NEEOOW

I'm in the process of replacing the old ball bearing headset for new taper roller bearings. Bottom outer race went in fine, top went in fine also. However, when I reassemble the completed yoke back together, I can't screw the nut back on as if the shaft isn't through enough to catch a thread. I've definitely got the bearings and seals the right way about too. Just something isn't quite right and I'll end up having to remove the new outer races, possibly damaging them in the process.

Cheers, I don't know when I'll next get up to do it but I've made a note on my phone of what to try next time I'm there.

I don't think I'm getting any free play at the moment. So that's probably all it is, the clutch being partially selected already and removing any means of drive from the bike! D'oh!!!!

it was a little loose on the shaft but I replaced it with a new unworn one and made sure it was tight. I even tried to swap the gear lever, thinking that was the fault with it fouling on the frame but it wasn't.

Having last successfully run my DT back in August, I went to have another shot on it today. I changed the oil a few weeks ago but never got the bike running. Today I discovered certain young family members had robbed bolts and clutch levers etc, which I replaced today with ease. I also replaced the front sprocket. Unfortunately, after the bike started and idled it did not move when I selected 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th gear etc. I thought maybe it was the clutch adjustment but that was sorted and working fine. I noticed heavy oil deposits at the exhaust though and also at the cylinder block. I do hope its not leaked into the clutch or I have something broken in the gearbox. Perhaps I'm staring the answer in the face but just cant see it! It doesn't seem to be slipping or crunching when I select a gear, nor does it jerk when I select a gear. Its not locking out like it should, when I select a gear when the engine is not running either. Think I next need to take the engine out and do a deep bench strip to diagnose the problem.

Having bought an Aug 1982 The Biker magazine a while ago because of its Project DT Enduro article, I finally purchased the June 1982 edition the other day off eBay. It arrived this morning and now with both DT enduro articles, I can now consider the small tweeks and things to make my DT175 worthy of my vision again. Its amazing that these 31 year old magazines are talking about just the type of things I have and am considering doing to my DT!

Having bought an Aug 1982 The Biker magazine a while ago because of its Project DT Enduro article, I finally purchased the June 1982 edition the other day off eBay. It arrived this morning and now with both DT enduro articles, I can now consider the small tweeks and things to make my DT175 worthy of my vision again. Its amazing that these 31 year old magazines are talking about just the type of things I have and am considering doing to my DT!

I've a similar problem but as mine has been neglected for 3.5 years its going to get a full check-over and stripped if required! I wouldn't say its the end of the world, just a temporary inconvenience that can and will be sorted!

I said yesterday that I bought a new NGK Iridium Spark Plug for my DT. An upgrade from the standard one! Since my last post, I have found a few more possibilities to use. A Pulstar Pulse Spark plug, a Denso Iridium etc etc, I could go on with brands and types! What is the best (the Top Gun of Spark Plugs) type that people are using on their machines?

I checked before I fitted it but I trusted the Ebay seller's description and communications that was selling the upgraded set-up. It did fit and I was mega chuffed too. I remember an old 1985 film (yes I'm that old!) Called the Dirt Bike Kid. He believed in the bike and it came to life. Plus I'm sure it might have been a Yamaha too! DT's are very forgiving, I should know, I've crashed mine off-road enough times!

Having unfortunately neglected my DT175MX for 3.5 years, I'm back in the mindset of getting it going again PROPERLY this time! I am still curious to know what I can achieve from the ideas I had all of those years ago now. Today I bought an Iridium NGK Spark Plug yet to be fitted and last week I fitted a new Rear sprocket and chain. An Upgrade with a 525 (actually they sent me a 530) chain. A new front sprocket will be fitted in the coming weeks. Small improvements and a big grin on my face as it fired up last week after multiple kicks (into double figures and more!) and some tinkering with the fuel/ carb system. It wanted to pop the front wheel in every gear, when I finally gave it a deserved blast in the pouring rain. This time I intend to take pictures and upload them onto here!!!!!

Having finally after all these years got round to emailling Yamaha for some official help on the Age/ Type/ Model etc of my DT175MX, they told me it was a 1981 model and if ordering parts from a Dealer I should use model code 4J40 to relate to the correct parts catalogue. Hoorah for these forums and the Internet!lol They couldn't recognise the other frame number I gave, perhaps I wrote it down wrong!

Well today I bought an iridium NGK spark plug for the Beast. I hope that helps towards the starting and running of my machine! Maybe it'll get all these daft ideas of modding for the hell of it, out of my head for now!

I finally got round to working on my DT175MX after it being sat for 3.5 years. Dusty and neglected, it needed some TLC! Having bought a few new parts, I set about fitting some of them onto the bike. I also began to check and clean other items that had been sat as I wanted a blast on it. I knew it hadn't seized as I had managed to kick it over a few times in the past. I took the carb off, gave it a good clean out and put it back together. Then I set about putting fresh fuel into the tank. After a lot of kicks, the number I can't remember, it fired up. Stalled and fired up again. Eventually I got it running longer than a few seconds, every gear change it made, it wanted to lift the front wheel off the ground. One big cheesy grin on my face and a sore right leg later I began to have an idea in my head of a Magneto Upgrade, Spark plug upgrade, grooved brake shoes and many more wacky ideas. I've found a company on the internet that does Power dynamo upgrades and was wondering if anyone else had modified their old machine with this before? They are pricey but are they worth it?

Well thats good to know! My bike has sat for a few years without running. I've kicked it over a few times through this period of rest, just to keep things from seizing. My Stepfathers nephews and grandkids have nicked all my fuel in the past and never replaced it so I'm needing to do a complete internal clean of the carb and replacing other stuff on it anyway! Thats why I was going to drop the oil and try out a new Brand anyway!

I just Googled what you are after and even Wikipedia will tell you what you should use. If you are still unsure, contact your local Motorbike shop or Yamaha Dealership. If they don't know or can't find out for you, then they are no good and shouldn't be trading!lol Else contact Yamaha direct by email or phone, I did that to find out the exact model of bike I have! They are most helpful too! I'm in an Engine Oil Conundrum myself! Not what SAE type is required, I know all that! I'm trying to decide on which manufacturer makes the best Oil that my 30 something DT175MX needs. A Brand with the right properties inbedded in the oil that will help prolong and protect the inner components the best. Do I go with Silkolene, Castrol, Mobil or something else? I know Royal Purple is very good for the high performance Japanese Imports and they do a range suitable for Motorbikes too! I might trial it and report back on this Forum if nobody has already!

I recently purchased replacement components for my DT. Included in my shopping was a Chain and Sprocket upgrade off eBay. Included was a 525 chain replacing the standard 428. The Sprockets in the kit purchased were 13/39T. I know this can be done as my bike already runs this configuration, fitted by its previous owner. I bought new items as the old components have had their fair bite of wear and tear over the years and in my opinion need replacing. I'm in a replacing/ refreshing mood, my next plan is a complete exhaust upgrade. My question is, if I was to at some point in the future put a lighter 39T Rear Sprocket on to the bike instead of a heavy Steel part. What bike out there has a lighter 39T Rear Sprocket that'll fit straight on my bike? Am I also right in thinking, a 520, 525 and a 530 chain will all fit on my bike with this new Sprocket set up? I Googled it and one site says, the 5 refers to the Spacing of the Pins whereas the 20/25/30 relates to the chain/roller/link width! Anyone else done this upgrade or any others on their DT175MX?

I have been chatting with a previous owner of the bike today, getting a brief history of the bike and he seems to think it was maybe Bored to the max at the point he had it(possibly room for 1 final Bore?). I think I'll leave that for now (emergency only!).He did go a bit OTT with silicone and instant gasket around the head. (That reminds me, I did notice a broken Stud in the Head when I moved the engine across - Forgot to fix that!) Should have spares in my spare engine. The younger guy I bought it off just ragged it to oblivion, always having to stall stop it! Its done a few more hours running since and taken a hammering from me so I'm hoping the engine is solid enough not to go down that route anyway. The guy I spoke to today says I need to get rid of the Performance Reeds for a starter? I'm having to think about a complete engine rebuild anyway now I think about it. The engine casing is corroding (I think from the heavy Scottish Winter Salt over its years?) and cracking, lucky I've got the spares. Engine numbers are different but they both start 2K4. They should marry up as I don't think there is that much difference? Just hope I don't damage this one too much and I'm glad that spares are available. Thats how my kawasaki ke125 has ended up in pieces and many boxes. It gives me lots to think of now. My old man does shot blasting and metal polishing and his pal does custom spray painting. Maybe have to buy them a few beers to help me out? Cheers guys

Cheers for even more advise Cynic. Yeah, I maybe should have used another word than Modding. My bike just looks tatty, like it should be on a scrapheap. I just want my bike back to the way it should run and be ran. I was thinking bigger Carb, bigger sprockets and chain, better exhaust system and before I had my blond moment thought of the electrical upgrades. (not that I need that now after your heads up). It has a performance foam air filter as the original housing wasn't there when I bought the bike. A little extra horses would be nice, but not too many. The Racing Reeds did help I think! Why buy a 1.1 corsa and do it up when you can buy the VXR model? so to speak! Slight power gains I'm looking for, I need to see how many times its been Bored out. Maybe I can improve there! Its physical appearance I need to concentrate on more, once the running is sorted out. Rear suspension jack ups seems like an option. I could do with a new seat and rear fender. Clocks would also be a bonus, even if I'm just going across fields and dirt tracks. I would love to spend the time and money making it outrun my mates bikes in an off-road capacity. Too keep up with the big boys! My mates all removed their headlights to lose that unneeded bit of weight. I'm of a belief that if I fit a headlight, I will be able to stay out later in the Evening. Unfortunately, I now live in a first floor flat. My bike lives an hours drive away in a farm shed. Did I mention I'm 30 with a 7 month old daughter that takes up a lot of time! I think the rebuild progress has been successful so far and once complete will be a proud day. I might even strip the bike again and get things shot-blasted and tidied up. You have given me a lot of good advise and things to consider. I'll need to get pictures up of it. I have a few pre-crash( the day of the incident!). Not sure if I have any of the rebuild, but if I decide to strip it again then I could take pics of the new rebuild process.

Thanks very much for your reply, Cynic. I hadn't delved into the guts of the engine and with its age I assumed it was points and not a CDI. I got a Haynes manual through the door just minutes after sending my post and it too explained the CDI unit. (A Senior Blond moment). I crashed the original bike a few years ago and damaged mainly cosmetic items. The frame was totally mangled at the back.Steering was buckled and the throttle cable jammed. Also the exhaust silencer was hanging loose. (The throttle jammed on and at a T junction in a forest track, I was going to fast to take the corner or stop. My instinct told me to disembark off the rear of the bike and I ended up with terrible gravel rash).(holding the clutch in never helped either!)My friends that were out riding with me blamed the performance racing reeds as I could not make it up a Peaty boggy hill, I think it was just my inexperience on the saddle. My previous bikes were a DT50mx, I had at 16. A Kawasaki ke125 I had at about 20! and it ended up in 500 pieces. then this DT175mx that I've had since 2007 (27ish) And YES I haven't got my bike licence for the road! I'm just a big kid and prefer the off-roaders buzz! I swapped the engine across to a spare frame I had. It had a box section rear monoshock swing arm and the old one was tubular. The coil has been replaced and I made a rear fender out of a cattle feed bucket. I fitted a neutral light and a kill switch (so I don't crash it again, hopefully?) The gear linkage is now spring loaded so it will fold up if I drop the bike. The bike had been wired to start off the kick-start as the battery is no longer there (done by a previous owner). And the two stroke oil tank has been removed also not by me. I did have a Blond moment in the swap! For days I cleaned the chain, 1 link at a time. I was looking for the join and could not find it. I decided to split it at a random link. To then fit it across along with the engine and other salvageable items. I bought a replacement joining link only to find the one I had been looking for on the chain, 3 links from the split. D'OH! New chain and links required and sprockets as they are badly worn. That's why I'm looking to change the ratio? The wiring loom is a mess but I was lucky in finding a feed for the neutral light and killswitch, without a manual. I replaced the headlight (1 with a flap down cover) and fitted an on/off switch but that was damaged in the crash, so back to the drawingboard with that? I have a lot of work to do to put it right with as many uprated tweaks. Any upgrades or advise is appreciated, if it means I don't have to kick it over a dozen or more times to get it going. I have decided that it should stay as 2 wheels and putting it into an off-road buggy is no longer an option for my DT.

I have an early 80s DT175mx (2K4). I tend to just use it for off-road fun in the fields. I have neglected it for a while since moving home. A few years ago I swapped the rear Swing arms from a tubular type to a box-section type with great success. I am looking to MOD it a bit further and am looking to do away with the Magneto and points for a modern electronic ignition. Are there any modules that would suit this type of upgrade or should I just persevere with what I have got? I did find something on the Net about using the module from a honda C90? I have great plans for the Bike and one day I may get it road ready. I'm just tired of having to take a dozen or so kicks when I first try and start it after its sat a while! I'd like to also put a larger set of sprockets and chain combination but I can't remember from what larger DT model parts I can use? Any tips to Modding a DT175mx would be gladly appreciated too I'd just like to add that YAMBITS and Ebay have been a great help for parts already aqcuired. Cheers Rob (I have even thought about putting the DT175mx engine etc in an off-road buggy as designed by a Haynes Manual.)

Cheers, Thank you very much, Have a Merry Christmas

Cheers. I was hoping to use the Square Swing arm as it was off the spare frame anyway. It doesn't have an airbox anymore, just a foam filter straight onto the carb and I am pre-mixing the two stroke oil at the moment direct into the tank. Do you happen to know the model type and year? Just to help me order the correct swing Arm bush kit!

I have an 80's something DT175mx. I majorly crashed it a year ago off road and am now in the process of transfering everything onto a spare DT frame that I have. I bent the frame beyond repair and although I got it up and running again it just isn't the same. I started to transfer everything across and then came to a stand still. The rear swing arm bolt would not come out. So after grinding, heating and much hammer hitting (and lots of swearing) it finally came out. Damaging the swing Arm bush in the process. The thing is the spare swing arm was removed in a similar way so I have no way of ordering the correct bush kit as both are now goosed. Another hurdle I am faced with is that the swing arms are different, as in one is tubular in construction and the other is of a box section type. The Main framework seems to be the same as everything else has easily moved across. It would be nice to complete the bike over the winter in time for the summer on the hills. My clymer manual doesn't seem to cover my bike and was hoping someone could give me a clue to its age and exact model type. The frame number of the bent bike is 2k4 008596 and the frame I am transferring to is 2k4 063038. It should all fit across and if I have to reuse the old swing arm then I would need the bush kit for that. Either way I would need a bush kit so I suppose that is not important. Can Anyone help?