Page 1 of 10

Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 8:43 am
by malcolmzilla
Buy new 530 in crate
KTMcrate.jpg
Uncrate
uncrated.jpg
Disassemble (what have I bitten off!)
strip1 (Medium).JPG
bareframe (Medium).JPG
Send frame and forks to Christini in USA
incrate.JPG

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 8:45 am
by malcolmzilla
Wait 3 weeks for frame mods, Steve sends teaser pics
KTMAWD Kit.jpg
Frame and components arrive back
awd_frame.JPG
Weld up trueing stand and try my hand at lacing the new AWD hub to the stock rim
trueing.JPG
Not too wobbly, I'll run it
assembled AWDfront.JPG
Call buddy over, wrestle engine back in chassis
engineinchassis.JPG

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 9:31 am
by WRocks
Awesome...
Please post more pictures as you finish the project.
Would you be interested in bringing your bike to a club meeting once it is finished?

I have thought about getting a kit put on my 300XC, so am keen to see the completed bike...

Cheers,

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 9:31 am
by steve-o
nice work!

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 9:43 am
by malcolmzilla
Come over have a boo, now's the time, you can see all the components. Tonights plan is to weld up a KTM fork cap tool and then change out the fork springs. See how it goes, maybe get the front end assembled.

Then the rear spring, swingarm and shock, chain, build down then up as I'm waiting on a JD Jet kit, and some other bling, as the carb will be a bear to get at after I suspect, so any jetting tips would be appreciated. Going to use the smallest main in the JD kit, the red needle, 4th position and go to a 42 pilot, and o-ring the accelerator pump, remote fuel screw.

It's street legal so I'll break it in around town, I may need 2WD to get up on the curb in front of Starbucks. :D

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 12:06 pm
by 350scott
malcolmzilla wrote:as the carb will be a bear to get at after I suspect, so any jetting tips would be appreciated. Going to use the smallest main in the JD kit, the red needle, 4th position and go to a 42 pilot, and o-ring the accelerator pump, remote fuel screw.
My strong suggestion is to get an adjustable leak jet (ie. R&D Powerpump/bowl, Merge Racing) if your carb is going to be hard to get at. I'm not sure about the current KTM carbs, but a couple years ago they came with plugged leak jets. Even with the o-ring on the accelerator pump, I needed to play with (on my 400xcw) the leak jet a fair bit to get rid of the bog on the bottom with hard acceleration.

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 1:02 pm
by malcolmzilla
Cool, thanks for the advice. :cheers:

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:49 am
by malcolmzilla
Tonights progress:

Fork spring swap. Note the state of the art old triples secured on the vise soft jaws, milk crate stand, and the use of a makita grinder wrench to remove the top caps, and a custom ground down 7/8" wrench for the dampening rod removal. Also an office alligator paper clip secures the rods from dropping back in. Just like the factory teams, right? 52's went in, 46 stock. I'm husky. :lol: KTM seal savers if i can get the fork protector bushings off; pretty sure the Christini driveshafts and resulting carbon fiber fork guards don't require 'em.
photo 1-1.JPG
Rear Spring swap. Race tech "25" for big fellas. This I actually had the correct spanner for.
photo 2-1.JPG
Christini instructions say to build from the back to front. Swingarm, chain, shock back in. PDS protector yet. Engine mounts and swingarm torqued and retorqued to factory spec.
photo 3-1.JPG
Carb's next, so JD jet kit and desmog. Probably just use a vacuum nipple to block the PCV vent connection to carb. 3000-6000 ft setup: 172 main, red needle 5th position, 42 pilot, fuel screw 1-1/8 turns out, went with a remote adjustable unit, JD kit had accelerator pump diaphragm travel limit spacer (shortens squirt duration instead of doing a n adjustable leak jet it says) and heavy o-ring on AP linkage to increase pressure. Shall see... The AWD jackshaft chain to the gearbox appears to run right in front of the choke, idle and fuel screw adjustment. :thinking:
photo 4-1.JPG

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 7:32 pm
by Shibby!
Get that darn thing together already....

No issues with the springs? Should have been straight forward. You'll enjoy proper suspension now.

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 9:11 am
by malcolmzilla
Springs I've had out of the KLX to change oil and check level before, was just a matter of improvising the tooling and familiarity.
I didn't add any preload washers, I'll ride it and see. I'm not an aggressive rider.

Some more progress yesterday:

Decork exhaust.
photo 1-3.JPG
EXC's know for losing the spark arrestor, safety wire it on.
photo 2-3.JPG
More assembly.
Subframe, exhaust, carb, airbox, rear fender, euro tail light, xc-w plateholder, chain, rear wheel, wiring (complete re-route/locate). There is a definite order of operations.
photo 3-3.JPG

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 11:15 pm
by malcolmzilla
Started today with radiators and billet guards. Went off the rails from there

Basically, the transfer case to head tube driveshaft runs directly underneath the backbone and thru the head gusset, right where the factory rad inlet "T" hose was. Christini solves this by inserting a custom "Y" hose underneath, the problem I encountered was two fold, the Y hose was contacting the driveshaft, and the hose was way too wide to allow the rads to bolt up to the frame. No spacers or special instructions are mentioned, bolt 'em up and go.

No sweat I thought, I'll just yard it out and trim the bottom to get it to clear the shaft, then trim the inlet hoses to get the rads to bolt up. WRONG. After much time effort, skinned knuckles and pinched fingers, there is no way that hose would work. By the time I had it trimmed to clear the shaft, the angle it leaves the head tube brace at is way too steep as the rad inlets 90 out, combined with trimming its width to get the rads close to the frame studs, it would not seal, plus it put a lot of stress on the aluminum/epoxied rad ports. FFS. :thumbsdown:

So I'll call Christini tomorrow. Dunno WTF. Maybe I can weld up a custom 2 to 1 adapter, and then search the parts stores for heater hoses with molded bends? Problem is there is no room at all to get it in there, perhaps I will have to pull the driveshaft, to this point i have avoided any AWD DISassembly. :crybaby: :confused: I could bypass a rad and start it on one but I'll wait.

Question, I have what appears to be a factory thermostat housing that complicates the lower plumbing; can I delete it? Do the XCW's have one? My KLX has no tstat, runs fine.

So i puttered on the reminder of assembly. Forks, which got a nice scar from a tit in the clamps. FML. Fork skins.Fork drive shafts assembled and lubed. Christini carbon fiber fork guards. Kick stand fixed to be a real one, foot pegs, BPG billet "Christini" rad guards, V/R relocated (hit BPD guards), coolant recovery tank, started mocking the controls, HDB clamps and more HDB bling to follow. CR hi bars stock risers to start. Space is tight, the start, kill, and street control switch are huge, hope to integrate kill and start into the HDB brake and clutch perch switch assemblies, might have to look at the Power Parts "euro" control switch, supposed to be more compact. Front brake and speedo pickup on. Probably some other stuff too but I forget.

I don't know why the pics are sideways, Effin Mac.
photo 1-4.JPG
photo 2-4.JPG
photo 3-4.JPG
photo 4-2.JPG
photo 5.JPG

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 1:19 pm
by malcolmzilla
Christini called me back and is sending a new hose overnight, excellent service. :thumbsup: He is also going to take few pictures of one in the shop, he says its tight but it works, and will talk me through it If I can't figure it out. Still not convinced, very limited real estate in there.

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 8:20 am
by Shibby!
You're wrenching your own ride in the bush.

Fack me. Way too much going on.

I'd keep the t-stat if riding it dual purpose. A cold engine is not a happy engine.

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 12:20 pm
by cycleworks
Im sorry to be niave, but this is for an off-road bike? Or dual sport?

Re: Christini AWD 530 EXC build

Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 12:36 pm
by malcolmzilla
The EXCR is street legal from the factory, I have registered and insured it as such.

I intend to keep it street legal; the primary use I intend is trail riding. I will see how it goes for component wear and durability for dual sporting. Other than the 2 secondary chains and bearings/seals, and the one way clutches in the lower hubs, the rest of the AWD system can be switched off via a cable actuated dog clutch in the gearbox.

This thing should be the shiznit in the deep Baja sand, bouldery loose climbs and muskeg/mud. :D

Christini stocks all the replacement parts, PNs listed in the manual. He (and bike mags) report over 120 hours with no replacements necessary. Reminds me I should order a set of the custom front wheel bearings and seals.

Actually, if you could look at the fiches and answer my thermostat delete question, that'd be great. :nworthy:

Edit: 450 XCW fiche shows a tstat too.

Image