pretty good indication when you see brass looking material it's normally always the lower connecting rod thrust washers Them lil 250s worked there asses off on the roads doing 55 or 60.
You really got blessed with that vehicle that is a good unit I've got a 600 xl and they are so nice I pulled all the electric stuff off of it and made it into like a motocross bike you would not believe how much lighter those things are with that stuff taken off not street legal anymore though I'm gonna put all the original stuff back on someday and probably start driving it it was so much fun
I have one of these, CA model, Carbs are a pain in the ass. CA models had some extra pollution control stuff too. Fun bike when running right. Word of advice drain the float bowls unless you are riding it often. Pilot and Idle jet super tiny and plug easily, Progressive linkage dual carb is an interesting idea and can work well, The oval dual port flange makes it difficult to switch to something more user friendly like a Mikuni.
Always amazed and delighted with the way you handle the strip down of whatever engine you are working on. My fears are gearbox, LSD's and wheel alignment, although the alignment wouldn't be stressful, the rest are though for me. No chance of being involved any more at my age though, which is why it is such a pleasure to watch you. Any chance of an update on the "Land" or farm as I call it. You had sweet corn, pomegranites, apple tress and threatened us with potatoes although I think you might have changed your mind on that one. Fresh new potatoes from the ground are mannah from heaven for me :) MORE PLEASE :)
Joe, love the content, regular spark plug sockets are too thick, you'll need to use either the plug socket from the HONDA tool kit, or like a TUSK plug socket, Rich in Sacramento
Gosh, this takes me back to 2005. I had an 87 that I bought used for $800. Then it dropped a valve and destroyed the head, piston and cylinder. When I tore it down, every bolt was stripped out. That bike was a nightmare. I walked into my local dealership and bought a brand new CRF.
Hi, I am so impressed with your knowledge and skills, also it looks like you have the perfect house with the right kind of land to play on, I'm wondering what you do for a living in no working on bikes, and what state are you in? If a guy needs help with their bike. Rock on, I was on of your early people to watch your videos. Oh, do you sell some of the bikes you fix? Thank you, Andrew Shutty..
Joe's pulling out all the golden era stuff. To me the mid 80's to the mid 90s was the best years for the most sketchiest funnest stuff. Awesome stuff since then obviously but it just seemed like they threw everything at the wall back then. Honda Odyssey is another one id like to see soon if possible.
Joes had an odyssey on the channel once
The 70s was actually the golden age for bikes, quads, boats..,
To me the Honda 305 was the best, most reliable bike ever made.
I have two of them from the 70s, and both run like the day I bought them new for me and my now ex.
Also got a 360 that's beat to hell, rode up and down the mountains and streams of NW Montana, looks like someone drove a tank over it, but it runs like a Cheetah😅😂
@@Harry-gf7ox he still has it!
😊😊
Agreed 👍
i also have been subscribed for 7 years. i was in the hospital last year and watching your channel helped me get through it.
In my area, there are zero deals to be found. A seller could have an ATV that looks like it barrel rolled down a mountain, and still want like full retail. You're very lucky with the deals you get.
Sign up and go to copart, they mainly do cars/trucks but have a good bike/ATV Area.
i just bought a 91 xr 250 r at a garage sale for 150 bucks and it came with a bumper hitch bike rack. got it home all it needs is a new piston and bored due to sitting out in the weather with the carb off. seller told me it was going through oil faster than normal. about a quart every 4 hours. parts 300 bucks to repair it
Same here that bike would have been 1500 in my nape of the neck.
You have to just show up with cash in hand and talk to the owner.. No one, nor will I, do any negotiating or haggling over the phone, text, or messenger.. I will come down or cut deals when someone shows up.. Its all about face to face talk.. if someone is asking $2500 you can't say will you take $1800, cuz it might already be a screaming deal, or a hunk of shit.. pictures do nothing, just go and talk.. there are deals in every town in the USA..
Haggling is an art
I bought a brand new 1987 Honda XL259R when I was in high school. You can use the turn signals from the 650XL to replace the rear pair. You can also use the headlight housing from the 650XL and the H4 headlight plug from an older Rebel 250, it has the pig tail with the bullet connectors that will plug into the XL250 wire harness and you will now have a replaceable headlight bulb or convert to a LED headlight bulb.
You found the thrust bearings... That is the side play of the rod. Oil starvation due to oil foaming which happens with low oil level and pulling air through the pump.
Turn the cylinder head cumbustion chamber up on the bench, fill it with solvent for a valve leak down test.
Joe don’t listen
No need to do any of that with the cyl head. . . Joe said it was ‘perfect’ so it must be, just like the oil pump that he never cleaned or measured tolerances on.
How bout all those case bearings? Nah, they’re all good to go oh except for that counter balance shaft bearing.. ‘toast’.
Thing is with Joe Dirt.. he doesn’t clean anything or measure tolerances, he’s a self taught mechanic, wouldn’t last 5 minutes in a bike shop among trained automotive engineers.
I guess it’s just a hobby for him.
@@munter10 I understand your point but he is working on a 400$ bike and this video is not a tutorial on how to do things perfectly.
@@munter10open your eyes. There is so much more than just mechanics going on here. He has Vinny the dog. He can also kick start a bike like a mule. Guess you don't watch many of these.
@@munter10 So what would be the point of that since this bike only has 9838 miles on the counter? Would it be metal flakes or the over heating damaging those bearings?
You are the eternal optimist.. Your patience is also amazing. Unfortunately, I can lose my mind and scream and holler for a minute. Then feel dumb for acting like a total goof, only to do it again about 30 minutes later.
Join the rest of us humans 😅
It's nice to see Joe catching the old four-stroke bug. These bikes were built before planned obsolescence was invented, and it shows. My main form of transportation before I got my bike license was my '83 XR200R and it was an absolute tank. Nothing stopped that thing.
Honda built a great company on the backs of those bikes. The founder is long gone but he insisted on long range planning and not pushing the engineers until they had confidence in the design.
I agree with you, that red white and blue is one of the best color combinations that Honda made, great video, can’t wait for part two
Joe..."I hope we get lucky on this one.... 30 minutes later splits the case" I love it, keep up the amazing work!
34:20 the 'snap' sound of bolts when breaking loose, like a good old childhood memory
Sucking in air won't blow up the bottom of the crank. It will cause a lean condition in the combustion chamber, but that crank failed due to overheating and/or lack of oil. Bottom end doesn't care if its lean or rich. Only matters in the combustion chamber where the flame is.
Exactly my thoughts also.
This only shows that wacky thought process of a self taught mechanic like Joe.
If only he’d listen to the suggestions coming from his viewers that KNOW and gave worked in the automotive trade!
The crank thrusts and rod bearing obviously failed to lack of oil lubrication and excess heat due to lack of lubrication.
The piston looked to be in reasonable condition, not overheated which would cause damage to cylinder liner.
@@munter10 That's some pretty desperate attention seeking you've got going on there.
You are kinda wrong and kinda right.
If it runs too lean and hard the bottom bearing holding the position obviously will get affected, also you dont take into consideration the heat transfer on this bike, this bike is aircooled. If the engine starts heating up, heat starts wandering around and spread.
Also the cracked intake could have taken in water which cant be compressed, causing MASSIVE force on, you guessed it, the rod bearing.
I must say that Joe is a master mechanic, but you seem to have plenty of experience. Thank!
@@800_k_7 Joe is no master mechanic and he is learning as he goes, but as evidenced in his videos, many of his methods leave something to be desired and his explanation of things is sometimes wholly incorrect. He is interesting to watch and very personable though and is getting there.
Always great content Joe! The know it alls in the comments can say whatever they want about you not doing things the right way or using the right tools, but I’m 41 years old and have been fixing motors and machines my whole life and I still learn things from watching you 👍
You are learning BECAUSE you are at an entry level a little lower than Joe is on the knowledge/experience scale.
I’m 66, worked in automotive workshops for 48 years and I shudder when I watch Joe at work… I really enjoy the comments section here though!
@@munter10 oh good I love the snarky old know it all assholes! I was a mechanic for case ih for 7 years, now a metal fabricator. Why would you even stoop to watching Joes videos then if him and everyone else are so far beneath you?
@@munter10 oh we delete comments we don’t like too huh?
@minnesotatomcat yeah he's a snowflake millennial who can handlwnn̈❤
I bought one of these the year they came out. Very nice multipurpose bike. I drag raced my brothers 750 Honda Shadow and won every time. We raced on private property and there was only room to get up to about 65. I remember when I first got it and went wide open with it after break in. I hit 2nd and it hit the power band at the same time I was crossing a small hump in the road. The front wheel shot skyward and I had to nail the rear brake to keep from going over. I had a 750 Yamaha before this and dismissed this small 250 as a toy. It was not a toy at all. I learned real fast to respect it and had a lot of fun riding both on and off road after that.
I am literally CRAZY about bikes with red painted engines .... what a beauty 😍 !
yes, all that red is, wonderful.
I wish we had RUclips when I was a kid. Your videos would have come in handy because my knowledge of engines wasn't the best. I did have a next-door neighbor who worked on everything from bikes to tractors, and I learned a bit from him while growing up. However, he left for the Army when I was 12 years old and never really returned, except for holidays. When he did come back, he didn't really want to work on stuff as it was his downtime. He was a diesel mechanic in Puckapunyal, Victoria, Australia. Armed Division.(TANKS) It's good to see young fellas getting their hands dirty.
Don’t forget to order the intake manifold too . 😮
I was about to say the the same thing, intake manifold boot, plus a compete gasket set with all the seal, and those two case bearings that are locked up and trashed, , New plug and I would also hand lap the value and replace the valve stem seals, timings chain, guide and tenioner. I know it will be a bit more money, but hey the way I look at it, is if it is worth doing, then it is worth doing right! Good Video Joe.
Gunna say the same thing too. Lol
Yep... do it right, or don't do it at all.. seals, bearings and everything... 100% agree... then that beautiful bike will have a long life
Joe will do it his self taught way… he doesn’t seem to take on board any suggestions from guys here that know the right way of repairing and rebuilding engines.
Shame 😢
@@munter10if you have a problem with the content, just don't watch it, or don't comment. Haven't you ever heard the phrase, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"?
Im very surprised that the cam and rockers were in such good condition.. Theyre usually the first to go with a low oil condition as its the furthest away from the oil pump. Keep the vintage hondas coming!
Beautiful bike, minimal work on aesthetics. Had one a while back.. fun little go to town beater bike. Not built to race but was fun to put around in town on. Good luck, great find! Enjoy.
Same exact bike as my first dual sport. I would had bought it too! Even though I have a brand new 300, I miss this one so much.
Toss those case screws and replace with bolts, make life easier. Great vid!!!!
Ah man, you did it again! Your tore it down and found the issue but we want to see it put together and running right.
I have the same Honda Xl 250 but from 1984.My dad bought it 12 years ago and I still ride it they're very good bikes!😄🙂
Its amazing to see the difference in how ppl take care of things. Old bike looks great. New bike destroyed.
I’ve seen these go for around 1500 to about 5000 depending on the shape. Thanks for the post always checking for the next video to come out can’t wait
Joe it's looking like it might be time to start selling some of those fixed up bikes you have. There is a lot of them there in the background. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on fixing them all. You do a fantastic job presenting your skills.
Ol' Joe loves his dirtbikes. Good looking, but a little rough around the edges. Hasn't run in years vs ran when I put it away yesterday. Now let's tear it apart. Love the ENGINE OUT - ease of access, bending (I'm too old), scraped knuckles.
Got an 87 xr600 and it's the best bike I've ever owned.i love it.always starts and runs great .only thing I had to fix ever was the clutch cable mount.xrsonly makes a bolt on mount that's awesome.better than the factory mount.
Crank, rod, bearing kit, that was running extra hot. Crazy!!!
The blueing comes from the crank assembly process in the factory.
Never built one of these red engines. Amazed Honda painted the inside of these engines. That's insane.
You know I was pretty interested as well, did they try to do it for a benefit? I feel like it can just cause more problems down the line
@@Minimotoace As long as you use the right paint it doesn't hurt. The benefit is that the oil drains back to the bottom end quicker; less adhesion to the smooth paint compared to the rough casting. Painting the lifter valley on a V8 engine is an old engine builder trick. Helps keep a high volume oil pump from running dry.
@@Minimotoace It might have been cheaper/easier to paint the entire thing then machine the mating surfaces smooth after the fact
With the number of engines I have remanufactured, I can tell you that many were painted on the interior for drainage as well as corrosion prevention. That two mile drive you do to teh corner 7-11 for beer does the majority of damage. Why? Because the engine never reaches operating temperature long enough to eliminate condensation and fuel residue. The majority of blowby happens at less than operating temperature. Nothing insane about ensuring drainage to the sump as well as corrosion prevention, only common sense!
The legendary Little Red Rocket sold on reputation, you can't buy marketing like that.
One of my favorite people to watch while working brother, actually learn something every time 💪
I hope you learn not to use old bearings like he does.
I had that same model bike from 1989-1990. It was sweet and easy to lay down.
Hope you can find those intake boots that bolt to the head. Good find even though it's blown up! Will look forward to the reassembly video, thanks Joe!
While you are waiting for the engine parts, you should detail the rolling chassis and deep clean the engine cases so that when you put it all back together it looks like new.
Great start to a Saturday morning! Awesome video once again. I've been working on restoring my 1973 Suzuki tc100, just got my high/low selector for the transmission working smoothly. Was able to find a NOS head, cylinder and piston on eBay and got it running like a Singer sewing machine. Love your videos
2V, the price was right and you will end up with a clean and solid unit far below market! Congrats!
The price was fantastic. There is no way you can lose money on that bike. Thanks for sharing.
I had the same bike.used it everyday.put a cobra exhaust on it,sounded great. Good luck.
You're right about it obviously being run lean and that contributed to the situation, but I think the end game is that it ran low on oil; these things were great, but they did tend to use some oil; the 400 even had an oil cooler to try and help the situation. It was running really hot due the lean condition, thinned the oil, burned even more oil and ran low on pressure to the bearings and there you go.
I admire your perseverance and I get the feeling that you really want to see these old bikes running again and not just for the money. Keep going mate.
I was glad you tore it down to the bones. I always wanted to see one of these tore apart. Awesome video Awesome find!
I had that same bike. It was my first vehicle legal vehicle when I was 18. Lol… it’s a great bike I road it all year long and I live in CT.
Imma start off by saying this was a bulletproof bike in my opinion, had one for a bit n never left me out on the trail n Cuzin had the 86 600R n it was a torque monster that would always start n run!!!
Awesome video - glad to see some older Honda XLs :-) That's the sane issue my 87 XR600r (with a XL600r) motor had.... took it apart and have a new rod / oversized piston for it but waiting on the $$ to get it bored and crank rebuilt :-) They do run forever if you take care of them... When you first pulled those pieces out, I was like those look like a rod bearing spacer / washer! - yup they were. If you find a good source for parts , please post... I have had some issues getting parts for mine.
You can rebuild your own crank with some Emory paper and some patience.
@@tuberNunya Considered that, but I gotta have a press to press it apart and then back together and realigning / balancing it sounds like a pain. I also have a local shop that is very good and reasonable here in the Memphis area.
I own a 1984 xl 350 r for a few years and man what a bike it was wish I still has it
Love the old Honda's but they were horrible for timing chain and oil starvation. Good up the good work Joe.
What a beautiful machine.... Gosh I love these older Hondas.
Bought this same bike new in 1986 when I was in high school. Great bike, wish I still had it.
If the lean condition was the fatal problem, the top end would have suffered more; melted piston, etc.
You are kinda wrong and kinda right.
If it runs too lean and hard the bottom bearing holding the position obviously will get affected, you dont take into consideration the heat transfer on this bike, this bike is aircooled. If the engine starts heating up, heat starts wandering around and spread.
Also the cracked intake could have taken in water which cant be compressed, causing MASSIVE force on, you guessed it, the rod bearing.
I bought a 85 XL600 new and they had a recall on those intake manifolds due to them cracking and causing a lean mixture. I went to my dealer and they gave me a new manifold and I put it on myself so I completely understand how much of a pain in the arss it is to get those carbs off and back on.
I can't believe you reuse the crank bearings and other assorted transmission and case bearings with all of the loose "chunks and flakes" floating around. The bearings will "look and feel good" until a chunk you missed locks it all up again or tears something else up.
Nah… they’re all perfect.
Pfffft. 😮
For him everything "looks and feels good". Until it doesn't and then he acts surprised as if it wasn't supposed to happen.
One of my all time favorite bikes
I had that exact bike when I was 13. It was an 87. It was way too tall for me and I almost broke my ankle several times trying to start it, but it was an absolute beast and I've regretted selling it ever since. Would love to find another one in his shape. So many good times were had on that bike!
Really enjoyed this one, was able to roughly work it out, as you diagnoised it. it looks like i've been learning from your video that i've been watching. Be great to see a second part of this video, putting it back to getting and see it working again. Be interesting how much in total it cost you and see how much you sell it for at the end. many thanks for your videos.
The honda Build quality has always been, and above the competition great find Joe.
600R now 250R getting some vintage Honda's and worth their weight bud.👌
Can't wait for the rebuild video! Rebuilding an 84 XL250R myself.
I had the very same bike since new ,awesome machine ...a joy to operate almost drives itself :)
Joe I have this exact bike mine is a 86 I bought in 87 and I have kept her mint.❤
Ohhh my favorite color combo of all time, the 86-87 paint scheme!
Them older xr bikes from the 200 an up are reall great on off rode bikes . And from the 400 cc and up is where they start making sum great power to have fun with an reliable
If you're ordering a cam chain, check the tensioner and the guide rail(s). Usually the rails wear adding chain slack. Nice bike.
Yeah lookin forward to see ya ridin that Beauty around the Farm lot!
Joe I love watching these strip down diagnostic jobs, really helpful for the wannabe Machanic,s , nice one 👍👍
That's a sick ass bike bro, I just wanted to throw this out there that my son bought your kawasaki 100 2 stroke years back! 😂 it's the bike with the 2vintage sticker kit that's says she's a fast lil girl lol Needless to say we rebuilt the bile from the frame up, nothing was left untouched, powdercoated the frame n all, new crank, rod, piston, force 3reeds pipe silencer n much much more
I had one just like it back in the day. It was my 4th bike I owned. Mine was a used Canada Safety Council course bike. Les than 200 km on the odo. Still felt very new when I brought it home. Had just a tiny scuff on the front fender. Loved that bike. Then I ruined it riding on the salty roads all winter as it was that or walking every where. Young and dumb...... Then I got a Honda Reflex. Also a used safety course bike.
Man cant wait to see this 1 finished and up and running. Love the video's Joe keep em coming!💪
Intake boot needed too .Great stuff, Thanks
Good deal with negotiation. The clean gas tank was the best part of this deal and being so clean even has tailight and turning signal's still. Joe, u need to figure how to put connecting rod and balance them your very capable. It's not to hard to do, heck I can do it lol . Bike need's new fork boot's to make it look real nice.
Will watch to see how you do with this later. BUT a street legal dirt bike is not something you see every day. Being a Honda and street legal is a very good reason to put lots of effort in it for it to work and pass safety
Don't forget to clean out the oil pump sump area! I did a full rebuild. New crank pistons rings blah blah blah and left some metal shavings in the oil pump. Sump and blew up the engine very quickly. Also, the master link is installed backwards..
I’ve discovered you about 2 months ago when I was researching top end rebuild for a Honda Rancher 350. Been watching you ever since, even been going to your old videos from thru the years. I do have to say with video in particular would stressed me out breaking the block all the way down lol. I honestly wouldn’t be able to put it all back together like a jig saw puzzle. I’d be lost as balls in high weeds 😂
Might want to replace those intake boots too haha. Nice work!
Oh no... although I am overjoyed to see another fresh upload, this means no Sunday morning joe ☕️ with Joe!!! 😱 😬 Maybe I will save this for tomorrow morning so it doesn't mess up my schedule 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
The RFVC engine was known to run extremely hot. The later years they moved to a dry sump and put the oil in the frame to help cool. It was better but they still run hot. Judging by the oil I would say the failure was a loss of viscosity due to heat and that intake leak was not helping either since a lean condition will further add to the overheating. I think your cam bearings were in backwards. Pretty sure the shielded side should be facing out.
I’m so amazed at how well you know motors , love watching the videos
Cmon Joe!!! This could be your best find yet. $400.....you kidding me? NICE!!!!
The seller must be like me. He probably more than got his money's worth years ago and just wanted it gone. On the other extreme there are very greedy people out there who want more than they probably paid for it years ago!
@user-pz1qs7ex9q Yup... it's definitely a $400 bike due to engine needing rebuilt but still clean and a nice candidate for pumping a few bucks back into it. This would have been a dream bike for me when it came out in 80's. I had a brand new 82 xl185 when I was 12 and a few years later a bike like this would have been a killer upgrade. That red, white and blue color scheme was incredible!!!
Love your vids , great time to relax have a beer and watch takes me back to doing this with my dad and uncle growing up, keep it up!
Don’t forget the plastic intake lol. Great video my friend.
Thank you for posting so much content, I know it’s not easy to do with a family! Love the videos, watch these with my kids before they go to bed hahaha. Keep rebuilding !
Now that is a smoking deal for sure, in Arizona that bike would be at least $1800 as is. Fully repaired and cleaned, it would be worth at least $2500 obo. I personally would love to have that bike, it's a perfect trail bike for us older riders and grandchildren. I think you were 100% correct in your diagnosis of what happens in a lean burning engine, it could have been so much worse. I'm looking forward to seeing the final repair of this beauty. God Bless from AZ.
@zrkn1 , do you think that a lean condition in the combustion chamber would cause the rod bearing to fail due to overheating without any damage to the piston or head? Check out diagnosis by @Sunspot-19 (low oil, air through oil pump, foaming, overheated low end bearing) .
I really enjoy your site. Keep the videos coming. I’m not sure you get these messages but I’m looking for one episode where you took the head off a bike and the piston was completely gone. Do you remember that one and could you send me the link? I thought that was hilarious, thanks again. You’re doing a great job.
Are we going to have to et a petition started to get a Vinnie appearance in every video lol another great buy with hopefully an awesome outcome when the parts come in keep up the great videos Joe
I’m guessing that Rod bearing got starved of oil and heated up. Don’t think the piston and cylinder would have survived that well in your scenario….inlet rubbers can be badly cracked but ok until you pull them off and they let go..!!…..I do love the suspense of these tear downs ….💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
Pretty good indication when you see brass looking material it's normally always the lower connecting rod thrust washers Them lil 250s worked there asses off on the roads doing 55 or 60.
You really got blessed with that vehicle that is a good unit I've got a 600 xl and they are so nice I pulled all the electric stuff off of it and made it into like a motocross bike you would not believe how much lighter those things are with that stuff taken off not street legal anymore though I'm gonna put all the original stuff back on someday and probably start driving it it was so much fun
400$?????? its a gift lollll miss those beast. remember my old XT 250 and this one was very the best bike ever made.never broke. good shot 🙂
I have one of these, CA model, Carbs are a pain in the ass. CA models had some extra pollution control stuff too. Fun bike when running right. Word of advice drain the float bowls unless you are riding it often. Pilot and Idle jet super tiny and plug easily, Progressive linkage dual carb is an interesting idea and can work well, The oval dual port flange makes it difficult to switch to something more user friendly like a Mikuni.
Really like your videos! Hoping you post some reassembly videos soon. Want to see some of these tear-downs running again!!
Always amazed and delighted with the way you handle the strip down of whatever engine you are working on. My fears are gearbox, LSD's and wheel alignment, although the alignment wouldn't be stressful, the rest are though for me. No chance of being involved any more at my age though, which is why it is such a pleasure to watch you. Any chance of an update on the "Land" or farm as I call it. You had sweet corn, pomegranites, apple tress and threatened us with potatoes although I think you might have changed your mind on that one. Fresh new potatoes from the ground are mannah from heaven for me :) MORE PLEASE :)
The plain Ol Orange XR 250R was the bike in those days. My neighbor had one, but it was hard as heck to get started.
Wow you’re going to have to clean out all those roller bearings really well before you reassemble that , that’s a huge job in itself. Good luck
I had one just like it,great bike,with mods,pipe and stuff best trail bike bike then paid1600.00out the door with helmet.
Joe, love the content, regular spark plug sockets are too thick, you'll need to use either the plug socket from the HONDA tool kit, or like a TUSK plug socket, Rich in Sacramento
Another cool bike from 80s can't wait to see it running 👌
400 bucks that's a steal for that money .
Yep, but only if you know how to fix it!
now that you know whats wrong with it yeah.
400$... That level of deal is unheard of.
Down here in Florida that bike would cost you $3500 if you could get there in time
Your knowledge and confidence is amazing!
Gosh, this takes me back to 2005. I had an 87 that I bought used for $800. Then it dropped a valve and destroyed the head, piston and cylinder. When I tore it down, every bolt was stripped out. That bike was a nightmare. I walked into my local dealership and bought a brand new CRF.
Hi, I am so impressed with your knowledge and skills, also it looks like you have the perfect house with the right kind of land to play on, I'm wondering what you do for a living in no working on bikes, and what state are you in? If a guy needs help with their bike. Rock on, I was on of your early people to watch your videos. Oh, do you sell some of the bikes you fix?
Thank you, Andrew Shutty..
Great RUclips channel, i sit and watch this for hours, hello from Australia 🌏🦘🦘