JB's 350X Refresh

[jb2wheels]

TulsaMikes excellent 110 build thread (http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthread.php/141955-Tulsamike3434-s-1983-ATC-110-Project-from-start-to-end!) inspired me so I've spent a few hours posting my 350X updates on my favorite sites.

Last summer, I bought a beater 85 350X.

It was rough but ran and came with some spare parts like:
- a complete 85 engine (it has an 86 in it)
- 86 front wheel, tire, hub and rotor
- mostly complete headlight
- 85 swinger and brake caliper mounts (donated to a good cause)
- airbox
- misc nuts and bolts

Both engines have chain holes in the LH crankcase.
It needs steering and rear axle bearings, seat cover, clutch cable, chain and sprockets, brake work, etc.

Shortly after I bought this I picked up a nice 85 250R so the big X was neglected and sat for while and I thought I would just fix the things that needed fixing and ride it.

Some pics from day 1 or so:

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[jb2wheels]

Some more pictures - mostly because I have them.

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[jb2wheels]

So, I pulled the rear end apart to replace the bearings.

I had to convince the hubs off with w a BFH.
I had to cut the rear lock nuts brake hub off.

I also noticed frame cracks around the rear seat mounts.

My first attempt to fix the oil leaks with the engine in the frame failed and I still had to pull the forks to replace the head bearings.

At this point (roughly Christmas), the project snowballed and I decided to tear it down to the frame. I wanted to ride it at 2012 Rampage and knew I better get started.

No frame teardown pictures. Teardown was uneventful - everything came apart nicely - even the swingarm pivot. 3 of 4 exhaust studs came out without issue. The 4th stayed where it belonged. No teardown pictures - it's just me taking a bunch of rusty, nasty parts apart.

With cracks in the frame and my "large stature", I knew it should be braced so I sent it to TPC.

Bill at TPC called me to let me know my rear subframe was bent pretty badly - you can see it in the pictures above. So he fixed that and repaired my broken exhaust mount.

While waiting for my frame, I cleaned and repaired/refinished just about every part on the thing.

Turns out I had a bent fork to match the rear subframe.

No picture yet of refinished parts. Nothing special - everything that could fit in the blasting cabinet got blasted. I like to clear coat nuts and bolts. Aluminum parts generally stay aluminum (like trees and fork lowers) without polishing.

Last week my frame came back - pics of the frame from TPC:

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The box I built to ship my frame FedEx was kinda cheesy and I paid for it when I got the frame back. They bent my steering head and grab bar mount:

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The grab bar was an easy fix with the crescent wrench.
I fixed the steering head with my BFH and brass drift.

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The bearing race should fit fine (it's in the freezer now) once I finish cleaning up the hole.

Before I paint the frame, I added a hole for shock bolt access and a couple of drain holes for the braces on the side of the frame:

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[jb2wheels]

I had to spend my weekend doing other things out of town so I finally got the primer on today.

First, I had to mow the lawn in the interest of matrimonial harmony.

Then I washed the frame with Dawn dishoap, and spent an hour scrubbing it with a Scotchbrite, then washed again.

While it was drying, I set up my frame hanger (basically an 8ft tall sawhorse) and hung the frame from it.

A few minutes blowing the water out of all the hiding places and a quick wipe with brake cleaner.

Finally, I got to shoot some paint. I used Summit epoxy primer through a purple Harbor Freight HVLP gun.

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I'll let this cure overnight and shoot the red after work tomorrow. Then it gets to cure over the weekend because I'll be out of town again. This is a pisser - I want to ride this at 2012 Rampage in May. Things will have to go very smoothly in order to get a shakedown ride before the trip.

That's my 86 X under the tarp. A future project that will get it's own thread eventually.

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On a side note, I ordered some 20x10x9 Ohtsu tires for this trike. Mostly, because they were less than $60 each. Interstingly enough, they are exactly like the Dunlops on my 250R. Or very close. I think the lugs are deeper on the Ohtsu but I did not measure.

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[atc350xer]

Looks like you're doing it right, nice job!

[aldochina]

awsome build thread man!! cant wait to see the frame in all its red glory!! nice job!!

[jb2wheels]

Well it rained today so no painting since I paint outside. I just need an hour of dry time to paint. If I can't get it done before Friday I'll slip outside the primer's topcoat window and have to sand the whole thing again.

Anyway, I mounted my new Ohties. I like these - I did not need tire irons to get them on the rims! I'm a simple guy...

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These rims came on the 200X roller I bought and turned into my white Chinese engined dune terror. They had some well worn, plugged and dry rotted Ohties and I don't think they're 350X pieces but they'll work fine. I spent some time cleaning them up with mag polish and the powerball or whatever that thing ws called.
The 350X came with some dry rotted Carlisle knobbies on aftermarket 8" rims. They were so tired air leaked out the dry rot cracks. I had to cut the tires off. The black stuff on the rims in my earlier posts is tire sealant. Imagine what the inside of the rims looked like. It was worse but I got them cleaned up nicely. The 8" rims will probably get some paddles in the future.

Since I could not paint my frame, I worked on the swingarm some.
I blasted and painted it while waiting for my frame. I LOVE my blasting cabinet. Amazingly, the swingarm still had the little rubber seals.
I put the bearings and spacer in the stock carrier a few weeks ago. The spacer got blasted and a coat of Rustoleum because it was rusted when it came out.
Tonight, I popped the seals off the bearings and added some grease because the bearing builders are amazingly stingy with it.
The swingarm and carrier got a shot of dry lube and a coat of waterproof grease, then new o-rings and I slipped it all together.
I did not change the pivot bearings. They were fine when I took it apart. I stuffed them with waterproof grease, and put the pivot back together.
I love the way it looks but the paint seems really soft. It's Duplicolor engine paint. I'm curious to see how long it lasts.
The caliper is from a CR80. The original 350X caliper was beyond salvage. What a mess.

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[jb2wheels]

We got a break in the weather so I have a red frame.

Since I'll be spending the weekend sealing grout and installing baseboards, the frame gets to cure in the sun for a few days. Or rain. Either way, I won't make any more progress for a few days.

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I hate cleaning the gun - red really shows and doesn't like to be cleaned up.

[falloutboy]

Looking good. My brother got his 350x finished up 99% of the way done, today. He's hoping to ride it Saturday.

[jb2wheels]

Back in town so I got some work done today.

First, I had to clearance a gusset to make the rear master cylinder fit. I got the clue from Scuba's build thread.

I wanted to use the hole saw again but i had to take a piece of the weld and was not sure I could get a good cut.

I have to say, I am impressed with the Summit paint. I used the cut off wheel on my 4.5" grinder for most of this and it puts a lot of heat into a cut when you lean on it like I do. The paint shows absolutely no stress. I thought it would blister and peel. Very cool.

I touched it up with a red Testors model paint pen I had. You can see it in later pictures.

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Once that was done, I spent a short eternity running a tap through all holes in the frame. It should be a quick job but it took a long time because of all the crap in the holes. Dip the tap in oil, run the hole, clean the tap. Repeat... No pictures.

I also took a small wire wheel and cleaned the paint off the brake pedal pivots and steering stem for the races. No pictures but you can see the clean pivots in later pictures. I also had to clean up a groove in the lower race hole from some POs previous hacking.

Finally, I got to the point of putting something on the frame. My steering bearing races and steering stem have been in the freezer for a week so I grabbed the races and put them in. They did not drop in but they went in pretty easy. These are my bearing drivers.

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Interestingly enough, the lower race goes "way in" the stem but the upper race sticks up a bit. My 200X was the same way. I took a picture for future reference. Both were All Balls kits FYI. The upper is in all the way and butted up against the ridge. The "pitting" on the races is condensation from the freezer.

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That's my garage oven in the background. I put the lower bearing (bigger ID) in there at 250F for 15 minutes while putting the races in. When it was ready, I pulled the stem out of the freezer, wiped the frost off, gave it a quick shot of WD40, then dropped (tapped) the washer on and dropped the seal on.

I pulled the bearing out of the oven and it just about dropped on. I had to tap the inner race a bit with a punch to seat it. No Pics.

After that, I greased up the stem and bearings and put the lower clamp in.

Than I bolted up the swinger and shock.

It's nice having the other 350X in the stable - it shows me where the parts go. For example, it was a good reminder of how the reservoir mounts.

Finally I bolted up the forks and upper clamp and it's close to being a trike again.

I glass bead blasted the tripples in my cabinet as well as the fork lowers while I had the forks apart. I love the finish it puts on aluminum.
The forks got fresh seals, Progressives springs, 20W oil, and shock boots from 4WheelParts for $8. The boots are a little short. Let's see how they work.

That's where it sits tonight. Tomorrow I'll adjust the valves and decomp cable and poor some oil into the cam troft. If time permits, I'll get it on wheels and maybe bolt the engine up.

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[jb2wheels]

A couple of busy days.

Last night I:
- adjusted the valves (way out - especially the exhaust)
- adjusted the decomp cable (could barely get the 1/4" free play)
NUTS - now that I'm on the couch resting, 1/4" seems like alot so I pulled up the manual and it says 1/14"...silly me
- installed TRX 400EX timing caps on the stator cover because they use allen heads instead of a flathead
- stuffed the axle in with using lots of waterproof grease and TRX 400EX barrel, lock nuts, and snap ring to replace the pieces I cut off to take it apart
- put it on its own wheels for the first time in months!
- mounted the engine with no real issues except I ran out of Loctite so I'm done for the night
- installed the old handlebars so I could move it around

Tomorrow I think I'll work on the brakes. I need to be sure they work or start ordering parts ASAP!

Trikes are easier to store than quads - can you find the ATC70?

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[jb2wheels]

Tonight, I worked on brakes. Both ends work fine. The rear uses the master that came with the trike and a CR80 caliper. Front uses a TRX ??? master I bought off eBay last year with 350X caliper I rebuilt. I did take the master apart and clean them but did not "rebuild" them. The rear pedals have a lot of slop - I should have left the paint on the pivots I guess. Oh well.

I re-adjusted the decomp cable.

I also put the front fender on and a few other little things for giggles.

The rear skid plate is from Tapper.
The front brake line came with the trike but I covered it with plastic "icemaker" tubing and clear heat shrink.
I made the upper guide. It looks nice froma few feet away but it's not perfect.
My new handlebars showed up today. Perfect timing for brake work. They're red aluminum from Tusk, cost less than $30 from Rocky Mountain ATV and come in an "ATV" bend I wanted to try. Plus, the sell a matching aluminum gas cap for Clarke tanks.

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[bugler30]

I used the same steering stem bearing kit that you did and it went together pretty smoothly and I didn't freeze the races or anything just persuaded them in with a block of wood and a bfh. Getting the lower bearing on the stem was a little bit of a challenge but again nothing kinetic persuasion couldn't handle. I wish I had the time and money to make mine as clean as you are doing yours :) Keep up the good work!

[Afrothunderkat]

Looks awesome, love the red hubs.

[jb2wheels]

Looks awesome, love the red hubs.


I used the same steering stem bearing kit that you did and it went together pretty smoothly and I didn't freeze the races or anything just persuaded them in with a block of wood and a bfh. Getting the lower bearing on the stem was a little bit of a challenge but again nothing kinetic persuasion couldn't handle. I wish I had the time and money to make mine as clean as you are doing yours :) Keep up the good work!

Thanks guys! I hear you about the $$. I wasn't planning on doing this when I bought it and 2 things really killed my budget. The frame work including shipping and paint turned into a significant chunk and a new gas tank. That's part of the reason I'm not replacing the plastics. Lots of elbow grease and a few hundred in other parts, spray paint, etc. I won't even keep the receipts so I won't be tempted to add it up. I can't imagine the $$ people spend when the powder coat an dpolish and chrome or do a true restoration.

[HONDA_ATC_FREAK]

I'm very interested to here more on the stator cover plugs from a 400ex i need new ones for my 350x i just about ruined them getting them off for my rebuild.

[jb2wheels]

The 400ex plugs are direct replacements - the small one uses a 6mm hex and the large a 10mm hex.

I bought both caps and both o-rings new from BikeBandit. They weren't particularly cheap.

I'm curious if some of the eBay caps for other engines fit - like for a CRF230? I bet they do.

[HONDA_ATC_FREAK]

what year did you go with for the 400ex caps?

[jb2wheels]

2004 if I recall correctly

[jb2wheels]

A lot of work when I could sneak it in the last few days that you have to look closely at the pictures to see:

- Wire harness installed and all the clamps and stuff. Cleaned all the terminals and switches and painted the labels on the handlebar switches.
- Clutch and throttle cables installed. I'm using an aftermarket clutch lever because I have no parking brake. I don't really like the way it fits - the lever hits the switches before full pull. I might use the stocker instead.
- Rebuilt the carb with a fresh carb kit. I wasn't going to because it was a runner before I tore it down but I'm glad I did. The pilot was plugged, all the gaskets and o-rings were hard and brittle, and the mixture screw was stripped. Carb kit was under $20. Worth the peace of mind
- Carb, vent lines, airbox and all the intake stuff - I had to flip the intake manifold - it was upside down and explains why I had a hard time installing the carb when I first got it. I'm using an UNI air filter in the stock box. I like foam air filters better than pleated paper or K&N style.
- Made my own stainless studs from stainless bolts and installed the exhaust. I bead blasted the whole thing and painted with some hi-temp flat black. Amazingly, I have all the heat shields and the muffler clamp. Nice. I did have to buy the pipe to muffler gasket - it did not have one when I got it.
- Installed the PRM grab bar that arrived yesterday. The stocker was done - bent up and welded/repaired multiple times. I like these Baja Bars because it makes it easier for two people to grab it a throw it in the van.

We're getting close to engine start here. I need to knock out a few things:
- for a start and quick tour around the neighborhood I need to install the chain and gas tank
- blast the stock engine skid plate but I'm leaving it off until I'm sure I sorted the oil leaks
- blast and paint the sprocket cover because I missed it earlier

This things almost done.

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[jb2wheels]

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IT RUNS!

And it runs pretty good! Started on the 3rd kick. Seems a little cold blooded - I need to fiddle with the carb some.

I was going to make a movie but I pulled the fuel line off and don't have a replacement.

Front and rear fenders, shrouds and headlight came with the trike - including the middle third of the mudflap. The fenders and shrouds all have some plastic welding. The look great from 5 feet away...

Seat cover is an eBay special I installed myself with a Harbor Freight staple gun - air powered and shoots T50 staples uder $20

Tank is a Clarke that came with the 86 I just bought, It got a little wet sanding and scraping and some stickers I had laying around. It also got a cheap replacement petcock.

I rode it around the cul-de-sac some and it's everything I remember the big X being!

The clutch lever seems to work fine.

The punch list is getting shorter:
- stainless bolts or screws for the tank shroud - the stocker ones were too small and I just mounted with some from the screw bucket.
- new fuel line and spring clamps
- find some bolts for the sprocket cover/case save. I think I actually used the correct 6x14 bolts to mount the sprocket so maybe I need to find some shorter ones for the sprocket? I'll know more tomorrow.

[captainweezy]

Looking good

[murfman]

looks great!

[jb2wheels]

Thanks! It looks great but it leaks oil.

I've been chasing leaks on the LH stator cover since I got it. The cover and the case had chain damage. I replaced the cover with the one from the 2nd engine that came with the trike because it had no chain damage. I've been through multiple rounds of gaskets, sealants and filing to clean up the mess. I'll pull the chain and sprocket this weekend and have a closer look. Maybe the output shaft seal is leaking but I think it's the cover/case joint. It drips while parked.

On the RH side, I'm not sure where oil is coming from. Oil filter got a new o-ring and I also replaced the little o-ring on the fiter cover. I have not replaced the cooler line o-rings so that's next.

Not surprised, just disappointed.

[jb2wheels]

I changed the oil cooler line o-rings, then flipped the trike up on its RH side so I could check the leak on the LH side without draining the fresh oil out (I'm a cheap SOB).

First - neither the output shaft nor the shifter seal leak. Dry all around both. Also dry around the chain damage but I have oil down low around the lowest, rear curve of the stator cover. I pulled the stator cover and was able to save the gasket. No obvious damage to either the case or cover. I threw my hands in the air and broke my "no RTV on engines" rule. I put a small bead of hi-temp RTV on both sides of the gasket around the leak area - basically the lower 1/2 from behind the stator all the way back. After it skimmed I put it back together. I left the trike tipped up on it's RH side overnight while the RTV cures.

Of course, this morning there was a little puddle under the leak I still have on the RH side. Looks like it's coming from the oil filter. I changed that o-ring twice but I leave the cooler line attached the whole time. It's sometimes a struggle to manipulate and install. I wonder if I'm pinching it? ID-10-T is the root cause here I think. I'll know more tonight.

[jb2wheels]

I got it dirty this weekend so I guess I can call it "done". Of course, I did not take a camera so all we have is pics from my 3+ year old cell phone:

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I pulled the clutch cover and gave that gasket some RTV as well and that seems to have solved most of my oil leaks. I still get a little seepage from the filter housing and now the oil line to the head leaks weeps at the head because I did not change the washers.

I then I hauled it out to Hidden Falls/ (http://www.hiddenfallsadventurepark.com/) near Marble Falls Texas and spent 3 hours on the trails with it.

It pops a bit on decel but otherwise runs great! It starts easy and makes plenty of power. It smoked a bit when I first started it so I will keep an eye on it. I did not go into this engine other than fixin oil leaks and regular maintenance.

Also - is there supposed to be a spring behind the oil filter? Hmmm I don't have one.

[jb2wheels]

After riding for 3 hours last weekend, this Friday I changed the oil and filter and put the spring in behind the filter (I got the spring out of my spare engine).

While the oil was draining I thought it would be a good idea to check bolts. Glad I did - one of the top engine mount bolts was already missing a nut and every engine mount bolt was loose. I put Loctite on everything when I put it together. Amazing. Needless to say, every bolt on the trike got a twist of the wrench.

I went through this with my white 200x last year, too. My son and I were riding at Little Sahara. We stopped at the top of a dune to rest and I noticed it was missing an engine mount bolt. Completely gone. That trike also only had a few hours on it after a rebuild.

Check your nuts. I think I'll add that to my signature...

[atc007]

Great build!!! Thanx for sharing!!