ozmadman Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Hi I have just acquired a US import RD250 1974, a few questions if you don't mind.. 1) what oil do I put in the oil tank for the two stroke mix? and I don't know what is in there at present(it's a pale yellow colour) so can it be mixed with another type? 2) What are those 3 small tubes coming from the carb area that are not attached to anything at the other end? 3)When looking on ebay for bits there seems to be a lot of models listed for various parts (RD250A/B/C DX etc) are many of the parts for say RD250 73-79 similar or will stuff only fit a certain model? My frame number starts 352 so it looks like an RD250DXpro, whatever that means 4)Are there different front mudguards for the various air cooled RD's? I could do with a new one as mine is dented and scratched and would probably cost more to fix and re-chrome than a new one. I have seen a couple of pattern ones on ebay that are listed for my year but my guard has struts front and rear of the guard that bolt on the bottom of fork legs yet the ones for sale only attach with a central bracket at the top of the leg?? 5)I bought the bike knowing that the front brake was not working. The fluid reservoir lid was stuck fast but I finally shifted it with a large pair of grips only to find it full of brown lumpy gunk similar to a jar of curry paste!!! what is this?? and do you think a good clean out right down to the calliper could sort it out? 6) On left full lock the handlebars hit the tank and have made a dent, to stop this is it just a matter of undoing the screw on that thing on the lower yoke and turning it round a bit? Sorry for the dumb questions but I have never owned one of these before and my other bike and previous bikes I have owned all had cable operated drum brakes, cos I am old you see!! Thanks Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rzresurection Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Hi I have just acquired a US import RD250 1974, a few questions if you don't mind.. 1) what oil do I put in the oil tank for the two stroke mix? and I don't know what is in there at present(it's a pale yellow colour) so can it be mixed with another type? 2) What are those 3 small tubes coming from the carb area that are not attached to anything at the other end? 3)When looking on ebay for bits there seems to be a lot of models listed for various parts (RD250A/B/C DX etc) are many of the parts for say RD250 73-79 similar or will stuff only fit a certain model? My frame number starts 352 so it looks like an RD250DXpro, whatever that means 4)Are there different front mudguards for the various air cooled RD's? I could do with a new one as mine is dented and scratched and would probably cost more to fix and re-chrome than a new one. I have seen a couple of pattern ones on ebay that are listed for my year but my guard has struts front and rear of the guard that bolt on the bottom of fork legs yet the ones for sale only attach with a central bracket at the top of the leg?? 5)I bought the bike knowing that the front brake was not working. The fluid reservoir lid was stuck fast but I finally shifted it with a large pair of grips only to find it full of brown lumpy gunk similar to a jar of curry paste!!! what is this?? and do you think a good clean out right down to the calliper could sort it out? 6) On left full lock the handlebars hit the tank and have made a dent, to stop this is it just a matter of undoing the screw on that thing on the lower yoke and turning it round a bit? Sorry for the dumb questions but I have never owned one of these before and my other bike and previous bikes I have owned all had cable operated drum brakes, cos I am old you see!! Thanks Paul Hi Paul, Congrats on owning a classic Yamaha 2 stroke (2T for short). Bad part is you just purchased a bike that is going to need LOT of TLC from what you have posted. The fact that is a 1974 (old 2 stroke) makes it even labour intensive. If this is a bike that you intend to get road worthy - first order of business it to get a shop manual. This will help you immensely. You really need one. Second order is to pull the the engine and carbs apart. I'm not being a goof, but that's realistic for a bike that age. I'll try to help you out with some of your questions. It would be a great idea to search for a forum on air cooled RD's. The guys there should able to help you out with your questions regarding the interchangeability of parts/years. It would be helpful to post pictures of the things that you are inquiring about. With this being an old 2T, you really need to understand that they are prone to seizures - due to old leaky seals, intake boots, etc. Since this is a new bike to you, you can't be sure of the condition of the engine and engine seals - this is absolutely critical. If your engine sucks in air from a leaky seal, it will create a lean condition that could lead to a seizure = $$. My point being, if I were you, I'd replace all engine seals. I'm in the process of doing this now on my '87 RZ350. I've been the only owner, I know how the bike was treated, and it still needs to be done - just based on the age. You will need to do this. I'm not trying to scare you as much I'm trying to save you some money and build reliability Ito your machine. 1) what oil do I put in the oil tank for the two stroke mix? and I don't know what is in there at present(it's a pale yellow colour) so can it be mixed with another type? Pull the tank off and clean out all the old oil -all (3) lines included. I'd be inclined to pull the oil pump apart as well. If you do this, buy a rebuild kit with OEM parts. 2) What are those 3 small tubes coming from the carb area that are not attached to anything at the other end? 2 of these small tubes that your are referring to are most likely the oil supply lines to the carbs. 1 small line to each carb. These lines come from the oil pump. The third line I'm not sure of. Need pictures to see exactly what you are looking at. 5)I bought the bike knowing that the front brake was not working. The fluid reservoir lid was stuck fast but I finally shifted it with a large pair of grips only to find it full of brown lumpy gunk similar to a jar of curry paste!!! what is this?? and do you think a good clean out right down to the calliper could sort it out? You need to pull the whole brake system apart including master cylinder and caliper pistons. Clean/flush it completely and put a rebuild kit in the master cylinder. No shortcuts here. Maybe some of the other guys can chime in regarding some of your other questions. This is my first post on this forum, so I don't know what the guys are like here. There is good info out there. It'll take a little searching. Good luck and don't take short cuts. It will pay off in the end Jeff Jeff '87 RZ 350 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhat250 Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Musta missed this,,, The front fender is rare with the stay"s,,, the pattern fenders are for the coffin tank RD",, yours is the round tank type.. Might be worth restoring , as N.O.S. will be a fortune,,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozmadman Posted December 15, 2013 Author Share Posted December 15, 2013 Thanks, need to get the dents out first though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Cynic Posted December 16, 2013 Moderator Share Posted December 16, 2013 Aircooled RD club. Everything you will need in one spot, then call in here so we can laug..... encourage your project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozmadman Posted December 25, 2013 Author Share Posted December 25, 2013 Joined, fully paid up member now!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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