1992 KX 500 to KX 250 F 2011 Conversion

[ylwgtr]

If I had to guess I'd say facing down the water outlet???

[sandblaster]

That was my guess as well but I wanted to be sure I wasn't missing something...

[German-need-help]

You are right we faced down 7 MM to get more space.
Maybe we won't have to use the "U" coolling hose! We will see later!

Today we will cut off all unnecessary Mounts from the frame and so on...

[German-need-help]

Frame is finished and ready for 2 days of heat treating...

[jBernard]

looking great so far!
Are you going to make a engine jig to put in place when the frame is being heat treated? i thought about making one so the mounting points wouldnt alter any during the treatment process.

[German-need-help]

looking great so far!
Are you going to make a engine jig to put in place when the frame is being heat treated? i thought about making one so the mounting points wouldnt alter any during the treatment process.

I don't think this will be necessary?

[81cr450]

ready for 2 days of heat treating...

That is the most overlooked part of these AF builds. Could you share any details on the process; temps, time, etc...

Sweet looking build

[ylwgtr]

That's because it's simply not necessary ....I know for a fact that the factory do not do this.I have done about 20 Hondas and haven't had a failure as yet

[jBernard]

i'd be surprised if the factory didnt HT after all the welding they do. when you start looking at the technical numbers of aluminum strength loss in the HAZ of the weld then its pretty obvious.

I think i'm going to do a engine jig on mine just to be safe. even if it only moves slightly that will cause me to have to bore the engine mount holes out bigger and then it will be sloppy. not worth it.
i was thinking on just making basic steel bar with tapped holes on either side the width of the engine in each mount area. then bracing them all together with some .250" steel bar.

[ylwgtr]

I met a guy when i was living in japan that worked in honda and he told me they didnt heat treat them...this was early 2000's...if its now changed i dont know

[81cr450]

then bracing them all together with some .250" steel bar.

That actually builds in stress points as AL & steel flex at different rates. I like the no weld mount/ frame mod idea. Im working it on a honda using thin .061 4130 plate & using the skid plate as carrier , hoping that I havent built in to much of a stress point. The process of anealing when AL is heated is some scary crap to bet your life on

[jBernard]

then bracing them all together with some .250" steel bar.

That actually builds in stress points as AL & steel flex at different rates. I like the no weld mount/ frame mod idea. Im working it on a honda using thin .061 4130 plate & using the skid plate as carrier , hoping that I havent built in to much of a stress point. The process of anealing when AL is heated is some scary crap to bet your life on

i kind of see what you mean about the different rates of expansion. but shouldnt the steel move less than aluminum due to the way higher melting point. i was thinking that brace would just hold the cradle in its original positioning during HT and not let it warp or anything.

Christini (the guys that do the AWD) bikes, i found who they use for their heat treating. and i was asking how under annealing they dont warp and distort. he said that a lot of it is how its mounted during the treatment process to minimize any distortion. he's the one that recommended bracing it with a removable brace before treating. he also said you could tack weld some alum braces (just a few rods at random spots) and then just grind off after treating.

ive never heard a clear answer as well on what the factory does. I would be surprised if they didn't HT. it seems like the frames are engineered for aluminum to be certain thickness at certain points for flex and rigidity. well, take off 30% of the strength at those areas now due to being heated when welded. seems like they are more likely speced using 100% strength material throughout. and all annealing does is get it back to that point after its been altered.

[81cr450]

Sorry I'm an idiot & read it wrong. I understood bolt in cradle / steel plate reinforcement . Dur

[German-need-help]

That's because it's simply not necessary ....I know for a fact that the factory do not do this.I have done about 20 Hondas and haven't had a failure as yet

Bike is finished! without heat treating!!!
In Germany all tracks are closed yet, because the winters are cold and full of snow.
There will be enough time for the aluminum to stress out alone, without a heat treating furnace.
In 3 month (february/march) we will check up the strongness of the frame of jumping some big jumps. 

The 2 honda CR 500 AF builds my kollege has done before, also never had seen a heat treat furnace and were finished also before the winter

[German-need-help]