My go kart

[frank]

progress report found here:
http://www.freewebtown.com/makeagokart/mygokart.htm

[imported_robertdjung]

Looks cool, Frank. What kind of engine is that? I'm not familiar with it.

[frank]

its a champion brand engine, it's from costco for only $140 canadian dollars! try and beat that price, any ways i know it's made to be a replacement engine for a champion brand generator, but on the box it also listed it's uses and go karts was one of them. people told me it was a honda knock off except this one isnt bad. if you know what a honda engine is like, you would know what this was.

havent ran it yet, waiting to get some oil and gas, also waiting for the engine mount to be welded on to the frame

i love how it's yellow and not red like a honda. lol

[imported_robertdjung]

That's kinda what I figured... Honda knockoff. I wonder if it's the same company that produces the one they sell at Pep Boys. (an auto accessories store in the States). I think their brand is "Tsing Tao" or something similar. Either way they're a Chinese knock-off company. I've heard very good things about those engines, though I've never used one myself.

[frank]

i've heard good things about Yin Xiang engines
http://www.gokartforums.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=98&PN=1
thats about the only Chinese company that makes good knockoffs

Jiang Dong engines are terrible from what i've heard
http://www.spudfiles.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2243&
one guy ran it and found metal shavings in the oil...

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can a 6.5 hp engine give me 40 kph?

[imported_robertdjung]

Haha, Tsing Tao, that's the beer. Oops!

I'll have to call my buddy and ask him which brand he bought.

So, is the champion not chinese?

[frank]

good news!
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d171/saladtossser/gogogo/DSC00878Small.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d171/saladtossser/gogogo/DSC00880Small.jpg

for more info, go to my website.
http://www.freewebtown.com/makeagokart/

i bet it is made in china, but to better standards

[jrjulien1]

looks like a cool kart i like the centre mount engine

[frank]

yea i never liked the looks of karts with the engines to one side, i know it doesnt mean much but still

[jrjulien1]

i think it gives the kart better handling because it balances the weight better rather than all the weight being on one side

[frank]

well the off balance might give one wheel driven karts more traction, mine is actually a one wheel drive, but with the solid axle, i can change my mind fairly quickly

[imported_robertdjung]

frank, that's a very cool idea for the spindles.

[frank]

ok, Well its drive system screwed up, we hauled it up stairs into the garage to ride it for the first time, we were on the road and when I pushed down the throttle, the sprocket broke loose from the weld on hub, this is caused by a really bad weld, it has been re-welded but and tested (to about 10 kph). i love it! i went around and let my dad try, then the chain fell and we just left it in the garage until tomorrow.

My 3 control systems are done, but the brake and steering are very very primitive. The steering relies on 1/16" wires that are begging to be broken (some braides already breaking) , but I have already got most of the parts needed to upgrade that to something more solid. The brakes is a single V belt wrapped around a pulley on the axle (FYI, doesnt do **** all), controlled by a wire hooked to the pedal, I need some money before getting disk brakes, or at least 2 pulleys and have the belt on a metal strip, or I can get scrub brakes, but that will take work and time, and school is only a week away. had some trouble with the throttle, cable needs a covering, too much rubbing going on

[frank]

finished it completely, but still with the belt and pulley brake and wire controled steering, took it out for a ride at 9:30 pm (less cars, and Canadian cities are VERY well lit, i've been to boston to compare) the brakes are satisfactory, the steering is very good, i can do a u turn on a small road no problems, and i learned to parallel park (no floor pan, used my feet to push backwards).

i did try using my home made tie rods (opps, mistake, used to read "spindle"), i had to put more effort into steering, and my dad complained how the wire was new and it would have been a waste of money, so i changed it back to wire control

[jrjulien1]

sounds like it works good

[frank]

lolz i want to take a few pics but since its in a garage with another car in it, space it tight and lighting is low, and i dont want to open the garage door or else my friends around the place will just gather around me lol

my dad doesnt want me working with it alone... but how is he going to stop me? lol, my gas pedal is way too sensitive, i need to lower the bolt for the wire a bit, the seat mounting is slightly crooked,

the bent axle is fixed by adding a third bearing, which made us realize that the frame is bending too, but the chain is not falling off at all, if the frame keeps on bending, what should i do? attempt to straighen it out and weld a supporting tubing on?

and my clutch gets VERY VERY hot after 2 min of riding, is that normal? i am going slow btw

[imported_robertdjung]

and my clutch gets VERY VERY hot after 2 min of riding, is that normal? i am going slow btw
yes, when you're driving slow, the clutch is not fully locking up, so the shoes are spinning inside the bellhousing and creating a lot of heat. The best is to drive fast enough to lock up the clutch.

[frank]

ouch, i knew that could be the problem, but i just cant know if it was fully engaged or not while riding. i cant go fast yet until i get it to an open space to really test its limits

what should i do about the frame bending? its 28" in width and its dipped about 1/4", i dont know how much its bending length wise

[imported_robertdjung]

It's just wearing the clutch faster than normal -- you'll be ok, just don't get it too hot, and don't run through water -- you might warp it if you're getting super-hot...

The fram is dipped after you're off it -- ie, it's a permanent bend? Not good!

Hmm. Add support. Angle iron or something. Can you post another pic of your frame?