I am getting a tecate 4 w no engine. How hard is it to install a KX 500 engine in it??
thanks
Chiknhawk

 

i dunno...but that would be kick a$$!!!!!!!!!!!

 

bad idea. You'll be just as quick with a regular stock engine...though the 500 would a bit more top end. Look, guys have tried, it takes more work than you realize and guys have never been that happy with it. It's a pain to do and not worth it.

Besides all the above reasons, the BIGGEST reason is that the KX500 engine has no counterbalancer. So when you put it in a Tecate 4 frame, the vibration is HORRENDOUS. What some Tecate 4 gurus I know are doing is adapting a KX500 topend to a Tecate 4 bottom end. We Tecate riders have been curious and asking questions about. Ya know what these gurus are saying? "It's a lot of work and we don't even know if it will work right." They've been working on it for a while now. And say they wouldn't bother selling "kits". It's just not worth it.

The best thing to do is get a Tecate 4 engine. I can point you to the right people to find one fast. If you're really interested. THEN, if you really want more power, these same guys have excellent and reliable 330 and 350 kits for the Tecate that are simply awesome and better than any kooky, cobble jobs you can think of.

 

I'd imagine that the kx500 motor would be a good bit taller as well, making for a VERY custom application. But on that note, 4ever- might an engine out of a Tecate 3 suffice? Just for my curiosity...
Thanks

 

I've never heard of anyone doing that. I don't know what kind of work would be involved. Again though, I just don't see the point. The T3 engine is different than the T4 engine. Plus, I don't think it has a counterbalancer...I could be wrong. Not to mention that the T3 engine is even more pipey and peaky than the T4 engine. In the end, most times, what's supposed to be in there is the best choice. The best route is a big bore kit that's MADE for a T4 engine. They exist, they work great and everything fits right.

Why bother with headaches???

 

The 330 and 350 kit if done right will smoke the 500 motor

 

exactly!

 

but put all that work in a 500 and where you at, it will vibrate like hell unless you rubber mount the notor but fast.

 

Sounds like a great idea in theory, but like everyone said, the KX500 would vibrate you off the T-4! It could be ok for a sand drag T-4, but I doubt you would want to ride it too much. The T-4 already has 42 HP stock from the 250, pipe/filter/reeds and you will be very healthy, never mind a big bore kit! The T-4 was known for being a bit tall/narrow also, so before you go to more violent power levels, you might want to widen it somewhat.

 

I am still gathering the parts for a custom Kawasaki dune shredder, and I had considered the KX500 engine at first, but I eventually decided to use a Tecate-4 engine. The main reasons were because of the counter-balancer and the fact that there are big-bore kits available for it that are both powerful and reliable. Sprock Racing and ILR Performance are where to get the kits. I had even gone so far as to design my own rubber mounts using CAD2000 for the KX engine, but it was just going to be such a PITA that I scrapped the idea. I like to ride for more than a few seconds at a time, so vibration is a huge issue with me. Do what I did. Find a T4 engine, and talk to Corey Sprock or David Roberts (ILR) about a big-bore. Corey goes by the name Magoo over at Kawie Riders dot com.