engine YAMAHA YZ250F 2004 User Guide

1 - 4
GEN
INFO

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
EC132000
ALL REPLACEMENT PARTS
1. We recommend to use Yamaha genuine
parts for all replacements. Use oil and/or
grease recommended by Yamaha for
assembly and adjustment.
EC133000
GASKETS, OIL SEALS AND O-RINGS
1. All gaskets, oil seals, and O-rings should
be replaced when an engine is over-
hauled. All gasket surfaces, oil seal lips,
and O-rings must be cleaned.
2. Properly oil all mating parts and bearings
during reassembly. Apply grease to the
oil seal lips.
EC134000
LOCK WASHERS/PLATES AND COTTER
PINS
1. All lock washers/plates
1
and cotter pins
must be replaced when they are
removed. Lock tab(s) should be bent
along the bolt or nut flat(s) after the bolt
or nut has been properly tightened.
EC135001
BEARINGS AND OIL SEALS
1. Install the bearing(s)
1
and oil seal(s)
2
with their manufacturer’s marks or num-
bers facing outward. (In other words, the
stamped letters must be on the side
exposed to view.) When installing oil
seal(s), apply a light coating of light-
weight lithium base grease to the seal
lip(s). Oil the bearings liberally when
installing.
CAUTION:
Do not use compressed air to spin the
bearings dry. This causes damage to the

bearing surfaces.

1 - 10
GEN
INFO
CONTROL FUNCTIONS
EC150000
CONTROL FUNCTIONS
ENGINE STOP SWITCH
The engine stop switch 1 is located on the left
handlebar. Continue pushing the engine stop
switch till the engine comes to a stop.
EC152000
CLUTCH LEVER
The clutch lever 1 is located on the left han-
dlebar; it disengages or engages the clutch.
Pull the clutch lever to the handlebar to disen-
gage the clutch, and release the lever to
engage the clutch. The lever should be pulled
rapidly and released slowly for smooth starts.
EC153000
SHIFT PEDAL
The gear ratios of the constant-mesh 5 speed
transmission are ideally spaced. The gears
can be shifted by using the shift pedal 1 on
the left side of the engine.
KICKSTARTER CRANK
Rotate the kickstarter crank 1 away from the
engine. Push the starter down lightly with your
foot until the gears engage, then kick smoothly
and forcefully to start the engine. This model
has a primary kickstarter crank so the engine
can be started in any gear if the clutch is dis-
engaged. In normal practices, however, shift to
neutral before starting.
1
EC155001
THROTTLE GRIP
The throttle grip 1 is located on the right han-
dlebar; it accelerates or decelerates the
engine. For acceleration, turn the grip toward
you; for deceleration, turn it away from you.

1 - 11
GEN
INFO

CONTROL FUNCTIONS
EC156000
FRONT BRAKE LEVER
The front brake lever
1
is located on the right
handlebar. Pull it toward the handlebar to acti-
vate the front brake.
EC157000
REAR BRAKE PEDAL
The rear brake pedal
1
is located on the right
side of the machine. Press down on the brake
pedal to activate the rear brake.
EC158001
FUEL COCK
The fuel cock supplies fuel from the tank to
carburetor while filtering the fuel. The fuel cock
has the two positions:
OFF:With the lever in this position, fuel will not
flow. Always return the lever to this posi-
tion when the engine is not running.
ON: With the lever in this position, fuel flows
to the carburetor. Normal riding is done
with the lever in this position.
COLD STARTER KNOB
When cold, the engine requires a richer air-fuel
mixture for starting. A separate starter circuit,
which is controlled by the cold starter knob
1
,
supplies this mixture. Pull the cold starter knob
out to open the circuit for starting. When the
engine has warmed up, push it in to close the
circuit.
HOT STARTER LEVER
The hot starter lever
1
is used when starting a
warm engine.
Use the hot starter lever when starting the
engine again immediately after it was stopped
(the engine is still warm). Pulling the hot starter
lever injects secondary air to thin the air-fuel
mixture temporarily, allowing the engine to be
started more easily.

1 - 13
GEN
INFO

FUEL
Always use the recommended fuel as stated
below. Also, be sure to use new gasoline the
day of a race.
CAUTION:
Use only unleaded gasoline. The use of
leaded gasoline will cause severe damage
to the engine internal parts such as valves,

piston rings, and exhaust system, etc.
NOTE:

If knocking or pinging occurs, use a different
brand of gasoline or higher octane grade.
WARNING


For refueling, be sure to stop the engine
and use enough care not to spill any fuel.
Also be sure to avoid refueling close to a
fire.

Refuel after the engine, exhaust pipe, etc.
have cooled off.
Recommended fuel:
Except for ZA:
Premium unleaded gasoline
only with a research octane
number of 95 or higher.
For ZA:
Premium gasoline
FUEL

1 - 14
GEN
INFO

STARTING AND BREAK-IN
WARNING

Never start or run the engine in a closed
area. The exhaust fumes are poisonous;
they can cause loss of consciousness and
death in a very short time. Always operate
the machine in a well-ventilated area.
CAUTION:


The carburetor on this machine has a
built-in accelerator pump. Therefore,
when starting the engine, do not operate
the throttle or the spark plug will foul.

Unlike a two-stroke engine, this engine
cannot be kick started when the throttle is
open because the kick starter may kick
back. Also, if the throttle is open the air/
fuel mixture may be too lean for the
engine to start.

Before starting the machine, perform the
checks in the pre-operation check list.
STARTING A COLD ENGINE
1. Inspect the coolant level.
2. Turn the fuel cock to “ON”.
3. Shift the transmission into neutral.
4. Fully open the cold starter knob
1
.
5. Kick the kickstarter crank.
WARNING

Do not open the throttle while kicking the
kickstarter crank. Otherwise, the kick-
starter may kick back.
STARTING AND BREAK-IN

1 - 15
GEN
INFO

STARTING AND BREAK-IN
6. Return the cold starter knob to its original
position and run the engine at 3,000 ~
5,000 r/min for 1 or 2 minutes.
NOTE:

Since this model is equipped with an accelera-
tor pump, if the engine is raced (the throttle
opened and closed), the air/fuel mixture will be
too rich and the engine may stall. Also unlike a
two-stroke engine, this model can idle.
CAUTION:
Do not warm up the engine for extended

periods of time.

1 - 16
GEN
INFO

STARTING AND BREAK-IN
STARTING A WARM ENGINE
Do not operate the cold starter knob and throt-
tle. Pull the hot starter lever
1
and start the
engine by kicking the kickstarter crank force-
fully with a firm stroke.
As soon as the engine starts, Release the hot
starter lever to close the air passage.
Restarting an engine after a fall
Pull the hot starter lever and start the engine.
As soon as the engine starts, Release the hot
starter lever to close the air passage.
The engine fails to start
Pull the hot starter lever all the way out and
while holding the lever, kick the kickstarter
crank 10 to 20 times to clear the engine.
Then, restart the engine.
Refer to “Restarting an engine after a fall”.
* Operate the throttle grip before kick starting.
CAUTION:
Observe the following break-in procedures
during initial operation to ensure optimum

performance and avoid engine damage.
Throttle
grip oper-
ation*Cold
starter
knobHot
starter
lever
Starting a cold engine
Air temperature = less than
5 ˚C (41 ˚F)Open 3
or 4 timesON OFF
Air temperature = more
than 5 ˚C (41 ˚F)None ON OFF
Air temperature (normal tem-
perature) = between 5 ˚C
(41 ˚F) and 25 ˚C (77 ˚F)None ON/OFF OFF
Air temperature = more
than 25 ˚C (77 ˚F)None OFF OFF
Starting an engine after a long
period of timeNone ON OFF
Restarting a warm engine None OFF ON
Restarting an engine after a fall None OFF ON

1 - 17
GEN
INFO

STARTING AND BREAK-IN
BREAK-IN PROCEDURES
1. Before starting the engine, fill the fuel
tank with the fuel.
2. Perform the pre-operation checks on the
machine.
3. Start and warm up the engine. Check the
idle speed, and check the operation of
the controls and the engine stop switch.
Then, restart the engine and check its
operation within no more than 5 minutes
after it is restarted.
4. Operate the machine in the lower gears
at moderate throttle openings for five to
eight minutes.
5. Check how the engine runs when the
motorcycle is ridden with the throttle 1/4
to 1/2 open (low to medium speed) for
about one hour.
6. Restart the engine and check the opera-
tion of the machine throughout its entire
operating range. Restart the machine
and operate it for about 10 to 15 more
minutes. The machine will now be ready
to race.
CAUTION:


After the break-in or before each race,
you must check the entire machine for
loose fittings and fasteners as per
“TORQUE-CHECK POINTS”.
Tighten all such fasteners as required.

When any of the following parts have
been replaced, they must be broken in.
CYLINDER AND CRANKSHAFT:
About one hour of break-in operation is
necessary.
PISTON, RING, VALVES, CAMSHAFTS
AND GEARS:
These parts require about 30 minutes of
break-in operation at half-throttle or less.
Observe the condition of the engine care-
fully during operation.

GEN
INFO

1 - 18
TORQUE-CHECK POINTS
TORQUE-CHECK POINTS
Frame construction
Combined seat and fuel tank
Exhaust system
Engine mounting
Steering Steering stem to
handlebar
Suspension Front Steering stem to front
fork
Rear For link type
Rear Installation of rear
shock absorber
Rear Installation of swing-
arm
Wheel Installation of wheel Front
Rear
Brake Front
Rear
Fuel system
Lubrication systemFrame to rear frame
Fuel tank to frame
Silencer to rear frame
Frame to engine
Engine bracket to engine
Engine bracket to frame
Steering stem to frame
Steering stem to upper bracket
Upper bracket to handlebar
Front fork to upper bracket
Front fork to lower bracket
Assembly of links
Link to frame
Link to rear shock absorber
Link to swingarm
Rear shock absorber to frame
Tightening of pivot shaft
Tightening of wheel axle
Tightening of axle holder
Tightening of wheel axle
Wheel to rear wheel sprocket
Brake caliper to front fork
Brake disc to wheel
Tightening of union bolt
Brake master cylinder to handlebar
Tightening of bleed screw
Brake pedal to frame
Brake disc to wheel
Tightening of union bolt
Brake master cylinder to frame
Tightening of bleed screw
Fuel tank to fuel cock
Tightening of oil hose clamp
NOTE:

Concerning the tightening torque, refer to
“MAINTENANCE SPECIFICATIONS” section
in the CHAPTER 2.

1 - 19
GEN
INFO

CLEANING AND STORAGE
EC1B0000
CLEANING AND STORAGE
EC1B1000
CLEANING
Frequent cleaning of your machine will
enhance its appearance, maintain good over-
all performance, and extend the life of many
components.
1. Before washing the machine, block off
the end of the exhaust pipe to prevent
water from entering. A plastic bag
secured with a rubber band may be used
for this purpose.
2. If the engine is excessively greasy, apply
some degreaser to it with a paint brush.
Do not apply degreaser to the chain,
sprockets, or wheel axles.
3. Rinse the dirt and degreaser off with a
garden hose; use only enough pressure
to do the job.
CAUTION:
Excessive hose pressure may cause water
seepage and contamination of wheel bear-
ings, front forks, brakes and transmission
seals. Many expensive repair bills have
resulted from improper high pressure
detergent applications such as those avail-

able in coin-operated car washers.
4. After the majority of the dirt has been
hosed off, wash all surfaces with warm
water and a mild detergent. Use an old
toothbrush to clean hard-to-reach places.
5. Rinse the machine off immediately with
clean water, and dry all surfaces with a
soft towel or cloth.
6. Immediately after washing, remove
excess water from the chain with a paper
towel and lubricate the chain to prevent
rust.
7. Clean the seat with a vinyl upholstery
cleaner to keep the cover pliable and
glossy.
8. Automotive wax may be applied to all
painted or chromed surfaces. Avoid com-
bination cleaner-waxes, as they may con-
tain abrasives.
9. After completing the above, start the
engine and allow it to idle for several min-
utes.