KX500 engine in 85 Tecate3

[KXtecate3]

Hey guys, I'm a newbie here so go easy on me HAHA. ANyways, I got a line on an 85 Tecate 3 with no motor. I was thinking about just nipping it in the bud right away and dropping a KX500 engine in it. I need to know if its going to fit, and if so, what year 500 engine should I look for? Will I have to relocate motor mounts and so forth? I'm fairly swift mechanically, but I can't weld, so I was hoping to keep away from that, but if I have to do it, I can get it taken care of. I know the bike is in solid shape other than no motor, and its already got a +3 swingarm. the arm was a home job, but they did a VERY nice job of it, you can barely even tell. I may be able to get some pics of the chassis if somebody wants to see.

[MTS]

think its been done...but what iv heard a new kx 250 motor is easir to put in and you cant keep the front end oin the ground comin out of turns in any gear..forget who did it..hes a member hear.. :TrikesOwn :D

[KXtecate3]

OK.....so do you know if that would be a drop-in deal?

[N8s250r]

id recomend doing a newer 250 motor rather than a 500.

[MTS]

i belive it is AN ALMOST drop in.. i think he had to move the motor mounts..gime a sec leme find the link for it..

[KXtecate3]

sweet...thanks

[Jeb]

It's not going to be a "drop in" on an 84 or 85 Tecate. It is simple on an 86/87 Tecate. The front of the engine cradle is very different between the A & B series KXTs.

The 84/85 frame has a single front down-tube and the engine is designed with the exhaust port coming off the cylinder slanted to miss the single down-tube. I believe the KX 500 engines are designed for a "wishbone" front down-tube. The exhaust port comes out of the center of the cylinder. You'll have to make a new down-tube for the 85 frame. You will face the same problem trying to put a newer KX250 motor in an 84/85 Tecate frame. It's not impossible, you can build a new cradle but it's just not as simple as a "drop-in".

86/87 KXTs have the "wishbone" down-tube and centered exhaust port which makes them the best candidate for that type of engine swap.

You might look at the first gen Air Cooled open-class KX motors, such as the 420 and I think they had an aircooled 500 for the first year. These might drop in because the older KX frames had the single down-tube also. But sadly you won't get any KX motor newer than 84 model.

[86250RZ]

Not to steal a mans thread or anything but... do you guys think this may work in my 86 T-3 and if so what am I looking at mod wise. Im very serious about donig this mod as long as I dont have to hack her up to much.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4500188530&category=34284&sspagename=WDVW

[wizzard]

will drop in \ won't drop in - dude, you're gonna have a 500 motor in a tecate frame when it's done. just do it.

[KXtecate3]

will drop in \ won't drop in - dude, you're gonna have a 500 motor in a tecate frame when it's done. just do it.

haha yeah that was what I was hoping to do. thanks for the advise

[Tri-ZNate]

I would forget the KX500 motor and putting a 750cc motor in like this one. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4500239746&category=43981
But that requires some work extending the frame just a hair. (sarcasm)

[KXtecate3]

haha I was lookin on e-bay earlier tonight and found a 110 HP 520 stroker banshee engine and I started thinking...haha till I realized I didn't have 3,000 to spend on an engine that would take massive amounts of fabbing like the 750 would. I'm probably just gonna end up getting another T3 engine for it.

[BigGreenMachine]

KXtecate3 why dont you look for an 83/84 KX250 motor to sink into it, or use an 84/85 bottom end with an 83/84 KX250 cylinder with the tecate head for more performance. Good luck with the project. Just so you know the later 86 through 88 Tecate motor will not fit because of the pipe and front mounts.

[trikerider2oo7]

nothing will be a perfect bolt right in engine except the 85 tecate engine.

[KXtecate3]

thats what I was afraid of...I'll figure out something