Stumped and frustrated

[drowe531]

So as a few people know, my ninja 250 died almost 3 weekends ago. I had to wait until I went home to get tools but I finally got them. Well come to find out when I was trying to take the plastics off some of the screws are soo stripped that I can't remove them. Now i'm a numbers guy not a wrench type but was trying to learn. I bought one of the drill bits designed to remove stripped screws and even that won't work. The bike will only fire up with full choke and even so revs up to 4-5k rpm then dies shortly after. I was trying to get to see if I needed to clean the carbs but now don't know what to do since I can't get a few screws off the bike. Any suggestions?

[Devil1]

May have to drill out the old screws. Were you using and Eazy-out?

[akira700]

Anything holding plastic on should be low low torque.
Where is your stripped screw?

about your fueling issue... the 250 is a carburator bike right?
Think it needs to be removed and cleaned. Clean your tank out while you are at it.

That's an intermediate wrencher's job not a novice job though, I'd say.
But if you have time and good manuals anything is possible!

["Dangerous" Dan K]

What is the head on the stripped screws? Exposed or recesseed? The stuff holding on bodywork should be low torque.

If it's a phillips head, you should be able to bang in the next sized screwdriver with a hammer, then push in as turning to get it out. Allen, you can try the US size just over if it's metric, or vice versa. If it's exposed you can hit it with a dremel, make a slot and remove it with a flathead, then just replace it.

Cleaning a carb is easy beans. I've never done it on a bike with multiple carbs though, synching them could be tricky. I did my first carb cleaning having never opened one up before. Downloaded the exploded diagram from the web, pulled the carb, and started taking it apart. Keep track of how many turns from all the way in each adjusting screw is. Clean each part well as you take it off, last thing you want is all that work to have some dirt from the outside make it's way into the carb as you reassembly. Should look brandy new when you're done. I'd also suggest working over a white towel so if any little parts surprise you and fall off when you don't expect it they're easy to find.

If it were me I'd pull them, clean them, put them back together, then call a buddy who knows his shit to help me reassembly.

Also, be sure to cover the intake to the motor when the carbs are off so crap can't get in there.

Disclaimer: I'm a hack DIY type dude, not a mechanic. Don't take any of this as gospel, it's just what works for me and what I'd do.

[DuncanMoto]

It's definitely in your carbs.
The screws are probably corroded on the inside. Try to get some DB or other penetrating oil back there.

Carbs:
Float(s) stuck open or closed, Idle jet clogged, fuel filter clogged, water in line. It could be a number of things.

[The Crashing Tomato]

^^^^^^^

Nahhhh they are all wrong .... the bike is junk ...unfixable ... sell it to me and buy a fuel injected model and forget you ever heard the word carb and choke. "Oh and move out of your Mom's house. Get some damn contact lenses. And take her to the Philipines or where ever she wants to go and buy her some thai food"

sorry but this is like the 4th or 5th thread of this type on this bike in the last several months. plus the fact that i don't have a bike for the street promts me to want a bike I can 'fix-up' and commute with. the cops don't like my race bikes being run on the roadways.

[RandyO]

If it's a phillips head, you should be able to bang in the next sized screwdriver with a hammer, then push in as turning to get it out. Allen, you can try the US size just over if it's metric, or vice versa.do.

that's moronic , screwdrivers and allen wrenches are not intended to be hammered on

get the right size impact bit in a hand impact...... do it right

[keeena]

If you're stripping screws on the bodywork, I'd suggest that you post up looking for someone to help you w/ the carbs. You might find someone on this board. It will go much quicker and you'll learn a lot w/o as many headaches/frustrations.

["Dangerous" Dan K]

that's moronic , screwdrivers and allen wrenches are not intended to be hammered on

get the right size impact bit in a hand impact...... do it right

Assuming he has said tools. Sounds like he doesn't, from the tone of the post. A phillips bit one size over will usually set in with a couple light taps from a hammer, and it comes right out. Simple, easy, effective. I've had success with this countless times, never damaged anything. I'm pretty sure any old car/boat owner you talk to who works on their own shit will tell you they've used this trick, I learned it from a marine mechanic. But sure, it's moronic. :

Also, I never suggested hammering an allen.

["Dangerous" Dan K]

If you're stripping screws on the bodywork, I'd suggest that you post up looking for someone to help you w/ the carbs. You might find someone on this board. It will go much quicker and you'll learn a lot w/o as many headaches/frustrations.

I read it as the screws were already hopelessly stripped, something I've encountered on many a used bike. If the OP did in fact strip them himself, help on the carbs is certainly in order.

[The Crashing Tomato]

Hey those kawi's are notorious for sucky fit resulting in crossing and thus causing owners to strip out the heads. Kawi is Moronic.

Never had that problem in 21 years of various Honda itterations in my garage.

Two kawis in 5 years and 10 crossed and stripped screws .... FU Kawi

Other choice is to slightly tighten before you loosen any bolt. there is always room to tighten and break the 'lock' of the threads.

[rebelpacket]

Hand-held impact driver gets every "stuck" p-head screw out, without stripping or breaking. They are cheap (10-20$) and definitly worth-while if you have such a machine.

I used to do the half-assed trick with the oversized screwdriver. Then I learned about the magical world of metal-on-metal impact to loosen fasteners. Have not stripped a bolt since.

[gregp]

The "Hammer Method" or an Impact Screwdriver will be of very little use on fairing fasteners, unless you are planning to go for the "Street Fighter" look later.
If the phillips screws are stripped badly, you can often cut a groove in them with a Dremel cut off wheel, and use a large straight bladed screwdriver to get them out.
I have a Ninja 250 and I have had the fairings off and the carbs out. It is no big deal, but certainly not novice stuff either. The carbs are wedged in there fairly tightly, and the throttle cable holding tab is a bear to get at.
Go to Ninja250.org and there are step by step instructions to carb removal (and other things).

[The Crashing Tomato]

but mind the OP and self proclaimed NooB at doing this kind of stuff. dremmel and cut-off wheel might = loss of skin and or fingers, and most deffinately damadge to the bikes skins and still no loosened screw.

besides there is a whole other thread here on NESR about the carb issue he's got.

Telling ya OP that bike needs to go to to the scrap pile in my garage. and you need to get a F.I. bike

[drowe531]

Lol thanks Tomato for the advise. I've got in contact with a few guys here just haven't had our schedules work out yet. And yes as you can tell I am very mechanically dumb and this is my first bike, which is why I am seeking help

[obsolete]

Assuming he has said tools. Sounds like he doesn't, from the tone of the post. A phillips bit one size over will usually set in with a couple light taps from a hammer, and it comes right out. Simple, easy, effective. I've had success with this countless times, never damaged anything. I'm pretty sure any old car/boat owner you talk to who works on their own shit will tell you they've used this trick, I learned it from a marine mechanic. But sure, it's moronic. :

Also, I never suggested hammering an allen.

The shit I've seen done to tools would probably make Randy cry if that's how he feels. Then again I have a Jeep and hang out with drunk/crazy mechanics. :shrug:

["Dangerous" Dan K]

The shit I've seen done to tools would probably make Randy cry if that's how he feels. Then again I have a Jeep and hang out with drunk/crazy mechanics. :shrug:

And you get the job done, do you not?

[obsolete]

And you get the job done, do you not?

If by job you mean drunk and pissed off then HELL YEA!

["Dangerous" Dan K]

If by job you mean drunk and pissed off then HELL YEA!

You don't end up drunk, pissed off and with a fixed jeep? Worked fine last time I saw it

[obsolete]

Oh well yea, but that's the fun part. The drinking and swearing is the real work.

[richw]

A hand impact is like $8 you should own one

Also a real industrial hardware will have left handed drill bits

3/4 of the time when they bite in the screw powers right out.

If totally stripped then drill out bigger and head will fall off

remove panel

Use penis trading oil then grab exposed shank with real vise grips and wa la

[RandyO]

The shit I've seen done to tools would probably make Randy cry if that's how he feels. Then again I have a Jeep and hang out with drunk/crazy mechanics. :shrug:

I've dont that shit before and that whay I know for a fact it's moronic, it ruins tools and the fasteners, lot less expense replacing specialized fasteners and tools if you purshase the correct tool to begin with. it saves you from replacing ruined fasteners & tools

as someone posted, a hand impact is less than $20

and if used properly, your not going to damage yer plastic, many times you don't even have to use a hammer, the good clean sharp impact bit will turn the screw out without slipping like a regular screwdriver


ALSO ...japanese phillips head is different from american phillips... only so slightly... your better off using the reversible cheapo screwdriver that comes with your bike tool kit caus its japanese phillips

[obsolete]

So the correct tool to begin with always removes stuck bolts? Well call me Suzy cause I've had more than a few hundred that get stuck and need to be forced out.

Luckily I buy Craftsman so I can rape a tool and get a new one for free. Sometimes the right tool doesn't exist, sometimes it's not available. Ingenuity get's shit done.

["Dangerous" Dan K]

So the correct tool to begin with always removes stuck bolts? Well call me Suzy cause I've had more than a few hundred that get stuck and need to be forced out.

Luckily I buy Craftsman so I can rape a tool and get a new one for free. Sometimes the right tool doesn't exist, sometimes it's not available. Ingenuity get's shit done.

I couldn’t count the # of fasteners I’ve had stuck that wouldn’t come out with a hand impact. Work on 1970’s engines that have been in a salt water boat since then, raw (salt) water cooled. The kind of boat where some leakage is normal and there’s always a bit of salt water in the bilge. You’re going to need breaker bars, hammers, all sorts of tools that would likely make Randy cry. But hey, my family’s been getting it done as long as I’ve been alive, my dad’s been getting things done like that since he was a kid, etc. The list goes on.

Also, most phillips head screws I've had to get out by tapping a screwdriver into them were hardly "specialized", they can be replaced for a few cents at the hardware store. I don’t think my screwdrivers or hammers qualify as specialized tools either. I’m not following where a tap from a hammer to a screwdriver to set it into a stripped screw is going to destroy specialized tools or fasteners, since there are no specialized tools or fasteners involved.

Sure, it’s great to have the right tool for every job. Unless you’re short on cash. Or need it done NOW, with what you’ve got on hand. Or don’t have the space to store every tool known to man. Or, the “right tool for the job” just won’t get it done, and you need to get creative.

[Stoneman]

ALSO ...japanese phillips head is different from american phillips... only so slightly... your better off using the reversible cheapo screwdriver that comes with your bike tool kit caus its japanese phillips

I was just going to point that out...