5HP Honda lacks power

[gallagher19]

Hello everyone. Bare with me I am new to this. As you can see in the avatar I am an avid sledder.
I have a few dirt karts for my nephews to play with and of course me too. One is an older dirt race kart with a live axle, 5hp Honda and gears are 13:72 if that makes sense? Anyways when I first bought it the thing ran like heck. Now that I have put on approximately 60 hours on it on a dirt track which has a few major turns on it. It runs really slow?? Before the governor would kick in. Now it probably runs 1/2 the speed. What do I need to look for to fix it?

 

[OzFab]

First thing I would check is compression. Is it blowing any smoke?
Failing that it may be something as simple as a mixture screw being incorrectly adjusted.
Check the compression & let us know...

BTW: Re Gearing.
To find the ratio divide the larger number by the smaller number.
ie: 72 divided by 13 = 5.5:1 which is pretty much spot on.

 

[squat251]

with that live axle it could be a bearing too, i would check to make sure the drive train moves freely especially if the motor sounds like its running hard.

barring that, do as fabroman said and see if anything is awry.

 

[klicky96]

Also, check your throttle setup and make sure that if you are running a spring-loaded setup that your springs aren't worn out. Also check to make sure that your throttle is actually opening all the way up when you hit the pedal.

 

[gallagher19]

First of all how do I do a compression check on one of these?

 

[fowler]

plug the tester into the spark pug hole and pull the starter

if u have got 60 hrs on it have u cleaned the carb
changed the oil
cleaned/replaced the plug
geased bearings
oiled chain
and so on

 

[gallagher19]

Okay thanks. It is the same as testing the sled. Read somewhere else that it doesn't work that way.
As for the others you mentioned. Yes I oil the chain regularly. But no I haven't done any of the others you mentioned. Will do that tonight and get back to you guys.

THANKS for the info and the quick time which everyone replies. Awesome.

 

[timbowuff]

Also, check your throttle setup and make sure that if you are running a spring-loaded setup that your springs aren't worn out. Also check to make sure that your throttle is actually opening all the way up when you hit the pedal.

this happens alot with small hp motors...

 

[gallagher19]

this happens alot with small hp motors...

Thanks will do that also.

 

[gallagher19]

First thing I would check is compression. Is it blowing any smoke?
Failing that it may be something as simple as a mixture screw being incorrectly adjusted.
Check the compression & let us know...

BTW: Re Gearing.
To find the ratio divide the larger number by the smaller number.
ie: 72 divided by 13 = 5.5:1 which is pretty much spot on.

Okay, I finally checked the compression and it is 70. I took a look at the carb and it is clean. Air filter is clean. The plug is grey. i just pulled the drain plug on the oil and it is grey also. Oh oh. Engine seems to purge if that makes any sense to you. Let me know what I should do next. Thanks. P.S. I really need to know what kind of maintenance program I should be on for this cart. When to change oil, clean carbs, new plug and so on. Thanks

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Hey Gallagher!

An annual oil change should be sufficient. I usually do such things when I get 'em out in the spring. Changing the oil at that time allows me to rid the 'case of any condensate that may have developed in there after the temperature changes of fall, winter, and then spring.

Cleaning the carb need not be part of a maintenance program- in fact, I never have to clean my carbs. Follow these tips for maintenance-free carb service-

*Install an inline fuel filter between the tank and the carb.
*When shutting the engine off for more than a few hours, turn the fuel valve off after killing the engine. When shutting down for more than a few days, turn the valve off while the engine is still running. Allow the engine to continue to run until the carb is dry, and it stalls out.
*I check, clean, and re-gap my plug at oil change time. I only change spark plugs if there appears to be an issue with the plug. I ran my GX340 hard for 4 years on the same plug, no problem.

Whereabouts in Canada are you?

 

[gallagher19]

Toystory 4WD thanks for the info. I will change the oil tonight and buy a new plug to be safe. Suppose to rain all day so hopefully I can try it out Sunday sometime after work.

I am in Fonthill, Ontario (20 minutes west of Niagara Falls)