• Husqvarna Motorcycles Made In Sweden - About 1988 and older

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    As you all know, Coffee (Dean) passed away a couple of years ago. I am Dean's ex-wife's husband and happen to have spent my career in tech. Over the years, I occasionally helped Dean with various tech issues.

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1982 to ???? 250 Engines

1982 XC 430

1982 XC 430

Husqvarna
AA Class
Hello, I'm planning on building a replica of the 1982 Works bike that is on the Husqvarna-Parts web sight. I have most of the parts I need, an 84 WR Frame and Engine, CR Shocks and Forks. I have all ready gone threw the Bottom end of the Engine and really didn't spend much Money doing on it as everything had issues. The Crank was Split and cleaned up but no Rod Kit. The Main cases were pitted a lot but could be used again. I would prefer a CR Trans over the WR. It needs to come apart again as its not bench Shifting as it should. I kinda just left it on the bench thinking I would find a better bottom end to start out with.
So here is my question how new of a bottom end can I use? We know it needs to be a 82 or newer to fit the Motor Mounds, and that water cooling came to play in 84 or so. I will be using the 84 Air Cooled WR Cylinder that I have, and I already have an Air Cooled Clutch cover. I know that an extra screw was added to the kickstart area at some point. So how new of a 250 CR bottom end can I use ? At what point does it get so different that it no longer fits my frame? What if any advantages are there to newer Engines ?
What do You guys have out there ?
 
WR has a shorter swing arm than the CR. You will want to change that out. The CR uses the floating rear brake whereas the WR does not. The WR frame does not have a bracket for the brake torque rod.

The clutch cover contains the water pump so if you fit the air cooled clutch cover you can use the later bottom ends I believe. Should be reasonably straight forward I think.

Are you going to modify the foot peg arrangement?

Good luck with your project.
 
I would suspect that 83 - 88 should be compatible... just flick the w/c clutch cover for an A/c one... happy to be wrong...just compare case p/n's over the years
 
1982 XC 430 said:
Hello, I'm planning on building a replica of the 1982 Works bike snip
So here is my question how new of a bottom end can I use? We know it needs to be a 82 or newer to fit the Motor Mounds, and that water cooling came to play in 84 or so. I will be using the 84 Air Cooled WR Cylinder that I have, and I already have an Air Cooled Clutch cover. I know that an extra screw was added to the kickstart area at some point. So how new of a 250 CR bottom end can I use ? At what point does it get so different that it no longer fits my frame? What if any advantages are there to newer Engines ?
What do You guys have out there ?
Click to expand...

I am really only experience with the 400,430/500 cases. Some 82 have an earlier intermediate shaft for the kick starter, will interchange but more likely to crack in the event of a kickback. The mono shock bikes have a 14 mm swingarm pivot bolt the air cooled have a 12 mm one. I have made my own inserts and recommend doing that over making a sleeve otherwise just use the air cooled top end including studs/rods that go into the case. The 87-88 eliminated the plate at the drive sprocket making sneaking out that bearing, the most vunerable in my opinion no longer possible. I would suggest looking at wear where the clutch actuating shaft rotates, I intend on sleeving one at some point I think a lot of the clutch pull issues origionate at this point and that was modified a bit in the older single cam section.

What if any advantages are there to newer Engines ?
The added bolt to the clutch cover keeps kicking stresses from cracking the clutch cover at the rear locating pin.
I think there is a bit more material around the swing insert.

Fran
 
crank snub for water cooler is different too. (it drives the impeller)
83 and up cylibders have the boost ports in transfer (passages from reed tract inlet right through to rear most transfer. 82 does not. 83 WR may be same but 84 WR has them as it inherited from XC and CR which had earlier years.
Also I concurr with other observations made above. Doe you mean the bigelow bike of late 82 which was one of several riders to test and campaign what would be the 83 style frame, shocks setup?
 
Yes on the Bigelow Bike. I have a CR Swing Arm. The Bigelow Bike had the Swing Arm Extended, I'm not sure I'm going to do that. I do not have a CR rear Brake, and by what I have read here I may not want to. But I will weld the Mount to the frame, remove the WR Skid Bar and cut the frame loop out. I have a HVA Clutch cover that I could use if I end up with newer Engine with the extra screw. I have a Lathe so making Bushings for a different rear Motor mount shouldn't be an issue.
The Cylinder I have is the 84 WR with the extra Boost Ports. Looking at the factory Porting Mods available here on this web sight I don't see anything different from the CR porting with the exception of the side Exhaust port rather than a center port. One would think that a WR would have more mild porting than a CR. Since the Factory Porting Mods give Pipe Specs I planed on building a Pipe to those specs. I do not have a CR Pipe, only the WR. I see the Bigelow Bike used a Stamped Pipe, not a one off Cone Pipe. Am I wasting my time using 30 year old Porting Specs and Pipe when I could just buy something off the shelve that would work better? The bike will be used for Vintage MX. I could probably ride faster laps with a Stock power band, but have more fun with a pipeyer power band, besides I all ready have a 82 250 XC to ride.
Thanx for the Responses...
 
The 84 wr 250 engine used the cr ported cylinder. I believe it's the only wr model were husqvarna did this.
I notice with the cr ported cylinders there clean aluminum cylinders not painted. The wr cylinders were painted black. It seems to be the norm from the 250's & 430's. Of course the cr porting is different.

On porting I raise the exhaust up 1/8" in the middle and arc it to 1/16"up at the sides. I lower the intake port by 1/8" too. This changes the port timing. I knife edge the vertical ribs in the lower transfer ports on the cylinder.

On the older piston ported engines with no reeds we cut 1/8" off the bottom of the piston skirt.

Just some porting info.
 
The addition clutch case bolt appeared on the 1986 engine as my 85 400WRX does not have it. The 86 clutch cover is aluminum while the 85 and earlier are magnesium. You can likely use up to a 1987 model as far as my knowledge goes as that was the last year of production in Sweden
 
The '82-up air cooled 250s are pretty pipey stock, I would be very hesitant to raise the exhaust port 1/8" (3mm), but, I have never done it so I have no first hand experience.
 
We have replaced the Cast Iron liners with Alloy and gone Nickasyl.. Con Rods will be back in stock in a week or so. I gave one of these cylinders to a good tuner in the UK and it revs out by about another 1000 revs - just by good flow of the stock ports... I like the WR swing arms, as the floating rear brakes are a pain in the backside! If you use cases from 85 or later - be sure to go up to a 14mm swing arm spindle or fit a thin sleeve in the rear mounting hole...P1030104.JPG

Andy
 
My porting experience came from a husqvarna factory rep from the chainsaws. They did speed cutting at the local fairs. Well he taught some how to do it with a 100cc saw(husqvarna) of course.
If you don't like the 1/8" porting just try a 1/16" arc to 1/32" on the sides.

I picked up a 71 Suzuki ts 125 and repaired the broken main shaft in the tranny by using a 185 main shaft by shortening the outer needle bearing length otherwise the trannys are exactly the same. While it was apart I cut 1/8" off the bottom of the piston skirt. We had the old gal flying through the woods and beating newer kx 80's down the straights. We kx 80 rear shocks on it to soften the hard suspension somewhat. Porting works. Just do a little. My son is still my test pilot.
 
With the 300cc conversion do you port it?

Do you upgrade to the 40mm mikuni carb?

I installed a retuned 40mm carb on a 82 cr 390 husqvarna. The bike has a hard hit to begin with and it's stock 45 rear wheel horsepower. It's not an upgrade for the new rider. I thought about if they put 38mm carbs on the 125's with adjusting the jets, needle jet, and needle why not do the same upgrade by installing the 40mm carb on a 390? It works but the hit is like a 4 barrel carb when it opens up. What a wild ride.

Now my thoughts are will it work on the 250 or your 300 too?

I want my husqvarna to smoke everything that pulls along side them.

My 1981 husqvarna 250 ported cr smoked a newer of 250 & 125 in the same run. The kx' s tried but we're not even close. On the return run they tried to block the kid by turning around sooner but the kid side hilled the husky off the trail and passed them to take the lead again.
People just don't understand that husqvarna today still rock with the right pilot.

My secret word to my son in front of my buddies with there newer bikes was for him to take it easy with that old bike. That means pour it on.....
 
So is this the HVA Pipe that is on the Web sight for a 250 ? If so is it a torque pipe or what's referred to as a GP pipe ? Is it a reproduction of a Stocker or a different design all together ?
 
We're can I find a English L to the US dollar money exchange?

Do you ship parts to the USA? Hva-factory?
 
Bigger is not always better, in most cases it is worse. The 125 should have had a 32 or 34mm, I put a 34mm on my '82 125XC and it not only pulled better in the midrange, it also felt stronger on top because the carb actually worked. Putting that 38mm on it was a stupid idea, its impossible to jet it correctly because of the low vacuum signal, the 125 is not able to send a strong enough signal for the carb to meter fuel properly, but 125s were always an afterthought for Husky. A 40mm is too big for a 390 or 430, and even the 500 runs better with a 38mm instead of the 40 or 44. If you are doing to change the carb on a 250, a better idea would be a 36mm Mikuni or a 38mm Lectron.
 
I purchased three dead '85 husqvarna 125 dirtbikes. Between the three bikes I was able to take all the good parts off each bike to build one runner. My point is the 38mm carb made that 125 rip. It was my first husqvarna 125.

I learned on the ported engines that are smaller in cc' s they get to a point they need more cfm' s in the carb. In my beginning with my son's Honda '85 125cr I built it to the max. Back then we added a thing called roost boost which raised the ignition voltage at high rmps. We ported it, advanced the static timing. We had her eating 250's. But the motor was on the wild side and needed more carburetion. The 36mm carb just was not enough gas flow. Sometimes there's no adjustment when we hit the brick wall for cfm' s we can only go so far. This Honda was like a Ford mustang she is very fast when she's running but didn't run long. It was my fault I should of knew it needed more fuel.

We have the jets, the needle jet, the needle to really dial the carb in close but we can't change the flow.(cfm)

I been away from this for over a decade now but it's coming back. Tuning is an art by itself. Just remember one thing as you assemble an engine on the bench please leak test it. Don't find out later if it should seize that's when it's too late. Leave no stone unturned make sure it's right.

Funny the guy on the west coast I was buying my needle jets from told me I was the only one changing needle jets on the bigger 40mm carbs besides him. I guess we think alike.
 
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