YetAnotherHobby
New member
I've mostly ever worked on bigger vehicles, usually Jeeps. Never before have I worked on a go-kart but the skills are the same either way. This is a project kart that I'm taking on to teach a friends youngest kid to cut his teeth on as an introduction to the automotive mechanic world he's determined to get into.
For starters, they got it second or maybe even 3rd hand not sure on details. It was running about a year ago when they initially got it but one day it just stopped. Since then it sat under a tarp in their driveway. Far as I have been able to figure out through some digging is that it is a Yerf-Dog Spiderbox. It has the standard 150cc Howhit engine still installed but it looks as though the Carb was replaced at one point more recently given that it looks cleaner than the rest of the engine. The air cleaner that sits above the engine is missing entirely and as I've torn the thing down bit by bit it looks like perhaps there was a short in the ignition system (if I'm understanding the diagrams right).
On top of that issue and as I've been taking stock of what all needs fixed/replaced I've hit some speedbumps. The main one currently is that I can't seem to track down a new/used rack and pinion setup for this particular model. The one that was on it looks rough but it still functions well enough far as I can tell. It certainly needs new tie rod ends though. I've been collecting a word file of parts and such that I will be replacing and that one item in particular is proving to be elusive. If anyone knows where I might find one that'd be great cause currently I'm looking at whether or not I can salvage the old one.
As stated, I've never worked on go-karts before. Given this, I know very little about them outside of the normal mechanical knowledge I have. If anyone has information, tips, experience, or useful information on how to repair/upgrade this clunker without delving too far into sunk cost would be greatly appreciated.
For starters, they got it second or maybe even 3rd hand not sure on details. It was running about a year ago when they initially got it but one day it just stopped. Since then it sat under a tarp in their driveway. Far as I have been able to figure out through some digging is that it is a Yerf-Dog Spiderbox. It has the standard 150cc Howhit engine still installed but it looks as though the Carb was replaced at one point more recently given that it looks cleaner than the rest of the engine. The air cleaner that sits above the engine is missing entirely and as I've torn the thing down bit by bit it looks like perhaps there was a short in the ignition system (if I'm understanding the diagrams right).
On top of that issue and as I've been taking stock of what all needs fixed/replaced I've hit some speedbumps. The main one currently is that I can't seem to track down a new/used rack and pinion setup for this particular model. The one that was on it looks rough but it still functions well enough far as I can tell. It certainly needs new tie rod ends though. I've been collecting a word file of parts and such that I will be replacing and that one item in particular is proving to be elusive. If anyone knows where I might find one that'd be great cause currently I'm looking at whether or not I can salvage the old one.
As stated, I've never worked on go-karts before. Given this, I know very little about them outside of the normal mechanical knowledge I have. If anyone has information, tips, experience, or useful information on how to repair/upgrade this clunker without delving too far into sunk cost would be greatly appreciated.
