500 motor in quad??

[k5abuser]

the 87 lt 500 had a lot or problem areas . i had trinty do mine in 1997 . the over heating was cured with a big bore sleeve and a cool head . mains redone . crank trued and welded . weld the base of the cyclinder.stage 4 port work . it was fast very fast . made 100 horse at the crank. i could launch it in 5th gear ( stock gears ) on pupm gas .. with a 41.5 carb also wiseco of course. the last time i had built it i put over 500 hours with out working on it . back to stock carb ,reed block  cyclinder with  low compression dome in cool head. the quads wiegh 397 lbs stock . . with bills pipe ( mid -high) paddle tires it was 370 lbs . it is the widest and longest  of all the racing atvs out there and handels great . the tecate is fun but short and narrow . the k5 power is too much for it . but know i want to try the k5 and see how the quad reacts to it . but yes it has cost a lot to figure out what had to be done to make it hold up . now i take to the dam and rock crawl with it and putt though the woods all day and never over heats now. 91 octane because i quit racing it . the new motor has 4 to 5 hours on it and maybe up for sale soon . by the wayi have owned for all but 6 months of its life.

[love2ride450]

Well, I hope this doesn't end up being a double post, but I wrote a dang novel, and it doesn't seem to have posted, though the forum says it did.
Anyway, even though dnmac has unkind words for the zook, they are good quads. My dad has owned two, and they need some love, but run and ride good overall. They are a tad hefty, but no more so than a Raptor. They have a low COG, and good suspension. He has never blown a head gasket, since they cured that problem in 87, and the aftermarket has a cure for the 87's too. IMO, the LT500 is a much better machine than a cobbled together Tecate frame with a K5. Now, a highly modded Tecate with aftermarket suspension would be different, but why would you do that when a zook comes stock with very good suspension? If you didn't feel bad about mixing brands, a K5 engine in a yfz, or ltr 450 chassis would be sweet! 

[dnmac1999]

Ive got my k5 in a lt250 chassis. Its not that i am completely down on the lt500, just costs way to much to get them to where the k5 is stock. I agree the lcog, with good suspension. And comparing to a raptor in weight is great. Im going off of all my buddies lt's even mine with the 250. I dont know what it is about them but we couldnt get a head gasket to last more then a couple of months.

K5abuser, sounds like your was pretty sick, but llike you said it cost alot of money. Thats exactly what i was trying to stay away from. Do you have any pics of it? Would love to see them. 

[love2ride450]

I see where you are coming from, but horsepower isn't everything. I would take my old man's LT500 over a motor swapped Tecate in anything but a drag race. Suspension work cost a lot of money too. Different strokes for different folks. How much does it cost to have Stewart take the vibes out of your K5? A pipe and reeds is pretty cheap for the LT, and it will bolt right on, vibration free. 

[dnmac1999]

Ya i see your point too. I just wanted a dependable bike that had a decent amount of hp, that was fun to ride. Ive got it with what i have. I havent seen much out of the lt motors when it came to dependability, now that just with my personal ex. Not to mention that i got a k5 way cheaper then i could find any lt500. Im sure it wont be more then pipes and reeds after buying all the parts, now if he starts grinding im sure it will be more. But worth it in the long term. when its all done i would love to find a good running lt500 and run the two just to see. 

[3Razors]

The problem is there is very few good examples of LT500's running around.  Most have been hammer'd on and worn out and with the factory flaws its a bad combo.  On the LT5's especially the 87 you have to fix the factory flaws before any performance work is done which includes o-ringing the head, brass or steel inserts for the crank bearings, billet thrust washers for the piston, getting a 88-on flywheel, and if serious porting is done welding up the rear cylinder ear mounts.  If you do those things the LT5 is stone ax reliable.   

Both the LT and KX motors are similiar in that they have the same bore/stroke.  The KX has a better port layout but the LT can lay down some serious hp too when done right.