You've gone this far, pull the thing out and take it all the way apart. I did this when I was a young teen twice to repair broken gears. XR200 and a Kawasaki KE125. You work from the clutch side since all of the kickstart(if you've added it), clutch, cam, and idler gear jive is on that side of the engine. Those things have to come off to split the cases and gravity holds them all in place as you reinstall.

I hate extra parts. The fact that the metal washer was setting on top of a gear in a very unlikely place indicates that it was a part you removed during disassembly of the top end. It may have even fallen down from the frame above.

 

Pull it ALL apart so you can clean it and find the chunk in the case.

Do a proper repair. A second time really sucks.

I still hold my offer on the case.

David

 

Wow, how'd you get the hole?

 

Were the cam chain guides removed before you found the washer? The parts diagram for the KLX300 shows a washer on the bolt that holds one of the guides but the diagram for the newer KLX250 shows a different setup.....................maybe????

Ride on
Brewster

 

I think you're on to something. A spring popped out when I pulled the head off - I think the spring for the guides, wonder if it might be around there somewhere... hmm

 

Maybe on the large non adjusting camchain tensioner. It looks familiar now that you said something about the spring.
Dan

 

Part no 92022? Seems like that was a beefy little washer on that spring when I did the 351

 

Was the washer covered in an oil film indicating it was from inside the engine or was some or all of it dry indicating it may have fell from above?

I would continue splitting the case becuase its really only your time that you will waste if you decide to get the replacement case for $450. It wont be a waste either way becuase you will have learned a lot from dissassemble.
Cheers Jim

 

Yep - that's the washer! Thanks for the help guys, I was going to lose sleep over that if I didn't find out where it went!

I know I should just do it. I just don't want to get it all back together and for some reason have to do it all over again.

 

I got some more stuff off, got the clutch off, drive gear, some other gear.. The nuts going on those two main gears had 1,000lbs of torque holding them on. What a PITA!

I got stopped at needing a beefier philip's head screwdriver (impact driver??) to pull the oil pump. I can't believe they use philips screws there. Couldn't have stuck with the 8mm cap bolts kawi?! Bastards! I didn't want to test it with the wimpier philips head and risk chewing them up.

Fun little project. **NOT!!** hahaa