I just got a tote goat with 5.5HP motor, how to make it faster?

[vetteguy112233]

My tote goat is a homemade one, but has a 5.5HP OHV B&S motor that was purchased last year. It doesn't go very fast, I can almost outrun it by running beside of it.

The motor has a side mount shaft with a pulley bolted to it, a belt runs from that pulley to the rear axle on the left side, on the right side of the rear axle is a small gear with a chain that goes back to the large gear around the tire. The small gear is 2 1/2 inches and the larger one is 12 inches.

Is there anything I can do to the motor to make it faster? Or is changing the gears the only option. If it's a gearing issue, what size gears should I use?

[cojaro]

The gear setup seems a little confusing. Maybe it's your wording, or that it's 3 in the morning, but yes, changing the gear ratios is about the only way to make karts go faster, unless you want to get a whole new engine. But 5.5hp seems strong enough, so your current gear ratio is probably what's holding its speed back.

[jrjulien1]

ya i think its the gear ratio as well a 5.5 should go at least 25 to 30 mph

[vetteguy112233]

So I should change the 12" sprocket that sits beside the rear tire? If I put a 6" or 8" sprocket, would that help? How can I determine how much of a difference each size sprocket will make?

[jrjulien1]

you should count the gear teeth on the sprocket on the engine and fill it in on a speed calculator as well as a 60 or 72 tooth gear for the gear on the rear axle {60 or 72 is the most common} and fill in the rpm for the engine if the engine is a honda fill in 3900rpm and if its a briggs and stratton or tecumesh then 3600 and if it sounds like a chineese/japaneese name its probably a honda knockoff and fill in 3900rpm the speed calc can be found here http://webpages.charter.net/jeffparker/speed_calc.htm alos youll have to fill in the tire size and only fill in the top row and all this will give you an approximate idea for how fast youll kart will go

hope this helps

[jrjulien1]

oh srry i didnt notice that its belt drive so disregard what i said above however i suggest if its in your budget switch to a chain drive system as its more effiecient and will give you a more reliable and faster kart and as for the drive pulley i have an old pulley off of an old kart i had and its a little smaller than 7 inches however i never did get the kart up and running but the kart was run before i got it with the pulley so i would assume that it would work

hope this helps srry about the above post