250 TX Project (On a Budget)

[skiroule]

I’ve really enjoyed seeing Mike’s progress on his Indy and it has me thinking that it’s time to get something going for the winter. The 250 TX has been sitting in the garage for over a year and it had me wondering if I would ever get to it. Well, now is the time.

Faced with the reality of living on Social Security and bad investments, this project has to be done on a budget. With a full-on vintage restoration costing north of three grand (not counting the cost of the sled), that is not the plan for this sled. Instead, I want to make this sled a decent, reliable rider and maybe slightly above “rat rod” status without breaking the bank.

I paid $600 for the sled a year and a half ago, which is actually kind of a bargain for a running 250. This engine seems to be one of the hardest to find and the affordable TX supply in general seems to be drying up.

Immediate needs on the sled are: suspension (locked up), brakes (none), carb work, and leaking fuel tank fitting.

Was originally just going to grease up a donor sled suspension and slap it in but decided to tear it down instead. Good thing – shock is frozen and one rail doesn’t look quite right. Rest of the parts look usable and I think I can make one decent suspension from the two.

 

[skiroule]

Removed the seat, gas tank and (with some effort), the suspension. As Snoluver1 once said: "I fought that thing like a bull." One snapped mounting bolt and one that had to be sawed off. Not sure why this suspension was such a victim of time but 4 of the 5 suspension shafts were seized up solid and the fifth had the broken bolt. Luckily, all of the donor suspension shafts will work. Still managed to salvage some good stuff though - idler wheels, rails, and misc parts. Unfortunately the cool, original blue hyfax is too far gone.

Before I tore it down I couldn't resist taking a rip down the road. These little 250's are really overachievers, what a blast to ride. Kind of forgot about the lack of brakes when I came screaming down the driveway. The sled is fine and I'm pretty sure my wife won't notice the collateral damage until spring.

 

[snoluver1]

When I hadn't heard from you in a while, I assumed you must be busy. 'Course I thought you were busy with the the chores associated with selling a house and moving a few hundred miles away. I should've known better. You were just hiding in the garage wrenching on junk snowmobiles! Lol

 

[Deleted member 10829]

Looking forward to following this thread skiroule! Our first sled when I was a kid was a 1976 TX 250, and they did over perform. I vividly remember a snowmobile magazine article from back then on the TX 250 racing against other sleds and it said "Lordy, lordy that machine do move! It gave up over 100cc in some cases and didn't miss one of them."

It looks like you've moved up north full time, is that correct? I like the new snow blower on the lawn tractor! I hope it gets a real workout this year!

 

[gary_in_neenah]

Dear Santa,
Please bring me a box of parts for my new TX Project. The rustier, the better, heck they don't even have to match, I'll figure it out. Please notice that we have moved closer to the North Pole and have a new address, I'll leave the porch light on for you. Thanks Santa you're the best!

Skiroule

 

[skiroule]

Good one Gary

Yes, we have moved back to the self-proclaimed “Walleye Capital of the World” (Baudette, MN). I wish I could say I’ve been secretly wrenching all along but between getting our other house ready for sale (it did sell really fast) and moving, it’s been a marathon. All that is done now and it feels good to be back making a mess in the garage.

We have a nice situation for riding at our new location. Ride right out of the yard and it’s only about 3 blocks to the trail on the Rainy River. From there we have all kinds of options for which direction to ride. I will be taking at least one vintage ride across the lake to the Northwest Angle this winter, most likely on this very sled.

According to John we’re in the pink for the near future which would be excellent. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen pink.

 

[skiroule]

This explained the lack of brakes. Cleaned it out, added fluid, and bled the system: We now have brakes and no leaks. These have to be one of the most durable hydraulic snowmobile braking systems ever built.

Also pulled off a stubborn secondary (love that Liquid Wrench) and took stock of things under the hood. Several things need attention but don’t see anything major. I really have to resist the temptation to do a complete chassis teardown. I want to be riding this snow machine by the end of Jan.

I’ll post more photos when I actually accomplish something besides cracking a cold one and just looking at stuff.

 

[skiroule]

Well I caved and pulled the motor after all - makes it easier to work on stuff in the end. Some gunk build-up in the pan but a couple of hours of cleaning got rid of most of it (maybe a 7 out of 10). will probably make another pass or two and call it good. Could use a little touch-up so I might give it a quick shot here and there for cosmetic effect. Next up is removal of driveshaft speedo unit/cover (these things are notorious for trapping water and causing bearing rust) and carb tear-down.

 

[elf]

I’ll post more photos when I actually accomplish something besides cracking a cold one and just looking at stuff.[/QUOTE]

That sounds a lot like any projects i do out in the shop. I may spend 40 hrs in the shop with about 5 hrs of actual work. Got a football game going on the TV, a beer in my hand, thinking of everything I should do.

 

[skiroule]

I may spend 40 hrs in the shop with about 5 hrs of actual work. Got a football game going on the TV, a beer in my hand, thinking of everything I should do.

Sounds about right - maybe we should open a business together.

"Work" is continuing on the project but nothing photo-worthy right now.

 

[kirk600]

Kelly I do still have that tx rear skid....sent you a pm. It looks like that tx 250 is coming along nicely as well.

 

[skiroule]

Kelly I do still have that tx rear skid....sent you a pm. It looks like that tx 250 is coming along nicely as well.

Thanks Kirk, got it & reply sent. Just trying to make the 250 a nice little rider (at least for now). Should make it easier if the time ever comes when I can do a full restoration.

 

[skiroule]

Finally got the little mill back together with only a few left-over parts. The way I see it, how important could they be if it isn’t obvious where they should go.

Actually very little work required on the engine - some dismantling and inspection, carb rebuilds and light cleanup. It should provide a snappy, reliable power plant for this rider. Pretty funny to look at the engine plate and see that 249 CC label though. You’d never know it was that small when you ride it.

The exhaust had been painted silver instead of the usual black and I kind of liked it so I’m just repainting it silver again.

 

[skiroule]

I want to thank fellow JD member kirk600 for these little beauties. Of the four springs from the suspensions I had, no two were the same and only one appeared to be the right spring. Luckily Kirk had a matched set that was correct and in excellent condition. Not only did he take the time to package them up and ship them all the way from Michigan (not inexpensive), he refused to take any money for the springs or for the shipping. Thanks Kirk, I owe you one.

This is a bigger deal than it seems because it really is things like the lack of correct springs that bring a project to a halt.

 

[kirk600]

Hey Kelly,

You Dont waste any time getting that tx back in shape. I love the progress your making......those carburetors look brand new! Same for the clutch and most of the fasteners as well.....Did that tx come with an air box? I know you sent me some air box pieces in the past........
I had the same brake problems on both my 1979's. Actually i have to bleed the TXL every fall so i need to replace or rebuild that master cylinder.......if i can get it off the sled.

Keep up the good work, almost half way thru January........

Kirk

 

[skiroule]

Yikes, almost halfway through January. To top it off, this is one of the best snow winters this area has seen in a long time. Need to get this little mule done and back on the snow.

The sled did come with an air box and I have a few others piled up somewhere. Not sure if I’ll use it. They do provide more support for the carbs but the 250 carbs are pretty light and the boots are short so could probably stick with the K&N’s.

Did get the ski reconditioning done and everything re-assembled so those can be checked off.

 

[kirk600]

Wow i just noticed that sled has multileaf front springs.........did they come that way or do you think someone changed them along the way???
Please send some snow this way, Kelly, we keep getting rain and melting away the base.......

 

[skiroule]

Wow i just noticed that sled has multileaf front springs.........did they come that way or do you think someone changed them along the way???
Please send some snow this way, Kelly, we keep getting rain and melting away the base.......

Dang it! I thought I could slip this by. I should have known better. I was going to talk about this a little...honest.

I haven't done any exhaustive research on this but I suspect that at least pieces of the ski assemblies are for an earlier vintage TX (maybe early 70's?). The spindles and saddles look to be 79 versions but as you pointed out, the springs are multileaf, definitely not 79. The skis themselves are very close but have an unusual notch at the base of the loops so who knows? Why would the originals be swapped out? Hard to say. Strange things happen over 38 years. Weird thing is, everything fits together like a glove, including the replacement 79 shocks and wear bars.

The skis are in very good shape so I'll keep those for sure but eventually I want to replace the springs with the single leaf version - much cleaner look. I have a nice set of 76's that I might try to use if I can remove the crimped saddles and drill new holes for the 79 bolt-on saddles.

I'll be hording the snow but I'll share some of the temps. Think we have a good shot at -30 tonight.

 

[kirk600]

Kelly,

I have tried exactly what your planning on doing( "I have a nice set of 76's that I might try to use if I can remove the crimped saddles and drill new holes for the 79 bolt-on saddles")......and it wont work!!!! The spring also has a crimp in it.I found this out as I cut one apart off a 1978 this summer.......unless there is a difference between 1976-1978 springs/saddles.


I would be happy just to have some rideable snow....our cabin has about 8" right now, but my next shot at going up is next weekend, and the warm temps are supposed to start from tues/wed right on through the weekend so my chances of riding are slim and slimmer unless I can find a few bucks and head to the UP.

Kirk

 

[skiroule]

Curses!! Foiled Again.

And it seemed like such a stroke of genius. The leaf crimp isn’t all that obvious when the saddle is still attached. I always wondered what kept the saddle from sliding one way or another. Now I know. Anyway, thanks Kirk for saving me some future pain.

Got the skid back together tonight. Decided to paint the rails this time, as that’s the way they came from the factory. Besides, it gives it sort of a stealthy look. Now it’s time to have a couple of brews and stand there and look at stuff again.

With regard to the front springs, some people might be wondering “Why not just use the crimped on style like they are?” The problem is that this was a fundamentally flawed concept. With the long, rigid mounting plate and the flexing spring, sooner or later the plate cracked like this:

I suppose the crack could be welded but in the end they would just keep cracking elsewhere. I’ve seen them crack so bad that part of the plate breaks off and slides down the leaf. In 79 they used a shorter plate that was through bolted – much better design.