need help with kawi el250

[alloffroad]

I have a 1991 kawasaki el250 that I can not get fired up. It sat about 10 months with fuel in the carbs so I disassembled them and cleaned them. The guy I bought it from had it for the past 3 years and this summer it would not fire up for him so he just parked it. I have fuel to the engine and spark to the plugs but it just won't fire. If any body knows this bike I need help on what to check next.
Thank you

 

[KRS]

Re: need help with kawi el250

I've never heard of an el250, what is it, any pics?

 

[dolluper]

Re: need help with kawi el250

Check the kill switch

 

[rentalguy1]

Re: need help with kawi el250

If it's got fire, then the kill switch is in the run position.

Try new plugs, might not be getting hot enough fire. Is it new gas, or old gas? If old...replace it.

Did you have the carbs off completely, or just the bowls removed? If off completely, you'll probably need to re-synch them.

Make sure the breather isn't stopped up.

Check the timing.

 

[QuadManiac]

Re: need help with kawi el250

Two stroke or four? (edit - looked it up, it's a 4) If four, spray starting fluid in the carbs when cranking to see whether the mixture is just too lean. How do the carbs mount? If rubber boot to the intake manifold, check it carefully for good mounting and cracks.

Use a timing light to check that spark is ocurring at the right time. Woodruff key on flywheel could be sheared, and timing could be way off (assuming timing is determined electronically at the flywheel, probably the case in a '91) (edit - specs say "transistor assisted electronic ignition", so this is probably correct.)

Check valve adjustment. Bikes can be very finniky to start if the valves are way off.

These are all just common tips.. I have 4 quads and 2 bikes, all in the late 90's to early 2000's years, so I'm used to troubleshooting this kind of problem.


Good Luck!

 

[alloffroad]

Re: need help with kawi el250

Thank you for the tips. I will check the valve clearance next. Do any of you know the right way to adjust the timing on this motorcycle. It is electronic ignition. One of my thoughts was that the timing is off. But with out it running how do I adjust the timing. It won't even cough with starting fluid sprayed through the air intake. I completely removed the carbs from the manifold but I did not separate them. The boots are all in place. This was a real pain because of the tight quarters that the carbs are placed in. As far as the kill switch, if the switch is off the bike will not even crank over.
I thank you for the tips. I am getting more help here than at the motorcycle forums that I have been to.

 

[QuadManiac]

Re: need help with kawi el250

I would expect that the flywheel has a timing mark or 2, TDC and full advance, and an inspection cover of some kind that can be removed to see it.

Do you have two coils or one? Common was 1 coil which just hit both plugs at everyTDC, instead of just at compression TDC, wasting the spark during exhaust stroke. If this is the case, you should be able to put a timing light on either spark wire, and look for the TDC mark while cranking the engine over. If you have two coils, also try either, they'll both get spark at opposite TDC's.

I spend a whole lot more time in quad forums then i do here, helping with this same kinda stuff, so I'm surprised you haven't found good info in the M/C forums.

BTW, here's a link to an online EL250 user's manual in page/image format: http://zoli.cda.ro/kawa-manual.html

And a shop manual that you can download for $8.99 - I've used these guys before, they're ok : http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/812231

Here's a link to just the wiring diagram, if you can use it: http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z131/QuadManiac/schematicEL250.jpg Open it, use right click, "save picture as" and store it on your computer... then you can open it with one of the image programs and pan and zoom around in it.

 

[Windykid]

Re: need help with kawi el250

What ever happened to a good ol compression test?????

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: need help with kawi el250

Has anyone mentioned to test for spark?

 

[QuadManiac]

Re: need help with kawi el250

RE Spark: From original post: "I have fuel to the engine and spark to the plugs but it just won't fire"

RE Compression: probably a good idea. Figured that since it sat so long (and making the stupid assumption that it ran well before it sat), that it likely had not lost compression. Also less likely to lose compression in both cylinders vs. timing in both off due to sheared woodruff key or tweaked crankshaft position sensor? Still a very good idea though.

 

[alloffroad]

Re: need help with kawi el250

I primed the cylinders with fuel and put the plugs back in and still not even a pop. I don't know what else to do. I need to buy the adapter to test the compression so I will do that next. If the compression is bad, which I am starting to suspect because the engine oil is milky in color and that would mean a head gasket or cracked cylinder head. More work than I want to do to it.