So here's the deal...I've been working on this 86 250R for almost four years now (though it shouldn't have taken this long, I know), and have COMPLETELY built the engine from the ground up, as if it were a puzzle (not a thing was a assembled, it was a box of pieces when i bought it). Anyway, after much trouble with the bottom end cases being warped from welding, I eventually bought new ones. But now I have a new problem: when I start to torque down the right crankcase cover, it binds the kick starter. It will still kick and start the engine, but it's bound just enough to keep from recoiling on it's own, I have to reach down and pull it back. when I loosen the bolts on the crankcase cover to a certain point (which is too loose for operation), the kick starter releases and recoils on it's own.

I've tried honing the cylinder through which the kick starter spindle goes on the crankcase, but that didn't work. The only thing is question is that the crankcase cover is missing one of the dowel pins that help to keep it in line, but it's the pin on the other end, away from the kick starter. Could something this small be what's causing the kick starter to bind, or could the crankcase cover be warped, too? Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

That is a possability but it sounds like your kick starter shaft assembly could be bent. I would put a dial indicator on the shaft and then slowly kick start it with the plug removed and see if it is bent if there is any out of round it will show up on the dial indicator.

Good luck.

 

thanks, I"ll give that a shot