started my 86 T3 project today.

[joe_f7]

well i started taking some stuff off the T3 today since it almost hit 40 degrees. snapped some bolts and found more stuff wrong that my initial list, and i broke the kickstarter boss when i was trying to start it. my intake boot was dry rotted and the reed cage had some rubber coating flaking off. piston appears to be a wiseco. has some holes on the intake side too. i don't know if that's stock. also had bolt in carbon fiber reeds. my right shroud upper bolt would just spin in the tank too. the brass insert is turning. the rear shock was filthy. the reservior line wasn't even tight and leaking fluid all over. hopefully the dealer can rebuild it because i know kawi doesn't make a rebuild kit anymore. front forks are getting rebuilt too. so now i need to find some more parts or look for some solutions for my problems.

[evand]

your doing that over? it looks almost mint

[joe_f7]

it's not. very solid start though. chrome pipe makes it look good. does have a cracked rear fender too. carb was leaking, and when i proped the frame on a bucket to support the bike to take the front forks off i noticed a small coolant puddle on the bucket after is sat there for a while. i'm going to completely tear down the motor and have it powdercoated black and have the frame powdercoated black too. i got a little bit of work ahead of me, but it is by no means a basket case. paid $1500 for it and about $230 in gas to go get it. closest 86 i could find.

[evand]

well its a very nice start, i would love a 86 t-3 my fave of the "big three"

[i58829]

Very nice start to a project, and a fair price as well. A lot of the expensive bolt ons are already there which is something i prefer if i'm gonna but them anyway. But i know what you mean about appearance vs. function. I bought my 350x and it looked/felt good but in reality it had frame issues around the swingarm bolt. One thing led to another, i blew a ton of money of the little stuff, and it may never be done 100%, TC...

[tecat-z]

Looks like a very solid start, but believe me, the '''list''' always gets longer. Anymore i just expect it. But doing it right will provide many years of enjoyment. When re-doing a performance trike, i chuckle when people consider putting hundreds into them alot. It's too easy to sink 3-4k into a bike, after the initial purchase. Many of my friends have found that out. But, everything has it's price, and fun is worth every penny.

[joe_f7]

i'm figuring a easy extra $1000 into it. i have most of the parts. i just want to check the bore to see what size piston i need to freshen it up. anyone know if the stock wiseco has holes on the reed side?

[mdunn]

Yes, Wiseco pistons have holes on the intake side, as well as the stock ones...good luck with the prioject! My guess is you will have a lot more than $1K in it if you are redoing the engine. You'll have over half of that just in the engine if you are doing a full rebuild with piston, rings, machine work, seals, bearings, etc. trust me...I'm there right now with my '86 T3....

[joe_f7]

no i'm just freshening up the top end. as long as i don't see anything else that's bad. i already have all the gaskets and seals necessary for a full rebuild. what all did you have to replace on yours?