Quick Bits

[J.S.@SMS]

Ok, I'll avoid the pre '05s. And I was planning on getting the Police Interceptor, they are cheaper looking, and are cheaper priced around here. There is a 2011 Police Interceptor on CL for $1700, with like 160,000 miles on it. The oil cooler is good, I have no clue if you can use a trans cooler on a C6 (I'll have to look into that), and I'm not quite sure what a power steering cooler is useful for (please enlighten me). Also I like the idea of having a full frame more than having a unibody. Plus no one expects the vics to be fast (the highest output was 250hp). Though the original trans would get junked (the vics had an EAOD which is missing 3rd off the shift pattern instead of second.)

And I've heard an alternator whose bearings were shot, it had kind of a rattling crunching/grinding sound (it was on my grandpas 88 'Vette). The new one whistles, he gets lots of questions now and no ricers want to race him anymore (everyone think it's a turbo).

 

[Kartorbust]

Its mostly used when turning a lot in high speed chases. It's supposed to keep the fluid cooler. Fun fact, most of the hydraulic power steering fluid is automatic transmission fluid.

 

[J.S.@SMS]

Yeah if I get a Vic, it'll be stripped down as much as possible. So inside the interior will be gutted, and all the accessories will go bye bye, except for basic power steering, radio and a/c (it gets in the hundreds here in the summer so you’d have to be an idiot to get rid of the ac system). And automatic transmission fluid has several uses. I commonly use it for soaking old tools that are rusty.

 

[Kartorbust]

I did look into it for you, if you hadn't already, but you can install a transmission cooler on the C6, some (maybe most or all) came with one.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Haha! I finished Go-Kart Alley in two days! It's HARD to put down!
(For those who don't know, it's written by Dennis R. Van Vleet, a.k.a Orange Krate on here, cool guy)

Dennis is a talented writer! The story starts off a little sleepy and nostalgic, and the action picks up real nicely, leading to a suspenseful and extremely satisfying climax!
It actually makes me want to move out to the country.....

It's also educational! It covers the basics of a few different kinds of engines, plus a lot I didn't know about Jr. Dragster racing!

Now, to work on my own karts.....

 

[Kartorbust]

I'm still doing a metric-ton of I guess RND for my project. Been jumping around on design, powertrain, etc. My brain is overloaded with useless information on it, kind of sucks. It kind of caused me to lose sleep a few times the past week or so lol. Been drawing up frame designs and different suspension types. Kind of leaning towards double a-arm front with semi-trailing rear. For a month I've been debating on front braking, either brakes outboard near the hub, or make it inboard using ujoints and cut down axles. But doing it that way causes additional problems with designing the front spindles in a way that will allow for the wheels to turn. Then a back and forth with doing cantilever suspension in the front.

When I really want to do something, I really go at it. I'm just glad I'm not bombarding the crap out of the forum with my mundane topics and stupid questions on a daily basis.

Other than that, I haven't read many books lately...let alone the last two years. Last book I read in a day was Halo: New Blood. Which follows the story of Alpha 9, the ODST squad from Halo 3 ODST and what happened to them. Picked up Star Wars Shadows of the Empire a couple months ago, haven't read it. But the N64 game of the same title was really fun to play growing up. In fact, there was a small possibility back in the 90s that it was thought to have been turned into a movie. But George decided to make the Prequels instead. Had he made it into a movie back then, it would've been great. Most everyone still looked young enough for it to work.

Yes I am a nerd and proud of it.

 

[Budget GoKart]

I got an absolute score yesterday manco 405 without a spot of rust for 25$

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Man, that's a STEAL!!:
$25 for a kart that can defy gravity???!!!

 

[Budget GoKart]

Man, that's a STEAL!!:
$25 for a kart that can defy gravity???!!!

Ok sorry for that JT i just got my phone back and havent taken a pitcure in a while lol

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Got a technical welding question here that I don't really want to bother starting a thread for:

Does FCAW (flux core) welding produce slag? I would imagine it does since stick welding does....

 

[Kartorbust]

Yes. It's pretty much the same thing that smaw and saw (shielded metal arc welding/stick and shielded arc welding), as well as dual shielded (flux-cored with shielding gas), however most of us will not use it, unless doing some really heavy duty work (plate welding) and using a more expensive welder.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Cool, I was kinda wondering why my welds had shiny bits poking through, and why most FCAW starter kits come with a slag hammer.

On another note, I saw a really interesting edger today! The same guy that sold me my tiller had it today. It had a twisted belt drive, but the most interesting thing was the engine.
It was a Tecumsehrolleyes 3.8 Formula vertical shaft 4 stroke, but the most interesting thing is that it had pressure lube! On an engine less that 5 HP! I'm used to seeing stuff like that on big, and I mean BIG engines!
Pressure lube would be interesting to play around with someday.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Woohoo! My mom bought me a set or 4 4.10/3.50-5 Carlisle tires for my go kart! It's a bit of a belated Christmas present, but it's really good since it lightens my needed parts by about $60! Now I just need to dismount the current front tires.....
I sense a lot of soapy water in my future........

 

[landuse]

I got an absolute score yesterday manco 405 without a spot of rust for 25$

Score!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Budget GoKart]

I made a seat for my 405 it looks decent also my engine is sorta clapped but its wip ill make it run if its possible to do so

 

[Kartorbust]

So after waiting a bit (too long) started doing a brake job on the new (to us) Mountaineer today. Replacing the front pads and rotors do to the pads being almost gone on the driver front and only backing plate was left on the inner passenger front. So got the driver side pads and rotors done and started doing the passenger side. Well couldn't finish that side, since the rotor is stuck to the hub now for some odd reason. So going to try a trick I found. Take a longer bolt than the caliper bracket bolt, take two nuts and 2 washers, and thread it against the rotor, kind of backwards to a gear/pulley puller. Sucks that its below freezing outside, but needs to be done.

 

[Kartorbust]

Well finished the front brakes today. Though, I think my Craftsman 1/2" torque wrench might have given up the ghost. It didn't want to tighten up internally to 100ft/lbs. Doesn't sound like ACE, Lowes, Home Depot, or Menards will re-caliberate Craftsman tools, even though they pretty much bought out the name brand and all responsibility for calibrating the tools.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Just a little something interesting I found out today: Briggs and Stratton is developing EFI systems for it's Vanguard V-twins, which are also starting to be produced here in the States instead of Japan. This might make for some interesting kart possibilities!

 

[Kartorbust]

I'll bet it'll be limited to no much above 3600rpm unless someone can figure out how to do it above that. Ecotrons has been out for years as a conversion kit. But I'll guarantee that this kit will be stupid expensive.

 

[J.S.@SMS]

Briggs has had an EFI v-twin for a few years now (so does Yamaha, but theirs is a vertical shaft). I remember seeing it a year or two ago when looking for parts.

And I got the Warrior to start yesterday and did some putting around, and no surprise, the carb's still screwed up. It also only likes to start if the throttle's cracked a little bit. After letting it idle for a few minutes I hopped on and putted around for a few minutes to run the engine some, and work the trans a bit. And when I gave it some gas to get into second, the engine started hesitating again. So I pulled the plug, and it was black as could be. So something's up with the jetting. It runs fine on the low speed, but as soon as it hits the high speed it starts acting like the choke's on (something it doesn't have). Anyways, I threw my compression tester on it, and it made 150psi regular, and 160psi when I put some oil in the cylinder. The stock spec for this engine was 125psi. So, I'm stumped. A 25 yo bike that's been rode extremely hard (my dad and his friends were really competitive), and that has never had anything inside the engine replaced afaik, makes 25psi over stock. The only thing I can think of that explains this is if the dude who owned it before my dad put in a high compression piston (wiseco makes one for the Warrior, Big Bear, and raptor 350, that takes it from 9.2:1 to 10.25:1). My dad bought it in 97 I think, and he always said it ran a bit better than the Warrior his buddy had.