About How Much Should a Valve Adjustment Cost??

Gimpdiggity · 03-17-2008, 02:30 PM

Hey everyone.

I've done pretty much all of the modifications and maintenance on my bike since I got it. However, I've never adjusted the valves.

To be completely honest, I'm not really comfortable doing a procedure like this. I will probably have to bite the bullet and just pay for it to be done.

With that said, does anyone have a ballpark idea of how much a valve adjustment on a Ninja 250 would cost??

Thanks.

ajd187 · 03-17-2008, 02:45 PM

The Ninja is a dual OHC engine, so the difficulty of checking the valves is directly proportional to how easy it is to get to the valve cover.

If you can easily access the valve cover and get it off, you can do it yourself in probably an hour. You'd just need the spec (available in your service manual) and a good set of metric feeler guages.

If it needs to be shimmed that is another matter.

Iceman_954rr · 03-17-2008, 03:06 PM

Im kinda in the same boat...

My 954 is due for a valve adjustment, but I'm on the fence about diggin in there.

I have a quote for $250 or so on my bike from a local guy...the dealer wanted around $400.

hoaxci5 · 03-17-2008, 03:12 PM

Checking to see if they are out of spec is pretty easy. If they actually need adjustment that is a different story. When I lived in VA I had to do mine on my SV. I checked them and had 2 out of spec. I loaded the bike up completely torn apart still and took it to our local small shop and he only charged me $80 (1hr) to reshim the ones out of spec. All he had to do was pull the valve cover and the cams and reshim. I put all the rest of it back together. You might try that to see if you can get a better deal.

beowulf2k · 03-17-2008, 03:39 PM

Mine was $300, your's should be half price..lol. Nah I dunno but the rule is true, the more valves, the more money. Imagine the 5 valve exups?

Gimpdiggity · 03-17-2008, 04:53 PM

Alright, cool. Thanks guys.

I know of a small shop near where I work, but they don't sell Kawasaki bikes. I may go into there to see if they'll do the work on it anyways. If not, I guess I'll have to give the stealership a call.

jiffy · 03-17-2008, 05:39 PM

If you have the manuals it isn't that hard to do. The manuals coupled with the info at ninja250.net makes it easy and saves you $250.

Veefer97 · 03-17-2008, 05:58 PM

The 250 requires a special valve adjusting tool. You can do without but it is hard. If you drill out the spot welds on the coil bracket you can take the valve cover off without removing the coolant hose. Do a search, there is a 250 club and they have all of the info you need. With the tool it is easy as the valves are adjusted by threaded tapets.

stnkbg1 · 03-17-2008, 11:17 PM

When I did my 500 it was pretty easy. IIRC they used a threaded adjuster with a locknut. If the 250 is the same anyone with a decent mechanical aptitude could do it. Most of the newer 4cyl bikes are shim under bucket which are about the same work to check, but a whole lot more effort to adjust. I did my ZX-6RR and my YZ426 recently and it's not super difficult, but it is a pretty involved process.

toyotapower · 03-17-2008, 11:28 PM

i'd be glad to help if you were closer.

acalliste · 03-18-2008, 03:38 AM

It cost me a few dozen homemade cookies.

In-house mechanic FTW!

Repeater · 03-18-2008, 07:28 AM

The EX250 isn't that difficult, but you do need to be prepared to do it.

The worst part about it, arguably, is using the adjusting tool to get the exact tolerances you need while in such a confined space. It's only an 8-valve twin, but it's a tiny one, and everything's packed together pretty tightly.

And you do need to be prepared. The valve adjustment tool (about $40) is something you'll want to have. I really mean that.

Fortunately, no shims or cam removal nonsense is necessary for the 250's motor.

KatanaMike · 03-18-2008, 08:14 AM

And you do need to be prepared. The valve adjustment tool (about $40) is something you'll want to have. I really mean that.

+1 - it will make the job much easier and faster.

baldheadeddork · 03-18-2008, 12:56 PM

Shop prices vary widely depending on where you are, so no one will be able to give you a definite cost. But the EX250 will be at the bottom of the scale for whatever your local shops do charge. That job will take a good mechanic about an hour and a half, maybe a little less. Where I live that would make it about a $100 job but your prices may vary.

I would ask riders in your area about a good independent shop. The Ninja 250's been around for so long that practically every mechanic has worked on it several times, you don't need to go to a dealer for this. Just find a shop that does good work and doesn't charge a fortune.

Gimpdiggity · 03-18-2008, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baldheadeddork

Shop prices vary widely depending on where you are, so no one will be able to give you a definite cost. But the EX250 will be at the bottom of the scale for whatever your local shops do charge. That job will take a good mechanic about an hour and a half, maybe a little less. Where I live that would make it about a $100 job but your prices may vary.

I would ask riders in your area about a good independent shop. The Ninja 250's been around for so long that practically every mechanic has worked on it several times, you don't need to go to a dealer for this. Just find a shop that does good work and doesn't charge a fortune.

Yah, the shop that I was thinking of taking it to is an OLD shop. They sell Yamaha products, and really that's about all. They worked on my old Yamaha bike for dirt cheap...I mean, really, dirt cheap. The big Yamaha dealership in town wanted like $300 to replace the fork seals...this guy did it for $65.

I haven't talked to him yet to see if he works on products OTHER than what he sells. I'm guessing that he does, because there are regularly Harleys parked out back where he keeps the stuff he's working on...but I'm not 100% sure.