K5 Rebirth

[Suva]

Not sure this site needs another build thread, but...

Due to a casual comment from my brother, a new job and the incredible info on this site I now have my poor k5 torn apart with it's engine sitting next to an '01 250 frame.  Picked up the '01 as a fairly cheep runner, hoping to off-set most of it's cost by selling it's engine and whats left of the k5 that my brother doesn't want.  Was also planning on riding the 250 an 500 for the summer and starting the project this coming winter.  That is, until I realized how much I like both power and slick handling... both bikes were promptly stripped (yesterday) a day after purchasing the quarter bike. 
Aside from the '01s linkage apparently NEVER been serviced and having to alternately force seemingly welded bolts out and being showered with pieces of broken needle bearings, it went pretty well.
Turns out that the 250 had fork work done by C & M Performance in CDA who gives free valving updates for life regardless of who owns them every time they are brought in for servicing.  Ran over today to drop off both them and a severely neglected shock, and even while being swamped the guy sat down and talked things over with me for a good while.    So far pretty impressed with the guy, and cant wait to try 'em out. All updates, new springs plus reworking the shock will be completed next Wed. 
Once back home, I cut off the 250's front mounts and spent a some hours detailing and looking over the k5 engine.  For the fact that it has relatively low hours and I am way too excited to get riding, any internal work will wait for next winter.  This project has gotten me all giddy... Feeling like a lil kid!

Tried to post a couple pics, but don't know how to reduce their sizes

[Rooster452]

can't wait to see them! thanks for sharing.

[Brute]

If you use tinypic it makes them smaller automatically. Off-shoot of PhotoBucket, no registration. I keep track of my photo?s by saving the link to a file on my 'puter so I don't have to keep putting them back on.
 
http://tinypic.com/

[Suva]

Thanks Brute, first image as a tester is the K5 partially torn down...

[Suva]

Hey, it worked!

Was going to haul the frame, engine etc to a shop to weld both for time and quality reasons.  Thinking now I might wait 'till next week when I can drive 2 hrs down to dad's shop an try doing the work myself.  Good excuse to see the gf, save some money and not have to try and explain everything to someone else.  Too bad I'm not that great of a welder... 

Will be using the 500 swing arm, largely because I feel better not boring out the 500 cases.  Plus, seems easier than milling every thing on the 250 s/a set up to fit.  One concern is welding in the bushings without overheating/screwing up the frame...  Any thoughts?

500 engine impatiently waiting in the 250's frame, tabs cut off...

[Suva]

Well, turns out some training is scheduled on my days off next week...  Really dont want this project sitting for another two weeks before getting the engine mounts sorted out.  Found a shop in CDA that does a lot of stuff including making custom chopper frames, so will haul the project over there to get everything welded up.  REALLY wishing I had a welder or at least knew more people in this town 

[Brute]

Looks great! Got to get my shop cleaned out so I can start a new project... Still have two bikes to finish, and I am thinking about tearing into another. Not good. Well, good, but you know what I mean! Keep the build info coming.

[junk man]

Suva looks like your off to a good start
I used 500 swing arm it was a lot of work.the 500 swing arm bolt is almost to short if you have a longer one made and two shouldered washers it will bolt right in also you have to space where the 500 link was i used two grade 8 washers on each side.

I used the 250 link and 500 struts the 500 struts are 1/2in. longer so you have the correct ride height also you have to use the 250 shock


good luck JM
 

[Suva]

Brute:  Know what you mean... Aside from the KX project, I've a bandit and snowmobile that need lots of attention along with a rolled toyota 4x4 I picked up but considering ditching vise dealing with.

JM: good info, sounds better than trying to get in there to weld...  Did you just have a machine shop mill down a linkage bushing for the shouldered washers?
Did you find any real benefit to keep the K5 swing arm? 
I noticed the differences on the struts, but haven't looked too hard at the shocks other than to notice the 5's reservoir def sits lower.  Was kinda hoping to have a spare, possibly for a dez setup.  Oh well, anyone need a K5 shock?


Cut off the headstay and cleaned the head up last night before work.  Musta been tired, cuz I let the nut on the angle grinder kinda gouge the head (not mating surface, thankfully).  Other than that, seems to look pretty good.

[Suva]

Sittin here thinkin about that shouldered washer deal... makes a LOT more sense that what I was plannin on. Thanks!

[junk man]

What i did  was opened up the holes and used the bushing out of an 250 link then welded them in it was a lot of grinding with a stone on the outside and a flat wheel on the inside

also make or have made a good head stay look at BDI"s build 
with a 2003 or newer you could use the 500 one but the 90's and the year we used 99-02 the gas tank is in the way and then you will have to use a heat gun to reshape the bottom of the tank.

you may be thinking about using your 500 radiators don't to much trouble making them fit.
the air box will need some tweaking i removed the two rivets and let it fold up and trimmed it  the carb boot some said they use a KDX 250 one   i used 2000 boot and vforce 3 it came with two air inserts i used the on for jet sky  i would check in to the KDX one

good luck JM

[Suva]

Well, stubbornness lost- using the 250's swing arm now.  seems there's a reason most everyone else did...  Having a lathe an welder would have made using the 500's a lot easier.

Bored out the cases and started working on the swing arm yesterday.  For widening the s/a out, used an angle grinder to get semi close then swapped to a flat file to avoid screwing it all up.  Combo square helps keeping things, uh, square .  

Having major difficulties with the 250's linkage though.  bearings are froze on pretty good, cant even get the seals out!  Soaked em in PB Blaster (basically same as WD-40, but better) all night/most of the day but still no luck.  Heat didn't do any good either.  Any ideas?  would rather not have to order a new one...

Was looking at the 250's pipe and noticed the header(?) flange is the same dimensions as the 5's.  Never really been around a KX250 before an never thought about comparing with a 250's pipe before.  Might save the OEM K5 pipe from destruction...  
Expecting the new DEP pipe in tomorrow.



damage on linkage from previous 2 owners riding on destroyed bearings


Just can't seem to get these darn things out!
 

[Suva]

Hmmm, anyone wanna trade 250 linkage for 500 linkage?  Or possibly other K5 parts ?

[sandblaster]

To get the bearings out you will need a press and the correct socket sizes.
No press?
You can do it with a large C-clamp and the correct socket sizes but it is a lot harder...

[junk man]

look on eBay  or throw a cheep set of bearings in for now and grease the piss out of them for now

keep us posted JM