Maintenance & Technical > KX500 Aluminum Frame Conversion (AFC)

How well do you like your KX250F/K5 conversion

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sandblaster:
I can't wait.....
I'm trying to get mine done and out for a practice ride or two before I go to the dunes.
Unfortunately I have a lot going on right now..... but I'm getting there  8-)

sandblaster:
Been busy with a million other things but I finally found some time to prep my engine for a rebuild.
When I originally started this project I was going to see how cheap I could do it.
As I got more into it I slowly changed my mind and decided that a full rebuild was in order.
I figured that even if I hated the bike when I got it done, I could always press in some 17mm inserts and run it in my KX5 which has a 11 year old engine that has only one ring and piston swap which was done last year.
Since I am not an engine builder I decided that I would send it off and have it rebuilt by a professional.
Unfortunately I do not know any local builders that are up to my expectations so in the mail it goes.
But, before I send it off I got thinking about if I was an engine builder, what would I like to see?
How about a dirty, grimy engine? No?
How about engine that is clean on the outside but untouched on the inside? Ok, but leaves a lot to be desired.
So, I decided that I would take it all apart, clean and inspect all the parts, and pre-order what I thought would be needed.
Of course, taking the engine completely apart means that every nut, bolt, and washer should be labeled and cleaned...
After all, do I want to pay a great engine builder to clean my parts?
So, with a little effort, every nut, bolt, and washer was cleaned and labeled to save him as much time and effort as possible.
I got as far as the exhaust valve asy today.

As you can see below, spending a few minutes cleaning can really speed up your builders inspection process.
What would you rather inspect, the valve on the left or the valve on the right?



All those engine builders out there feel free to contribute your feelings on this  :-D

kaw rider:
To be honest it can work both ways

Since you taken your motor apart you know what condition its in and you will more then likely order most of the parts that you think it will need. Now you know what you have and the change of a engine builder selling you something you don't need is unlikely. The bad thing sometimes is the customer can do more harm by taking the motor apart that doesn't have the right tools or knowledge.

I would rather have a grease monkey motor that i have to clean and disassemble.

sandblaster:
I actually thought the same thing.
If I had not pulled a few thousand bikes apart and learned (sometimes the hard way) how to do it right without damage, I would have simply sent in in a lump.... Yes, a clean lump..... :-)

sandblaster:
One other point, if I didn't trust my engine builder I would not send him a few thousand in parts and labor  :lol:

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