kd2727

sometimes you dont know, that you dont know.....then you fuck up....and now, you know.....lol 96 virago 250 still playing with carb to get a smooth run, getting closer and closer........ here's what my dumbass did today.... wasnt running as smooth as it has......pulled the plug that has been having some issues.....did it while the engine was hot.....didnt use a ratchet extender and the slight angle from the ratchet hitting the engine head was enough of an angle to fuck the threads up while taking the plug out..... to make it worse.....i was at a friends house 30 miles away with no way home....sooooooooooooooo.....yeah, i did it....put it back in...and of course now, once i take it out again, theres no way it will go back....i realize that by putting it back in with a little muscle i was destroying what threading was still there....but, i had to get home....so i said fuck it.... ok.....when your done either laughing at me, or shaking your head at my fuck up......my question is this.... do i need to pull the entire engine apart to deal with it or can i just re-tap it as is? i realize that some aluminum bits and pieces will no undoubtedly fall into the cylinder......how much damage will that cause? will they be small and fine enough that they will just burn up? possibly just stick a vacuum hose into the chamber....suck out what i can...run it to burn off the small ones, change the oil...and thats it? im brand new, so these are the mistakes that are teaching me about engines....please be gentle....my friends have the name calling covered as they have been brutal.... thanks

any thoughts? on vacation this week and hoping to get some closure to the situation..

welllllll....just pulled the plugs....lol.....u tell me, but i think im farked....lol.....oil on the plugs...one was pretty black, the other a wee bit of fresh....... so i cleaned them up, put them back, and holy shit.....first, the no choke idle that was barley running the engine before, even after i cranked the idle screw a couple times...was ROARING.....ruff, but it was screaming at me for turning that idle screw...so i cranked the idle screw back to normal, and it calmed down a bit, but TONS of white smoke for about 5 min....then i took it out....NEW BIKE horsepower speaking...every little throttle input put me back a bit in comparison to my 1/4 to 1/2 throttle cranks that got me nowhere in a hurry.....did a mile and pulled in, turned off, pulled plugs again....they werent messed up to bad at all, but there was fresh oil on the threads.... bad rings? worth fixing, or should i put the for sale sign on today... taking into account, im not a mechanic....this was the first time i even seen a carb in hand let alone having took it down and back....

ughhhhhh....the condition that filter was in, it's a consideration....the filter itself was trashed, however the screen was intact..so no "big" chunks could have gotten thru....but there was a mess of "residue" and particulates that passed through it for sure..... to check the inlet valve i have to take the cylinder head off correct? good thing im on vacation!!!!

havent gone to the shop yet for a filter, but took a look at the pilot screw...hmmmmmm...cranked all the way down....lol...2 turns and she idles much better....still not up to top shape yet, but gonna work on airflow and plugs today....and if im feeling froggy, pull the petcock, clean it, and MAYBE throw in an inline fuel filter.....

well, my friend helped me with the tear down of the carb...he pulled out all the jets and i cleaned them.....soaked them in carb cleaner than ran the air compressor and blew them all out.... should i pull the plugs? perhaps they will tell me something..... oh, and i checked the air filter today....what a mess...only 25 % was left and as soon as i touched it, it crumbled into dust....im sure some of that was sucked into the carb!!

completely pulled carb....cleaned it thoroughly....reassembled.......still running like crap....wont run unless on full choke, and even on full choke, its underpowered and doggy......GRRRRRRRRRRRRR......what next?

sure did....about 5 miles ago....it was the first fill ive done since i bought it

im sure its an easy issue, but im a first timer with even less mechanical experience than riding experience.... ok...so ive been riding my 96 virago 250 that i bought a week ago, every night.....gotta have the choke on for a bit in the beginning, seems a lil slow to warm up, but eventually she gets on target.... so tonight, i get ready for my nightly trip to the parking lot to murder some u-turns and exciting friction zone education (i refuse to be that new guy who has no business in traffic yet refuses to practice basics)...and even on full choke i can barely get her to idle......if i turn the choke off, the bike shuts off....so even though that sounded off, i got onto the street to feel her in motion and NO POWER...she ran, but very weakly.....and at a steady throttle she would hold steady, then putter, slow down, then jerk back to speed..... im no mechanic, but want to learn to take care of my own bike.....it has new plugs and has been riding regularly for the past month....its ran fine in the week ive had it....just tonite it's doin this......it makes me think dirty carb...but what do i know....i just think if it was a carb problem, wouldn't it have been doing this since i got it? any thoughts are greatly appreciated..... the parking lot beckons for my return.....

greetings all from Florida.... Im KD, and at 33 ive finally gotten on 2 wheels and a motor!! went out and bought a suzuki 650 and realized i was in ovvvver my head for a first motorized experience.....traded it for a gorgeous 96 Virago 250.....currently working on becoming a parking-lot champion! My friends stay bustin my balls for riding such a small bike, but they all have been riding dirt bikes and such since they were little kids....im startin from SCRATCH...and loving my little 250! lol..... Im not very mechanical either, yet feel that taking care of my own bike is a big part of fully enjoying motorcycle ownership. Im hoping to be able to get into my bike with wrench as much as on the seat. I do happen to know about dogs as im a dogman thru and thru....have been training dogs for 15 years and learning the entire way.....ive worked with most breeds that are out there and have done everything from hunting to protection work and dealing with aggressive dogs.......so as much as i plan to be asking for all of your experience and help with my bike, if anybody has any type of dog questions from training to breeding or just general BS, id be happy to offer whatever information and assistance i can..... thanks all and hope to learn alot KD