Newbie Help

[mysteryboy28]

hey, i like my cheap chinese copy clutches. lol. only catch with them is you need to open up the driver and grease up the rollers, otherwise it'll seize up on ya once in awhile. but i've had comet brand 40 series drivers do that to me too. i think the chinese ones are just a little more prone to the rollers going off the tracks, and the grease helps keep the rollers on tracks better for some reason.

so, for a $50+ savings - i think it's worth taking 15 minutes to gease 'em up.

 

[jbalex1212]

Right now we are having trouble figuring out what to do with the steering. Half of the group wants to extend the front and just put the wheels up there while the other group members want to attach them to the sides of the front. Will attaching them on the sides wider out give more stability? What difference will it make in steering?

 

[OzFab]

Especially in the case of an offroad vehicle, the front wheels should not be mounted so they don't protrude past the front of the frame. Ideally, they should be mounted so a bumper can be mounted across the front of the frame to protect the steering/suspension from damage. I'm not saying you need to fit a bumper, just set up the front end so you can...

With a bit of planning & simple fab work, the front can be set up so it has the same track measurement as the rear axle, it just means you may have to step in the frame a bit...

The distanse between the front & rear wheel centres (wheelbase) should be around a 4:3 ratio in relation to the track so, if your axle is 3', the wheelbase should be around 4', if the axle is 4' the wheelbase should be around 64" & so on...

 

[jbalex1212]

We are having trouble right now ordering a torque converter big enough for our kart. As of now we have a 30 series that we need to return. We accidentally ordered it and need to know all of the pieces to order for the 40 series. Every 40 series that I've seen online is sold seperately rather than in kits.

The other option that our teacher recommends is that we sell/return the engine we have right now and buy a new engine. Would a ten HP engine work on a 30 series converter? If someone out there has a similar set up on their kart I would appreciate a few pointers/tips.

 

[landuse]

We are having trouble right now ordering a torque converter big enough for our kart. As of now we have a 30 series that we need to return. We accidentally ordered it and need to know all of the pieces to order for the 40 series. Every 40 series that I've seen online is sold seperately rather than in kits.

The other option that our teacher recommends is that we sell/return the engine we have right now and buy a new engine. Would a ten HP engine work on a 30 series converter? If someone out there has a similar set up on their kart I would appreciate a few pointers/tips.

A 10HP would be too much for a 30 series. They are only rated for 8HP, and perform poorly with anything over

Comet 40 series are indeed sold in seperate pieces. You will need the driver, the driven and a jackshaft. The driver and driven must be mounted at a specific distance from each other. This distance is determined by the belt that you buy. Have a look at this

http://www.bmikarts.com/PDF/Comet_40series.pdf
http://www.gokartsupply.com/tcbelts.htm

 

[jbalex1212]

From everything that I have read, it is bad to attempt to put a 30 series on anything larger than an 8 or so HP engine. I just need confirmation that the engine we have now will destroy the torque converter and belts if we attempted to use it. It seems like right now the main consensus of the group is to get a new engine.

 

[mysteryboy28]

you're thinking backwards. lol. keep the bigger engine (if actually like having performance), and get a comet 40 torque converter. the comet 40 clones are just fine. just grease up the rollers/tracks inside the driver for increased reliability.

 

[jbalex1212]

Progress is slow right now. We have to have someone else weld all of the parts together and he has other things that are more important to do. We have a jackshaft ordered and are in the process of getiing a series 40 converter. The only major components we will need after this are the brakes. We cannot put front brakes on due to the type of set up we have. I was wondering if disc brakes or drum brakes would be better for what we have. Also, because of our limited budget, we need a deal on them. If anyone has a suggestion or a set up on their kart they think will work for us, just give me your suggestions.

 

[OzFab]

An ATV hydraulic disc setup can be had for around $40 or, head to your local junkyard & look for a roadbike rear disc setup

 

[jbalex1212]

Our jackshaft came in so the major parts left are the torque converter (Which we have our eye on one) and the brakes. We will look around local junkyards for ATV brakes and see what we can find. We are also in the process of cutting and welding the steel so the frame should be done in the next two or three weeks.

 

[jbalex1212]

We've ran into a bit of a problem with our project. We don't have the best communication because no one in the group listens to the leader so a lot of incorrect parts get ordered. Currently our issue is that we have 35 chain, 35 sprocket for the axle but we have 40/41 for the sprockets on our jackshaft. From what I've read 40/41 chain will be more durable and last longer but is this a problem for us? It's about the same cost to change the chain and axle sprocket as it is to buy two new sprockets for our jackshaft that would fit. So my question is what would be best? We have a 420cc 14 HP engine and our kart will end up weighing 300 or so pounds.

 

[mysteryboy28]

Try to do everything in 41 (everything matching). That way your chain won't slide around on the sprockets and be prone to coming off. 40 is a bit beefier than 41, but 41 should be plenty for your needs.

 

[Poboy kartman]

Try to do everything in 41 (everything matching). That way your chain won't slide around on the sprockets and be prone to coming off. 40 is a bit beefier than 41, but 41 should be plenty for your needs.

Ummmmm- sometimes size does matter- go for the the larger chain components. ...

Another thing I feel compelled to relate... And one time should make it sink in..With an off-road kart (or buggy) - the front end should always be wider than the back for one very simple but important reason. You cannot wedge your kart into a tight spot spot in the middle of nowhere..... ( unless you are going backwards....)!

 

[mysteryboy28]

Ummmmm- sometimes size does matter- go for the the larger chain compmponents...

Guess you didn't really understand my point. I was mainly suggesting to avoid mixing 40 and 41 components, to avoid sloppy chain slide (I've experienced chains slipping off because of it). My other point being that 41 components should be sufficient for his purposes. I use 50 chain and components on my big buggies, but they weigh close to 1000 lbs.

41 sprockets are going to be cheaper than 40 sprockets due to there being less metal. If you use 41 sprockets with 40 chain you're gonna have sloppy chain slide, increasing the risk of chain slipping off.