Torque converter problem

[billay12]

Hi, I'm new here and I had a question for you. I was ripping through clutches like night and day, so I opted to purchase a Torque converter, I had seen one on my friends go cart, and liked it a lot.

To start:

I've got a 6.5 HP Greyhound Harbor Freight engine.
I purchased the Torque Converter from this website.
http://gokartsusa.com/tav3034bore35chainfortecumseh5or6hp.aspx
On the specs, it was rated for 2-7 hp, perfect for my application.
5" wheels all around, slicks. Only ridden on road, around my neighborhood.

I got the torque converter about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I installed it 3 days ago because we had to reweld mounting brackets to hold the engine. I've ridden it for a total of about 3 hours. The belt is crazy worn. My friend's belt was about 7 months old, not nearly anywhere close to my belt's wear.

The cord around the edges has been ripped out, and the inside of the belt is worn like crazy.

I put the torque converter pulleys on perfectly aligned. It's an a-symmetrical system, so the belt has arrows which point towards the engine, like it's supposed to, and is. The pulleys are on correctly, but it keeps wearing the belt. I was riding it before, and upon coming to a stop, the cart shakes, and the belt gets caught in the driven pulley, halting the cart to a complete stop.

Please help me. I would like to figure this out before I purchase another belt, and put on another one and have that one get ruined also.

Thank you.

 

[redsox985]

Pictures and/or riding movies of issue would be of great help.

 

[billay12]

Okay..I can try to get some tomorrow. Have you ever heard of this? Friends dad said that the driven clutch was not disengaging fast enough? When riding, the belt does not seem to be rubbing against anything.

 

[redsox985]

Hmm idk. I'm still sort of new here and to karting but asking jr dragster tyler or freakboy, who are both online now just look at the bottom of the main page, would help they know a lot.

 

[billay12]

Hmm idk. I'm still sort of new here and to karting but asking jr dragster tyler or freakboy, who are both online now just look at the bottom of the main page, would help they know a lot.

Thank you, I have contacted them.

 

[billay12]

Hey, About the belt wear problem its either caused by a alihnment problem or a jammed driven/drive clutch. Are you positive you had the bronze idler bushing on the post of the drive clutch for the belt to idle on?

Yup, that's there. It idles great, doesn't creep at all. How would I know if it's jammed? We tested how fast it went after I put it on, and it clocked in at 46 mph. When I start from a stop, I watch the pulleys, they open and close beautifully. It also heats up extremely hot, to the point that you cant touch the belt, or the pulleys.

It's really pissing me off, because I dished $180 for this, and now it's giving me problems...


thank you for the help.

 

[freakboy]

Ive had mine do the same thing a while ago... its cause it was dirty so i cleaned it all up and oiled it up really good..another thing whats your gear ratio? because If you were burnin clutches it might be a little high and be making the belt slip a good bit? not sure about that tho..

 

[billay12]

Ive had mine do the same thing a while ago... its cause it was dirty so i cleaned it all up and oiled it up really good..another thing whats your gear ratio? because If you were burnin clutches it might be a little high and be making the belt slip a good bit? not sure about that tho..

I've got 12 teeth on the torque converter, and 60 teeth in the back.

I wasn't burning clutches, I was shredding teeth off the clutches, the sprocket was completely round, no teeth.

Plus, the torque converter has only been used for a total of 3 hours, don't think the belt should be this worn, that quick.

 

[freakboy]

Gear ratio sounds fine... and shouldnt be anything wrong with the tq... but what i would do is contact the place you got it from and ask them and see what they have to say about it and if they will send u a replacement

 

[billay12]

Gear ratio sounds fine... and shouldnt be anything wrong with the tq... but what i would do is contact the place you got it from and ask them and see what they have to say about it and if they will send u a replacement

A replacement, belt? or whole torque converter?

 

[freakboy]

Tq because due to the low hours on it.. that means its defective from when you got it cause its chewwing belts up... it should be perfectly fine..

 

[billay12]

Tq because due to the low hours on it.. that means its defective from when you got it cause its chewwing belts up... it should be perfectly fine..

Okay. I appreciate your help. You don't have any idea why it could be doing this? It completely blows my mind.

 

[freakboy]

my guess is something is in the wrong place from factory like the spring or its not lubed properly and is catching

 

[Blazkowiez]

Just because it has only been used 3 hours doesn't mean it has not been sitting around for a long time. Things can rust over time, we must remember that Comet has not been producing these clutches for over a year now. Clean everything on that drive clutch and check your driven that the cam has not jumped between the buttons.

 

[billay12]

Just because it has only been used 3 hours doesn't mean it has not been sitting around for a long time. Things can rust over time, we must remember that Comet has not been producing these clutches for over a year now. Clean everything on that drive clutch and check your driven that the cam has not jumped between the buttons.

Well, if I'm right, these aren't comet torque converter, but replicates of the comet torq-a-verters, so these are fairly new...

The cam buttons are all in the right place, and I can move the driven clutch freely, meaning I can make it expand if I force it enough.

Woke up this morning, was going to get a video to show you all, but found out that 3 of the ribs on the bottom of the belt are ripped off, meaning I cannot ride it until I get a new belt. I will call them tomorrow morning, before I leave for florida and hopefully get them to send me a new torq-a-verter, belt and all.

 

[Blazkowiez]

The clutch rides on the sides of the belt not the bottom. Just take a video of your drive/driven the drive taken apart and what you're doing to clean all of this.

 

[GreyhoundOfYerfDogs]

Sorry to keep resurrecting old threads, but something nobody mentioned in this thread would be, check the distance from crank to jackshaft for your converter type and belt size. There is very little tolerance on this spec. If the shafts are too far apart, it might allow the belt to ride too low in the driven pulley at speed, where rivets can chew it. Look at the wear pattern in the driven pulley and see if it looks like the belt was riding too deep.

Regarding the sprocket failure on your old clutches, perhaps the chain is stretched. Compare it to a new chain, or stretch it taut and measure 10 links. Wear on the pull side of the driven sprocket teeth is a telltale sign. Also, if the chain has been allowed to rust ever, some of the rollers may be seized, though the outside will look shiny again after a short ride.

Having ridden karts with and without torque converters, I assure you, you will love your torque converter when it works correctly.

 

[metalthrashinman]

He has a Torq-A-Verter that comes with the mounting plate that has the jackshaft mounted the correct distance designed for the belt provided with it. The only variable here would be if the plate did not mount up the the engine and the drive shaft was not centered to the plate where the drive pulley mounts.

You don't mention rear tire size when specifying your gearing. Very important...

How about changing the factory setting on the driven pulley to #3 slot instead of #2? Will make it shift slower, but may prevent your belt from drifting down to the rivets.

This is an old thread. Billay, can you give us an update on your kart?

 

[devino246]

Sorry to keep resurrecting old threads

 

[Blazkowiez]

Sorry to keep resurrecting old threads, but something nobody mentioned in this thread would be, check the distance from crank to jackshaft for your converter type and belt size. There is very little tolerance on this spec. If the shafts are too far apart, it might allow the belt to ride too low in the driven pulley at speed, where rivets can chew it. Look at the wear pattern in the driven pulley and see if it looks like the belt was riding too deep.

Regarding the sprocket failure on your old clutches, perhaps the chain is stretched. Compare it to a new chain, or stretch it taut and measure 10 links. Wear on the pull side of the driven sprocket teeth is a telltale sign. Also, if the chain has been allowed to rust ever, some of the rollers may be seized, though the outside will look shiny again after a short ride.

Having ridden karts with and without torque converters, I assure you, you will love your torque converter when it works correctly.

I know your heart is in the right place but don't dig up old threads, only the person who wrote the thread has the right to do so if they have not found a solution. We must assume since he left it alone for 2 months he found his answer.