1992 KX500 Snow bike engine for Brent
- Sandblaster
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Re: 1992 KX500 Snow bike engine for Brent
Here is a view from the exhaust port... Before..
And after the rough cutting is done..
Now I need to finish the other side to match.
Then, I need to install the exhaust valves and mark them so that I can get the ports to match the open and shut position of the valves for maximum flow.. Breathe baby breathe!
And after the rough cutting is done..
Now I need to finish the other side to match.
Then, I need to install the exhaust valves and mark them so that I can get the ports to match the open and shut position of the valves for maximum flow.. Breathe baby breathe!
If bikes are for kids I'll never grow up.
Re: 1992 KX500 Snow bike engine for Brent
Man I'm so excited! It's gonna be torture breaking that bad boy in!
- Sandblaster
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Re: 1992 KX500 Snow bike engine for Brent
Ok... I wasn't gonna say who's engine it is but now everyone knows lol..
Yes, we have a whole series of directions for breakin which include re-torquing the cylinder base nuts and the head nuts.
KX500's are notorious for chucking head gaskets during the first hour or two of operation if you don't re-torque them.
If you follow the directions you won't have any issues.
I'll email you the list.
It's nothing special or difficult but it is something that needs to be done.
I know your going to run a Smart carb.
What pipe and reed valve are you gonna be running?
Yes, we have a whole series of directions for breakin which include re-torquing the cylinder base nuts and the head nuts.
KX500's are notorious for chucking head gaskets during the first hour or two of operation if you don't re-torque them.
If you follow the directions you won't have any issues.
I'll email you the list.
It's nothing special or difficult but it is something that needs to be done.
I know your going to run a Smart carb.
What pipe and reed valve are you gonna be running?
If bikes are for kids I'll never grow up.
- Sandblaster
- Posts: 6316
- Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:50 pm
- Location: Eugene, OR
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Re: 1992 KX500 Snow bike engine for Brent
Ok... I have both sub ports roughed in.
The cool thing about this porting is that if Brent decides at some point that he needs more power, we don't need to do a lot of work to boost it.
Add a base gasket spacer and take a bit off the deck and your going again..
The cool thing about this porting is that if Brent decides at some point that he needs more power, we don't need to do a lot of work to boost it.
Add a base gasket spacer and take a bit off the deck and your going again..
If bikes are for kids I'll never grow up.
Re: 1992 KX500 Snow bike engine for Brent
We had talked about doing the 10mm reed spacer acne the v force 2.said you guys know a guy that does a billet combo of the 2? And my pipe is an fmf gnarly af pipe as o have an aluminum frame. I want to upgrade the pipe, but haven't been successful in finding another set up that's not a custom cone pipe...
- Sandblaster
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Re: 1992 KX500 Snow bike engine for Brent
That's right...
I have talked with so many people about K5 stuff since then that I spaced it..
A custom cone pipe would be crazy... but not cheap..
I have talked with so many people about K5 stuff since then that I spaced it..

A custom cone pipe would be crazy... but not cheap..
If bikes are for kids I'll never grow up.
Re: 1992 KX500 Snow bike engine for Brent
Yeah, not really in the budget right now, and don't know anywhere to do it that's close enough to bring the bike in to have it fit. Not to mention it's snowing in the hills! Haha
- Sandblaster
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Re: 1992 KX500 Snow bike engine for Brent
Yeah... At this point we are waiting for gears to come in..
I'll call our vendor and see if there is any kind of update..
I'll call our vendor and see if there is any kind of update..
If bikes are for kids I'll never grow up.
- Sandblaster
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Re: 1992 KX500 Snow bike engine for Brent
Last week before I sent the crank out I took some pics and forgot to post them.
A lot of guys don't know that when you send a crank off to have it rebuilt, the company that rebuilds them does not clean them unless they come packed in mud or something... Even then they will probably knock just enough of the mud off so they can press it together
I have had cranks rebuilt by many different companies so it's a common practice.
So, some time ago, Jason and I decided that we would clean them up before sending them out and the results were immediately noticeable.
Here is a comparison of a crank half that we cleaned up, vs one that is not cleaned up.
I did not polish the whole crank, but I did the OD as well as where the rod bushings go.
A lot of guys don't know that when you send a crank off to have it rebuilt, the company that rebuilds them does not clean them unless they come packed in mud or something... Even then they will probably knock just enough of the mud off so they can press it together

I have had cranks rebuilt by many different companies so it's a common practice.
So, some time ago, Jason and I decided that we would clean them up before sending them out and the results were immediately noticeable.
Here is a comparison of a crank half that we cleaned up, vs one that is not cleaned up.
I did not polish the whole crank, but I did the OD as well as where the rod bushings go.
If bikes are for kids I'll never grow up.
- Sandblaster
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- Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:50 pm
- Location: Eugene, OR
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Re: 1992 KX500 Snow bike engine for Brent
Making sure that you get all the foreign material off isn't exactly easy but the results are worth it.
One other point... Remember how bad the bearing journal looked on the left crank half?
Well, it was undersized by a couple of thousands.
Some guys will still use them by applying some loctite on the journal.
But this does not address the issue that cause the problem in the first place.
Sure, it will work for a while but that is not the kind of engine we want to build.
I took the crank half to a company that does industrial hard plating.
They grind the bad journal undersize just enough to get it to clean up.
Then, they plate it just slightly oversize, and finally they grind it to the correct tolerance.
It isn't cheap to get done but it is a lot less expensive then buying a new crankshaft.
One other point... Remember how bad the bearing journal looked on the left crank half?
Well, it was undersized by a couple of thousands.
Some guys will still use them by applying some loctite on the journal.
But this does not address the issue that cause the problem in the first place.
Sure, it will work for a while but that is not the kind of engine we want to build.
I took the crank half to a company that does industrial hard plating.
They grind the bad journal undersize just enough to get it to clean up.
Then, they plate it just slightly oversize, and finally they grind it to the correct tolerance.
It isn't cheap to get done but it is a lot less expensive then buying a new crankshaft.
If bikes are for kids I'll never grow up.
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