An overdue update to my Tecate project. Page 6

[jsimonh]

**EDIT**I changed the name because I want to keep all my Tecate progress/questions on one on-going thread. I made the decision to keep it after reading alot of the replies below and the thought of having a pure race/dune trike. I struggled with which way to go with my Z, race or trail. Now I don't have to choose I can have both!**EDIT**

I went riding today, and bumped into an old man that said he liked my trike:w00t: . We got to talking and he said he had an old project that he would be willing to sell:wondering . I asked him what it was, and he wasn't sure. He said he traded an old dirtbike for it a couple years ago and then never got around to messing with it. Anyways, I went to see what it was and ended up buying my first Tecate. I'm not sure on the year, I do know it's an early one because of the front tire and no shrouds but oh well:lol: . Now that I got it home I'm not sure if I want to keep it or not, so it may need a home pretty soon. It needs a flywheel and cover, silencer, and lots of TLC, but anyways here are some pics.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/a92399a0.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture132142.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture132144.jpg

[82300R]

nice find,if you don't fix it maybe you could make a few dollars off of it. i does'nt look that bad. is the front fender on backwards?

[Somekindofjerk]

Fix it up and ride it! The tecates are crazy fast and very fun to ride! :TrikesOwn

[BigGreenMachine]

Looks like you scored a DG/Cobra pipe with it as well. Oh and its an 85, nice deal since it has nice stock rrear fenders (rare!)

[OZQUAD44]

Looks like great project, make a nice mate to your Tri-Z

Whats the deal with that front fender? It looks wrong

[Russell 350X]

Looks like a 84 to me...

[Bigbore]

Its an '85... Front disc brake!

[BigGreenMachine]

Yup, 85 with the 4/156 rear hub spacing and disc brake front plus the colour of the swinger is silver instead of gold for the 84.

Front fender has been cut down for whatever reason.

Fix it and ride it then you will never sell. lol

[Somekindofjerk]

Im with biggreen there, Once you ride it youll want to keep it forever!

[scooterroo]

very nice, mind if i ask how much you paid? get yourself a new front fender cuz that one is cut very weirdly. and i too agree with biggreen, once you ride it you wont wanna get rid of it. they hit like tyson does!!

[MichiganRedneck]

nice find. whats wrong with it?

[Yamaha Tri-Moto]

That thing looks sweet, Nice find

[350Xccelerator]

i think it actually looks pretty good, id fix it up and keep it.

[jsimonh]

Alright guys, IF I decide to keep it how hard are the parts to find? I've looked on ebay, but 85 Tecate doesn't turn up much:cry: . Tecate turns up alot, but many of the parts are for the 84. Will these two years (84 and 85) interchange with each other:wondering ? If so I'm leaning on keeping it and turning it into a pure track trike:naughty: . I have already set my Z up for trails, so it would be cool to have a trail trike and a track/dune trike.:w00t:

[BigGreenMachine]

84/85, everything swaps. 85 had a larger 34 mm carb then the 32 on the 84. The 85 has a disc brake front end and a little more adjustment from the rear shock. For more power look for a 83/84 KX250 cylinder and piston, stator and flywheel setup. The cylinder itself is good for a 5hp increase.

Extended swinger on ebay right now you will need for MX and climbing dunes and theres a ton of mods available for these things.

[jsimonh]

84/85, everything swaps. 85 had a larger 34 mm carb then the 32 on the 84. The 85 has a disc brake front end and a little more adjustment from the rear shock. For more power look for a 83/84 KX250 cylinder and piston, stator and flywheel setup. The cylinder itself is good for a 5hp increase.

Extended swinger on ebay right now you will need for MX and climbing dunes and theres a ton of mods available for these things.

Thanks for the info BGM, I think I'll pass on the swingarm for now. I got to get if running first!:lol:

[Jeb]

Good choice to keep it! :beer

You can grab some 84 KXT rear hubs and run smaller rims out back if you want.

I'd like to find an 85 model in the near future to add to the collection.

[jsimonh]

There are new flywheels on ebay for $125, is that a good deal? They sound like they would be better than stock, but I'm not sure.

[scooterroo]

the stators and flywheels are the same you would get from ricky stator himself, and basically the same price. parts are a little harder to find then most trikes, but they are out there if you do your homework and searching. i started out with just a bare frame back in november, and have gotten pretty much everything to get the bike built. need to have my motor completely rebuilt, some new chrome rims and some hoosier s for the back, and a good tire for the front, would love a hoosier tri trac front if i could find one, and mine is about ready to ride. my only hold up is cash flow, its flowing the wrong direction, towards bills and such, plus i have 2 sons and a daughter, soooo, when bonus time comes at the end of the month, you know where my bonus goes to, lol.

[scooterroo]

the stators and flywheels are the same you would get from ricky stator himself, and basically the same price. parts are a little harder to find then most trikes, but they are out there if you do your homework and searching. i started out with just a bare frame back in november, and have gotten pretty much everything to get the bike built. need to have my motor completely rebuilt, some new chrome rims and some hoosier s for the back, and a good tire for the front, would love a hoosier tri trac front if i could find one, and mine is about ready to ride. my only hold up is cash flow, its flowing the wrong direction, towards bills and such, plus i have 2 sons and a daughter, soooo, when bonus time comes at the end of the month, you know where my bonus goes to, lol.

[scooterroo]

why the hell did the reply post twice? whatever, lol.

[Somekindofjerk]

Nice rear suspension! looks like it has a cable tiedown eyelet bolt assembly holding it solid!

[jsimonh]

Thanks scooterroo. I'm honestly more worried about finding the small stuff like engine mounts, pipe springs, and such than I am the big things like the silencer and brakes.

[Bryan Raffa]

you mean to tell me that i might actually win something for a triz on ebay now that you got a new project!!!!!LOL just kidding I would have kept it too Ive all ways wanted one! keep us posted on progress!

[scooterroo]

bikebandit.com...oem parts, if not dicontniued, and try the kawasaki website too. i got a few things from ronnies.com also, he deals with oem parts as well.

[jsimonh]

you mean to tell me that i might actually win something for a triz on ebay now that you got a new project!!!!!LOL just kidding I would have kept it too Ive all ways wanted one! keep us posted on progress!

:lol: :lol: My Z is 99% done, I'll have to make a new thread and show the changes that I've made to it. Just don't buy a 84-85 Tecate for a few months bryan and we'll be alright!:lol: :lol:

[BigGreenMachine]

Ebay is THE source for Tecate parts. Motor mounts may be had from the dealer, assuming they remember what the heck a Tecate is. I bought exhaust springs from the dealer not long ago too. Moose and Veshrah make complete gasket sets and if you can, buy the Cometic topend gasket set as I've had the Moose topend gasket blow out on me within three rides. AllBalls make crank bearing and every other bearing kit for the T3 as well, buying factory bearings is brutal! $$$

Go to www.powersportspro.com and sign up for the Partsfiche site they use. I grab the numbers for the Tecate (85 KXT250 A2) from there and head to the dealer with parts numbers and prices in hand.

Also download the PDF file of the JWR Tecate Handbook. Its filled with some neat mods to make your Tecate just like the one Jimmy White raced back in the day.

http://www.files.3wheelerworld.com/Manuals/JWR1.pdf

Have fun with that sucker. Whats up with the fenders? All painted?

[Bryan Raffa]

:lol: :lol: My Z is 99% done, I'll have to make a new thread and show the changes that I've made to it. Just don't buy a 84-85 Tecate for a few months bryan and we'll be alright!:lol: :lol:

thats funny I think your safe on that one!, if I did get one it would be a 86 LOL ebay away!:w00t:

[Bryan Raffa]

the stuff on e bay from the cycle joint is us still have more to list!

[jsimonh]

Well, progress is going slow on this one. I have managed to pick up a carb, coil, stator cover, used flywheel, thumb throttle, and complete rear breaks. I also scored a green ceet gas tank cover. The pics below are from when I was trying to get the black paint off and see exactly what I got under all that black crap. None of my parts have arrived yet, but I'm getting more excited everyday.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture014.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture01500.jpg

I did manage to find that the axle is a Durablue.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture017.jpg

I don't know what kind of rear shock this is, but I'm sure it's not stock. I need a little help with this. I need to find a stock one and need some pictures of how it mounts.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture016.jpg

[Jeb]

Not sure what kind of shock that is, but your right, that's not a stock reservoir.

Also, that's an old aftermarket adjustable strut for the rear end. And the Dura-Blue axle was a great score. Wish you'd a sold it to me! :lol:

[darrel632]

I think thats a stock 1985 adjuster for your trailing arm, and I think, but not sure, that reservoir looks like an older warrior type. The reservoir for that T-3 is a right side mount above the brake res. and taps in on the right bottom of the shock, if you want I can take pictures of mine, it's new / NOS Kawasaki its been on for about a month so the decals etc. are still in good shape.

[tecate kid]

I got a couple of quick questions, why did you get a new carb? Also what kind of thumb throttle did you get? I have an 84 Tecate and am always looking for some new info!
Tecate kid

[Jeb]

I think thats a stock 1985 adjuster for your trailing arm, ...

If you are talking about the linkage strut, only the 1986 and 87 Models came from the factory with an adjustable strut. The 1984 and 85 did not.

And it looks nothing like the factory adjuster for a 1986/87 model. It's after-market or possibly home-made. :beer

[jsimonh]

Thanks for the info guys, I'm going to start looking for an 01 raptor shock for it.

tecate kid: I bought a carb because the one on it doesn't have the needle/spring/all the little parts and I bought a complete one for less than each of these parts would have cost. The thumb throttle is off a 200x. I'm not sure if it will work yet, but I'll find out soon!

[BigGreenMachine]

Cool, what width is your axle? Let us know how the thumb throttle install goes and if the stock cable fits the Honda throttle.

[jsimonh]

BigGreen I'll check on the width.

I need some help asap. I got most of my parts in, but the rear master cylinder needs rebuilt. Any ideas where to find a rebuild kit. It's the part that pushes the fluid.

Thanks guys.

[BigGreenMachine]

Need to rebuild the caliper or the master itself? Just take the master apart and give it a good cleanup. Thats all I did with mine and it works great.

[jsimonh]

Here's a little update. I've got alot of parts that I need and I'm bidding on some at this minute. I also stumbled onto this and bought it for a little cash:D . Not a whole lot there, but the frame, swinger, and bottem end are in better shape than the ones on the 1st Tecate. Also I put my Z up for sale locally in the Bike trader so I'll have some funds to do this restore right!:w00t: I think I have as much fun building them as I do riding them.:beer
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture132153.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture132152.jpg

[BigGreenMachine]

Another 84. It has a 86/87 rear swingarm and I'm not sure but possibly a complete 86/87 axle/carrier/hubs/wheels. See the brakeline how tight it is? Thats because the 86/87 swinger is an 1inch longer and aluminum.

The 86/87 axle is wider then the 84/85 as well.

James

[cragster]

I like them tires/rims on the new t3. Would the hubs and all fit on a 350x? It wouldnt would it....But it would work on a 200x right?..... Id be interested in them cuz i like htem. What size rim / and what brand tire is that

[jsimonh]

Another 84. It has a 86/87 rear swingarm and I'm not sure but possibly a complete 86/87 axle/carrier/hubs/wheels. See the brakeline how tight it is? Thats because the 86/87 swinger is an 1inch longer and aluminum.

The 86/87 axle is wider then the 84/85 as well.
I think the green one has a 86/87 carrier and axle, it is really rigged to the swingarm. There has clearly been some cutting and welding to get the carrier and axle on the swingarm of the green one. I'm planning on using the red frame/swingarm, and I'm hoping that your right (I'm sure you are;) ) and I can use the green carrier on the red ones swingarm. Does that make since?


I like them tires/rims on the new t3. Would the hubs and all fit on a 350x? It wouldnt would it....But it would work on a 200x right?..... Id be interested in them cuz i like htem. What size rim / and what brand tire is that
The tires are Titan's size 18's, but there shot. The rims are 10inch and I plan on keeping both sets for the finished Tecate. One set with trail/mud type tires and the other with 18inch track tires like holeshots or razr's or maybe paddles:D .

[cragster]

how much does a new set of them tires cost? I like them

[scooterroo]

titan fast trekkers, last time i looked them up they are anywheres between 45 to 65 a peice depending on the size. titantires.com look up fast trekker. nice tires, i am getting a set to go on my 85t3 when i dont wanna run the hoosiers and want that extra traction.

[cragster]

you have hoosiers? I want some of them too... im checking out them sites now

[jsimonh]

I need some help guys. Is there any other rear shock besides the 01 Raptor shock that will fit? I know they say its a little longer than a banshee, but will a piggyback banshee shock work? What about a Warrior shock? I made some progress today and will post pictures some time soon.

[jsimonh]

A little update.

I was able to take a 200x thumb throttle and cut the cable out, then used my dremmel tool to cut a slit in the metal slide adjuster that sticks out of the throttle. By doing this I was able to slide the Tecate cable into the adjuster taking up some of the slack of the twist cable and make it tight enough to work where I could adjust it. I know that sounds as clear as mud, but it is working:lol: .

The other pic is when I was swapping the better forks onto the better frame with the 86/87 swingarm.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture132163.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture132161.jpg

[jsimonh]

I need some more help.:lol:

Are the carrier bearing for all the Tecate 3 wheelers the same? I know I have an 86 or 87 swinger, but the carrier looks the same on both machines and one is definatly an 85 swinger. I'm in need of some help here guys becasue I want to order a bearing kit. Also the bearing kits on ebay say they don't come with the dust seals. Where would I get those?

Any help with this and the rear shock question above will be greatly appreciated(sp).

[BigGreenMachine]

I've seen Rappy shocks in Tri-Z's so I would imagine a piggy back shock from a Shee would be fine. You have to mount it upsidedown but it wouldn't hurt to do so.

Seals are going to be a bearing shop deal or just order factory seals. Bring your old seals to a bearing shop and have them match it up.

Looks like a mess so far, fun!

[tecate kid]

I kinda fogot about this build, looks nice and good score on the "spare". About the rear shock, I have been trying to get a Raptor one for my 84, but the sell for as much as I can get a rebuilt factory one for. What other ones are there for options? I really want to MX mine so its gotta be a good shock.
Thanks,
tecate kid

[BigGreenMachine]

www.tecateconnection.com has rebuilt shocks for cheap that will perform as good as a used Shee or Rappy unit.

[jsimonh]

Thanks for the info BigGreen, your fastly becoming my number one source for Tecate info:beer .

[tecate kid]

Thats what I was thinking. Thanks again.
tecate kid

[jsimonh]

I need a little help guys. Both of the bottom ends on these machines are supposed to be good, but both stators are different from one another. I don't plan on running a headlight or taillight so should I use the one with one coil? The wires on it are in better condition than the other, but I don't know why they would be different.

Any thoughts?
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture132155.jpg

[Bryan Raffa]

they look the same to me..the one on the left looks like its missing the eather the pickup or the lighting, not shure witch one it is...

[moose 53]

If you are not running lights ether one will work.You are missing the lighting coil on one.

[jsimonh]

Great News!
After I posted above I went out and stuck in the one with only one coil and put everything back together (including a used flywheel that I bought). I grounded the plug and cranked it over with my hand and BAM spark! I haven't been this excited about a 3 wheeler in a long time.

I plan on putting it back into the frame tommorow and seeing if I can get it started.:w00t:

At first I though I would take my time and do a complete rebuild, but as easy as this thing comes apart I think I'll try and get it running first and then pull parts off to paint/powder as I replace them.

[jsimonh]

Just a cuple of pics to show progress. I ran into a little trouble when I found that the drain plug is completly stripped out:cry: . I pulled the motor back out and I'm going to take it to a local machine shop and hopefully they can fix it. I also have new rear fenders and some other parts on the way.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture132160.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture132161-1.jpg

[BigGreenMachine]

Coming together quickly! What handlebars are those?

[scooterroo]

looks to be coming along nice. turning it back to green i see, ah the proper thing to do. keep up the work and you'll have her screamin in no time!!!

[jsimonh]

Coming together quickly! What handlebars are those?

Those are the factory bars off my old TriZ.:lol: The ones on the Tecate were bent and I haven't got around to getting any new ones so I threw those on. I'm bidding on a set of factory Tecate bars on ebay right now. I hope I get them:naughty: .

[jsimonh]

More updated pics.

I'm waiting on a different swinger, gas tank, and a few other things. I still have a few odds and ends to tie up, but she'll be done and ready to ride soon:w00t: .

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture132167.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/jsimonh/Picture132165.jpg

[twgranger]

Looks great!!! You have to remove them stupid maier stickers though.

[scooterroo]

its coming along, looks alot better then when you got it. keep it up.

[BigGreenMachine]

NOICE!! Looking good, now some different meats would make it hot!

[jsimonh]

Thanks for the kind words guys. It feels good to put alot of effort into something and then read comments about it like that.

[OZQUAD44]

I can't believe how far you have come with that bike in such a short period of time. Aren't you glad you bought it back from the edge of destruction.

All you need now is an 85 model 250R and you'll have the whole collection

[jsimonh]

I can't believe how far you have come with that bike in such a short period of time. Aren't you glad you bought it back from the edge of destruction.

All you need now is an 85 model 250R and you'll have the whole collection

Well I wish, but I sold the Tri Z a couple of weeks ago. However I used the money from it and bought my dream trike last night.... it's a 1986 350x. I'll probably keep this Tecate, but I'm not sure now. Hopefully everything will work out where I can keep both of them.

[scooterroo]

you have to keep them both. that way you have a ting tinger and thump thumper. best of both worlds in my mind. thats why i am in search of a nice shape 200x in the upstate ny area, so i can save on the wear and tear of the tecate when its done, and still have a reliable 4stroke thumper to beat on when ever i want.

[Russell 350X]

Its looking good, what happened to the tank?

[jsimonh]

Its looking good, what happened to the tank?

Thats a tank cover. I'm happy with it, but I've got a good tank coming and I dont really want to use the cover unless I have to. It does match the rest of the fenders nicely though.

Scooterroo, I hope to keep both, but I'm going to have to do some fund shifting:lol: . I have some other stuff I may be able to sell, but we'll see:wondering .

[Russell 350X]

Ok I see know, dumb of me lol.

[OZQUAD44]

The tank cover looks very loose, is there a tank underneath it? I remember seeing tanks in your other photos

[jsimonh]

The tank cover looks very loose, is there a tank underneath it? I remember seeing tanks in your other photos

In that picture it's not snaped together. Like I said it doesn't look to bad when on tight, but I would perfer not to use it. I may just stick it on when I'm not riding or something so it will look nice when it's sitting:lol: .

[jsimonh]

I got it started last night. It would run just not idle. I killed it and installed the silencer, and then came inside for the rest of the night. Today I go out and it wont do anything. I checked the spark, changed the plug, and still nothing. The reeds are good and I'm not sure what else to check.

Any ideas for me?

It started last night after only 1 or 2 kicks, but today you can kick until your head turns blue and still nothing.

I don't have a kill switch installed yet, could that be the problem? I don't have any bear wires touching anything, but I wasn't sure how to install a kill switch.

[darrel632]

did you try to pre-load fuel into the cyl? if the floats are off at all, the carb goes dry and you can kick till your leg is numb and nothing happens. Preload an oz of fuel from your tank straight into the cyl and then kick it over see if that works

[jsimonh]

Me and my wife recently moved, so things have been kinda hectic. To get away from the house and relax I've been going out to the farm and working on my Tecate. I got it started a couple of months ago and then it wouldn't do anything the next day. I ended up buying a 350x and the Tecate has been on the back burner until these last couple of days. After breaking it down I found that the moon key was sheared off and the flywheel wasn't spinning. I got a new key installed and she fired right up! Now its running good, but the radiator is leaking at the bottom. Is there anything I can do about that? Would some sort of stop leak work in such a small radiator?

Sorry for the long post, but its been awhile.

[Kintore]

I used JB weld on rads before, make sure its nice and clean and you apply it evenly and make sure you let it sit for a few days. And your golden!

[theonlyjosh]

keep it up man i was very much enjoying reading the progress in this thread!! the bike looks real nice and almost makes me want to have a tecate lol, i like hondas though, more pics plz :P