Homemade diesel project...

[thatkartbuilder]

Your tie rods are somewhat longer than your suspension arms so you will get some bump steer.
But it doesn't look crazy out of proportions.
Is everything tight with no slop?
Any toe in or toe out?

There is a little bit of slop because there aren't any ball joints, and there is a little bit of toe-in.
Will possibly need new tierods, they came with a length perfect for what I need now, but I had to extend them, because I was working with a bigger suspension box, and needed them longer, the box I had made was a little off and I decided to make a smaller one, this one being better. So I had to trim the tierods again and now they're bending... I will probably get rid of the rack and just get a bearing to slide over the splined end, so I can keep the joints on. Doing this will probably be better and won't have as much slop in the steering. New rods, but keep the steering knuckle joint.

I will tighten up the slop, and try with the rods in place of the shocks, if that goes well then I will try with the shocks, then with shorter rods ...
It's a lot but I may work better. Thanks! will have to experiment.

 

[Denny]

I guess you missed the bus again.
I had a Yanmar with a wide open air intake.
As in, there was no throttle control of the air intake.
As in, the throttle controlled the fuel injection only

Stay in school and say no to drugs

No need to be a jerk Mr. Know It All! Most diesels were open intake for the last 100 years. The injection pump metered the amount of fuel fed to the engine.
Drugs are bad!

 

[Denny]

Did you build in steering stops? Your control arms seem to be at a pretty extreme angle. Maybe try lowering the front end a little bit and see how it does.

 

[Snaker]

No need to be a jerk Mr. Know It All! Most diesels were open intake for the last 100 years. The injection pump metered the amount of fuel fed to the engine.
Drugs are bad!

You telling someone else not to be a jerk, now that's precious.
You have been running people off of this forum as fast as they've shown up.
And calling someone else a know-it-all. And coming from you, holy crap, the irony.

These days, most modern diesels DO have control of the air intake.
Grow up.

 

[thatkartbuilder]

You telling someone else not to be a jerk, now that's precious.
You have been running people off of this forum as fast as they've shown up.
And calling someone else a know-it-all. And coming from you, holy crap, the irony.

These days, most modern diesels DO have control of the air intake.
Grow up.

Yeah, you're not wrong, yanmar's bigger series do have electric air intake control or what ever you want to call it

 

[Master Hack]

You kids stop arguing and get along or you will sit in the corner for 30 minutes.
l believe thats called a “time out” in modern parlance!

 

[thatkartbuilder]

Well I finished the roll cage and had to mount the other tank, because my solenoid for the pump is too big, it's starting to look more like a cross kart

 

[Snaker]

Moving along and looking nice.
That's some sturdy frame tubing, is the weight getting up there?

I keep looking at the rear shock mounts and thinking that they're kind of hanging out there.
Might add some gussets to the mounts similar to the gusset on the swingarm frame below?

 

[Functional Artist]

Nice work!
...& that's some beefy looking roll bar steel
...but, where is the bracing?

To me, it looks like that roll cage could/would cave in, upon a hard impact

Especially in the windshield area

Imagine if that roll cage was a chair
...& a fat guy sat on it

I could see them "front legs" "giving away"
...& that guys fat azz would be "crushing" your head

 

[thatkartbuilder]

Yeah, it's pretty beefy, but not finished, I don't have any money right now for more parts. I've been getting this metal for free, and although it may be good to have a slightly smaller size of metal, I don't plan on buying any, unless I really need it it's expensive. I'll eventually beef up the rear shocks.

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

Your bracing needs more bracing

 

[thatkartbuilder]

I'm 6'2", trying to get in and out of this thing is a challenge already, more bracing, I was thinking doors, or even a hinged roll cage, which being hinged would be cool, but probably not as strong. There may be more bracing with the hinge, but unsure how it would be connected, or hold up for impacts. Cool idea tho!

 

[thatkartbuilder]

Would have a similar design to can trunk doors, gas shocks to open it and keep it open

 

[Denny]

What’s a can trunk door?

 

[thatkartbuilder]

Van*

 

[thatkartbuilder]

Ok, I took it for a ride in my woods, after I got all the wires and things secured.. the steering/wheels would lock up sometimes on turns, I went for a good amount of times, until they locked up for good I tried breaking it loose but wouldn't budge, the steering rack broke off the mounts. I'm not even mad, I knew something was eventually brake off of a cheap Chinese steering system. So back to the drawing board this time new better A-arms and spindle setup, so the steering and suspension get along. More building!

 

[thatkartbuilder]

Forgot to mention that the spindle got bent as well, instead of 5/8 spindle, now maybe 3/4, here's some pics:

 

[thatkartbuilder]

Keepin the steering shaft with the joints, just getting a bearing for the splined end, but probably going to normal steering shaft and tie rod design.

 

[thatkartbuilder]

It's been a while again...

Lots of new things with my diesel kart, I've installed a snow plow, which turned out good! Still stuck with my steering design though I extended my steering rack a little bit to the correct length to minimize bump steer, but realized I f'd up, there were plastic bushings to keep the rack from having slop between the main piece, so that didn't work well. I tried just using tie rods and a rod, like most common gocarts without a rack have but I had soo much slop still. ( I didn't have front shocks, just bars to lock. ) While not knowing what else to do for suspension and steering, I came home and tinkered with my gas engine, trying to make it look like the Predator 212 ghost, now it does. While doing that I came up with a crazy idea, one that no one has ever made: A Dual fuel gocart - Gas And Diesel. Haters will say "It's impossible", "won't happen" or "Freshman can't fabricate that".
I ended up stripping my whole cart down to just a frame, chair, and steering shaft. I will re-design my suspension so there is minimum slop, and minimum bump steer, while just a frame, I can add more bracing. I want this to be the last time I have to fabricate suspension for this kart unless I'm upgrading. Back to the Dual fuel design, My previous kart had the same gearbox, the engine sat on top of the gearbox thanks to a plate, I used the same plate this time but cut off the legs for the top plate. I would go back to the same idea, there being a plate the engine sits on over top of the gearbox. I would also use another driver pulley. The main way this works now is the gas sits over the gearbox, and there are two driver pulleys and one driven, when I want speed I take the long belt off of the diesel, and gearbox, and switch for the gas with smaller pulley, the throttle would need to a different pedal or another way. Yes, it would be cool to have two gearboxes, an electric start on the gas, two sprockets, and pedals, so it was more convenient, and would not have to get out, but idc about the idea of convenience yet. If you have ideas for my suspension and steering, I have a 9x9 suspension box, I think I can fab one, just make a jig this time for the most precision and a little more research.

P.S, Sorry for the paragraph

 

[Denny]

Keep it up there buddy! You’ll get it figured out.