1982 Kawi KLT250 resurrection begins.

[Bobbywolf]

Let me preface this by saying this will essentially be a bit of catchall for my progress through this rebuild. I am all for anyone who might be able to help me when I get snagged up, so please feel free to post in here, or even just your thoughts on what I'm doing.

Well, I bought a very rough first year KLT250 for next to nothing. It has nothing good going for it, but I'm crazy enough to tackle it. It has sat in pieces for at least several years, with a melted wire harness, and several important bits missing. I needed to hear the engine run, to allow myself to go ahead with the large cost of getting this thing mobile again.




Using another harness, I hooked up the bare minimum - Pickup, Coil and CDI. A battery separately jumpered 12v to crank the starter.

No spark. Some info from a very helpful post found here allowed me to rule out both the coil and pickup. New replacement CDI was then ordered for a pretty large cost (for a bike I wasn't even sure I was going to fix lol)

Swapped in the new CDI, and added a new spark plug and boot for good measure, and... no spark. After some troubleshooting I find a big error on the CDI manufacturers part. The connector is wired upside down! To their credit however, RM Stator hooked me up with a very knowledgeable guy,and I was able to repin the thing properly, without the need of sending it back to them. Still no spark (is this bike cursed?). I now suspect the very questionable wire harness I am using, and buy another used one. Success! I have spark now (Finally!). I quickly retry the old CDI on this new harness, and now the spark is gone. Yep, the old CDI is toast. I thought I might have had a spare now, but no.

Step one complete. Onto fuel. The carb was pulled off, and apart to find sludge, and very hard varnish coating and plugging everything. All bits were removed and the whole thing soaked in cleaner several days. I got everything clean and clear, and back together.

Mechanical fuel pump on this thing, gross. Skipping the fuel pump and the several age cracked fuel lines, I ran a temporary pop bottle gas tank direct to the carb. The moment of truth...

It cranks, and cranks, and cranks, then kicks and sputters! Signs of life! Finally it starts, and runs quite smooth once it warms up for its first time in ages.

Now I do something, I should have initially done. The bike came with no registration papers, and there is always the possibility that it was stolen some time in the past. I call up the local police detachment and arrange to meet an officer so he can run the vin and sign off on my "lost papers" paperwork. He runs it, and it comes back clean thankfully. He would have seized it had it ever been stolen. Ok, now I am sure I can get it into my name. Back to working and spending money on the miserable thing. To be continued.

[Devilsclaw]

PM me if you need any help, I've done two 83s. I would recommend an electric fuel pump unless you want to keep it 100% OEM.

[Bobbywolf]

Thanks! This will be a resurrection, more than a restoration. Essentially it needs to be back to rideable, but doesn't need to be OEM.

I did however luck out and found a L/H switch control and clutch handle assembly NOS for very reasonable, so I snatched that up. One part I am going to have trouble finding is the front frame cover, where the neutral light and keyswitch go (that I also need lol). There is one in poor shape on ebay right now, for too much money. I'll be patient and something will come up eventually.

I went through the effort of removing the tires from the rear rims, and man what a mess. They were pretty much rust welded, and one tire had a tube, and I can see why. The inner tire bead broken. Hmm, new tires are in my future as well. Sigh.



After cleaning with a wire wheel, you can see the incredible amount of pitting on these wheels. (Pic is of the worst area). I attempted to smooth the surface with JB weld, then used large amounts of bead sealer, but in the end, I had to buy another tube, so both sides would hold air for the rebuild. Replacement rims and tires will be a must in the future,but these will do for now.

I decided to check the compression of the engine, since it is so tough to start, and I came up with 30psi! I have no idea how it is able to run like that, and when starting, fuel is being spit back through the carb, so I believe I have a valve sticking open or something. The motor is being removed to address a bottom end leak and paint the frame anyways, so I guess I will be opening up the top end to see whats up. Starting to feel the odds are stacked against me on the monster lol!

[Devilsclaw]

I would recommend trolling the classifieds for a donor trike . I saw an 82 on there for $400 recently--really nice plastic was still shiny even.

Those front covers you are talking about come up on eBay often. Shouldn't be too hard to find one.

[MRSOUND]

My KLT's are all 185 and under. Signing up to watch this one just see how much trouble it's going to be.

[Bobbywolf]

My KLT's are all 185 and under. Signing up to watch this one just see how much trouble it's going to be.

Oh I don't think you will be disappointed! lol

Oh boy, last night was a night of discovery for sure. It was time to pull the engine, so I popped off the chain and front sproket, drained the very milky oil from the engine, and attempted to unbolt the exhaust header pipe from the head. I promptly broke off one stud (I fully expected to) and had no access to the other rounded nut in the armpit of the exhause pipe. No problem, I need to remove the head anyways to investigate my low compression issue. I need to remove the timing chain sprocket/chain from the head, so I removed the tensioner, and proceeded to break off yet another bolt mounting it. I remove the sprocket, and secure the chain together with mechanics wire so I can fish it back up later. 3 of the 4 headbolts are removable initially, with 1 coming up under the upper frame where the seat mounts. Unbolting all engine mounts gives me the wiggle room to removed the 4th head bolt.

Finally I can remove the head, and exhaust as an assembly to get some better access. Once I flip it over, I know there is no saving this exhaust. There is severe corrosion between the head pipe and the head, as well as a super nasty crack into the head itself which corrosion has been working on for years.



Well, thats not good. I use a hacksaw to cut off the head pipe to give good access to the other stud, which I promptly crack off. The already cracked exhaust flange breaks in half on removal, and I spend the next couple hours trying to remove the header pipe and sleeve which have corrosion welded themselves to the head. lots of ing, cutting, and cursing later I am left with this.




Surprisingly, I was able to remove the 2 broken exhaust studs. One with vise grips and heat, and the other using the nut welded to the flush stud and turning it out. I was not able to use the same trick on broken timing chain cover bolt, as that one is recessed below the level of the head (I did try though).

Anyways, I am at a bit of a decision point. Either I need to try and repair this damage, or try and secure another head. I have done significant repairs with JB weld before, but I am unsure if it would hold up with the amount of heat this area is subjected to while running. The other option would be a significant TIG weld repair, and subsequent milling of the exhaust outlet to make it round again, but without the proper gear, shopping out this job out would be cost prohibitive.

So... I need another head (not to mention exhaust header too). This project is trying its absolute hardest to beat me. But I will win. I always do. I'm just delayed a bit right now. Anyone have a KLT250A1 head they'd sell to me (and ship) for a decent price? lol

[Bobbywolf]

Well, with more determination than reason, I decided to press forward with this. I managed to get a hold of a near perfect head, for too much money, so it was time to start back at the engine.

Since both side cases were leaking oil, I pulled them off, and I seriously started questioning my sanity for going ahead with this rebuild.


Well, it took some time, but all traces of sludge were removed, the plugged oil finger screen cleaned, and sides reassembled with new gaskets. I had managed to find a NOS full engine gasket kit on ebay for a reasonable price to make life easier.

I had forgotten to take pictures of the new to me head, but it arrived in excellent shape, but devoid of any internals, so I simply swapped over my rocker arms, valves, camshaft ect.

The cylinder bore was in surprisingly good shape, as well as the piston, so these were left as is, and I began reassembling the top end.




On to setting up the timing. This part I may need some input.

I set the crank to the "T" marking, for TDC, set the camshaft so that the lobes point downwards, and installed the cam sprocket to best line up my mark. This cam sprocket has 2 rotations, one for a KZ200, and one for a KL250, neither of which are my bike. However, when I took it apart, it was set in the KZ200 position, so that is how I reinstalled it.



This is as close to in time as I can get the cam. Not quite 1/2 a tooth off. Anyone see this as an issue? Do I have the wrong cam sprocket? Should I burn this thing to the ground? (lol of course not)


Let me know what you think.

Rob

[barnett468]

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you did not mention anything about checking the valves in the old and new heads to see if they were leaking . . if they are not, you still have only 30 psi of compression which then has to be in the cylinder.

[barnett468]

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your cam is slightly retarded due to cam chain stretch . . this will move the entire power band up an imperceptible amount and it will still idle fie etc.

it will always spit some out of the carb, that's just what they do . . yes it seems to make no sense.

i would clean the gas tank also and install a small clear plastic fuel filter between the tank and the fuel pump.

[barnett468]

.
if you want to remove rust from metal parts like nuts and bolts, you can mix 1/2 lb of oxalic acid in a gallon of water and put it in a bucket and soak them for 24 hours.

they will immediately rust again unless they are coated with something

[Bobbywolf]

.
you did not mention anything about checking the valves in the old and new heads to see if they were leaking . . if they are not, you still have only 30 psi of compression which then has to be in the cylinder.

The valves were badly coked with carbon. Didn't seem to be seating properly. I cleaned them up very well, and lapped them into the new valve seats.

I got it back together and installed, and guess what? It runs! I have no headpipe, so its flames shooting from the hole, so I can't run it long, but I did let it go long enough so it would idle, with no choke. Something it wouldn't do before. Now to lay out the wiring, and make it permanent.

There is hope again lol.

[barnett468]

flames...xlnt...a fire breathing klt 200.

i always check to see if the valves are leaking by spraying carb cleaner in the ports then looking around the valves for signs of moisture or leaking.

[Ol Deuce]

Great build ! On my old KLt I put the 1st gen R front tree, forks,wheel etc ! it really helped the ride !