2003 Blaster Restoration

[BrianC1]

Hi, Pretty new to the forum, but has been great help so far, purchased a tired Blaster last week and planned on just sorting few little issues and running with it, but had a change of heart and have decided to fully tear it down and do it properly, things I have planned are:

1. Powdercoat the whole frame and spray the parts that can't be powdercoated
2. Replace as many of the nuts and bolts as possible, some had to be drilled out there were gone so rusty
3. Do a top end rebuild while the engine is out
4. 2 new back tires
5. New slip on exhaust, actual can is very rusty but header pipe seems in good shape
6. Full service and replace any bearings/bushes that need to be
7. Bike also needs a new grab rail and front bumper

Also have wheel spacers order for the back and plan on widening the front and getting some YFZ 450 shocks for it

I started it over the weekend but could only get time to get a few hours on the project, I'm using my GoPro to video any tricky sections so reassemble will be easier

Just attached few different stages, the way it currently sits is, all electrics disconnected and ready to be removed, exhaust off, plastics removed, front shocks, hubs and A-Arms removed and all the accessories like grab rail bumper nerf bars etc. off. Next thing I'm gonna start with is disconnecting the steering and getting the handle bars and steering stem out. Then the engine

 

[BrianC1]

I plan to get it finished some evening this week, so the frame can be left to the powdercoaters, while that's there I'll do a leakdown test before the rebuild on the engine, strip it down and measure current bore etc, check and rebuild the carb, and hopefully have funds to sort the top end rebuild while the frame is away

 

[bummer981]

Sounds like a great plan, good luck with the build.

 

[BrianC1]

Sounds like a great plan, good luck with the build.

Thanks man, I'll keep this updated as anything happens

 

[dirtysquared]

Sounds like fun!! The best way to do it is like you are, form a plan and stick to it. Good luck, and ask questions if you need help.

 

[BrianC1]

Sounds like fun!! The best way to do it is like you are, form a plan and stick to it. Good luck, and ask questions if you need help.

Yes definitely, I don't plan on putting it back together unless all the parts I want changed/fixed are done, i.e I'm not reassembling it with stock exhaust only to have to take it off again in a week and take out the carb and re-jet, I plan to do it all at once may take a month or so with funds and/or time but will be worth it in the end

 

[Herpderplol]

while you are at it you should upgrade a-arms to another brand and get them powercoated.
paint will come off. my brother tried ceramic paint and it didnt hold up. but we rode in a lot of grass and small brush

also about the pipe thingy. you could put on the stock one and leave the stock jet. do your heat cycles and re-torque nuts. then when you remove the pipe and carb to jet and put in the new pipe you can do another leak test to make sure both gaskets held up good. plus pipes are easy swaps, dont fully tighten stinger etc.

but im glad you have a plan. plans always work out better. when i bought mine i knew it needed clutch work. i decided i would also replace everything it needed as soon as i got it. well i didnt know all the problems until i brought it home. i would have gone to look at it but it was 650 miles away.

have money set aside for "unseen" problems. just keep an extra 100-200 in your sock drawer or something in case you need a part

 

[BrianC1]

while you are at it you should upgrade a-arms to another brand and get them powercoated.
paint will come off. my brother tried ceramic paint and it didnt hold up. but we rode in a lot of grass and small brush

also about the pipe thingy. you could put on the stock one and leave the stock jet. do your heat cycles and re-torque nuts. then when you remove the pipe and carb to jet and put in the new pipe you can do another leak test to make sure both gaskets held up good. plus pipes are easy swaps, dont fully tighten stinger etc.

but im glad you have a plan. plans always work out better. when i bought mine i knew it needed clutch work. i decided i would also replace everything it needed as soon as i got it. well i didnt know all the problems until i brought it home. i would have gone to look at it but it was 650 miles away.

have money set aside for "unseen" problems. just keep an extra 100-200 in your sock drawer or something in case you need a part

Good advice, if funds allow I will definitely replace a arms, I'm not sure it will at the moment though but it's definitely part of 'stage 2' and about the exhaust ye I'll probably do that, after a tear down and reassembly, a pipe swap is a minor thing

 

[BrianC1]

No more progress made as of yet, but there is a guy near me with a blaster for parts with a yz250 engine, no carb or kickstarter apparently is the reason it's for parts, I might be able to get that cheap and make all my money back on parting it out even after taking the bits I want just waiting on him to reply with full details of what's with it

 

[Awk08]

welcome to BF Brian,
I'm tuned in for the build

 

[BrianC1]

welcome to BF Brian,
I'm tuned in for the build

Thanks Awk, still waiting on reply from the guy with the parts blaster, gut is saying he might be dodgy or at least its not a genuine YZ250 engine, even still if the price is right I'll buy it

 

[BrianC1]

Small update, spent another 2-3 hours on it today, have everything removed... Except you guessed it the rear swingarm bolt, only had a small rubber mallet with me so need to get a bigger hammer to get it to budge, have a feeling the rear bearings are completely shot!

 

[BrianC1]

Only got my compression tester after I started stripping this, is it possible to compression test the engine on a bench, just hook back up the carb and exhaust and jam the throttle open and kick?

Once my leakdown tester arrives from Awk that'll be the priority

 

[nick20555]

I'm not 100% sure but I don't think you need the carb or exhaust on and you don't need the throttle either because you're not firing. Just start kicking. Maybe someone can jump in and say for sure.

 

[BrianC1]

I'm not 100% sure but I don't think you need the carb or exhaust on and you don't need the throttle either because you're not firing. Just start kicking. Maybe someone can jump in and say for sure.

Thanks for the advice, best thing to do is try anyway, I'll give it a go this evening, the bike was running 'ok' before the teardown so if I'm getting 80psi I'll know something is wrong

 

[Herpderplol]

It can be done. No carb or pipe needed.

The chance of you holding the engine and being able to stand on your bench to kick it over is small. And no you can't push it with you hand, won't compress

 

[BrianC1]

Well its not at the bench stage yet, the engine is still mounted to the frame cos' I couldn't get the swingarm bolt out, so it'll have plenty of support for proper kicks!!

 

[BrianC1]

Quick update, Awks leak tester arrived today so decided to compression and leak test it this evening very good news 140psi on the compression test, so a top end rebuild is being put off at the moment (more money for other plans) and it failed the leak test miserably gasket at the Reed cage is completely shot, easy fix thank God so tonight I ordered some goodies, a good used LTZ 400 rear shock along with Ken's bushing kit, carb rebuild kit and a new Reed cage gasket and am going to get some liquid gasket tomorrow in around town. Going collecting this parts blaster the weekend so might take a couple of bits off that for my own project if not I'll break and sell to fund this further

 

[nick20555]

From what I've seen other members write on here, you don't want to use liquid gasket on your reed cage just replace the gaskets on it.

 

[BrianC1]

From what I've seen other members write on here, you don't want to use liquid gasket on your reed cage just replace the gaskets on it.

Many people here claim good success with a gasket and some yamabond or its equivalent aswel, I'll do a leak down without the liquid gasket first anyway