A tale of two Dingo's

[Whitetrashrocker]

Alright! Up and running with full systems functioning.

Here's one of my cats checking it out while I'm taking a pit stop. And a show of the welds where I had to reattach the front end. One tube was cracked all the way around and the other side was almost 3/4 of the way split. The floor pans and the trusses were really the only thing holding the nose on this poor dingo.

I noticed real quick there was a lot of understeer. A live axle and almost no weight up front. If I didn't drift the corners I was out in the weeds. Well I took 2 of my wife's 12lb dumbbells and tied them on the porch for a test run and WOW did that make a difference.
My dad a few years back cast a bunch of lead ballast for a trailer that needed a bunch of tongue weight. Trailer sold and weighs were saved. I dug them out and they were all around 25lbs. Perfect. I nabbed a couple and quickly bolted one to the front deck.

Now this thing will spin around the front axle for some pretty tight donuts.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

https://youtu.be/BVZaXR1PGWM

Could use some help formating this video post

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

So I took some time to clear out some weeds in an unused part of the property to make a track. The vid was taken while driving my golfcart. I'm going to have to do some widening soon as the kart is not as nimble as I thought it was going to be. It's also a little too fast for this tight course. I keep understeering out in the weeds.

Now my blood wants to race!

Time to look for a kart for the wife! At least that's what I told her...

Before I found this dingo, I knew my cousin had a kart for his kids that was behind the barn and his kids are just finishing up high school and getting drivers licenses and such.
So I asked him back then if he wanted to sell the kart. "It belongs to the kids, I'll ask them."
He got back in a few days stating they didn't want to sell it.
Alright, no big deal I wasn't gonna push the issue.

Well, the other day he calls me up and says,"the kids will never use it again and it's been sitting here for several years and hasn't moved. I don't want to see it go but since your family and i know you will fix it I'll let you have it"

WHOO HOO!!!

here's number 2! (Hellion...)

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

But before I could even do anything to the new cart I had an issue.......

Number one went out with a BANG!.
I was out spinning the property and full throttle of course. A slight knock in the engine and before I could let off the throttle, it sounded like you dumped a hand full of bolts in the engine. Then nothing.... Coasted to a stop, got up, looked at the smoking engine....hmm. I had a feeling but just to prove myself wrong I hit the starter button.....strong solonoid click and a grunting starter failed to turn. Total lockup.

Luckily I was real close to the garage so I pushed it in.
Started to give it a look over. Well crap. I see a crack in the cover... I can weld aluminium so I'm thinking it can be fixed.

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

If you can fix that, you win.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

So the next morning I'm out to start tearing it apart to see what happened.

Here's the way I found it when I opened it up. My heart fell as I dug deeper all knowing it was a total loss.

The govoner was left inside and the plastic gear gave way allowing the rest of the pieces to freely roam where they might. Something meshed in the gears and inertia did its thing. The balancing shaft snapped in half and tried real hard to exit the case. See the teeth marks?
There were 2 smaller gears that I'm not sure exactly where they were but both are missing teeth. I found mangled in the bottom one flyweight and some shrapnel I assume could be the other. It's unrecognisable.

The connecting rod is knicked and piston skirt is too. These could be polished out and reused if need be.
The crank has a few marks but it survived and the cam is in good shape.

For SandG's I looked up replacement parts. I stopped when i saw the cover was $250 and the cases were discontinued. That meant way too much money to even attempt a repair.

Besides a predator 212 is only $100. Add gas and oil and go!

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

If you can fix that, you win.

If it was only the cover that busted I'd have no issue fixing that.
But alas it wasn't the only thing.

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

A cover with a crack is one thing, a cover with a crack that is wide enough to stick a pencil into is another. That told me there was a bunch of sad inside.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Here is some more sad for you.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

And the bits and pieces.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

It's impossible to have 2 karts and not have one running.

I gave the new one a look over and found it to be 99% all there. The brake caliper and hardware came in a bucket but it was complete. The only thing I can find is the air filter cover is missing. This holds the filter and without it I'm sucking dust. There is a nice manifold going from the carb to the airbox. I'm going to do away with the airbox and make a filter fit.

Well I have to weld the frame. Again in the same place where the frame and front axle join.

But for now its a donor till I can go through the chassis and bring it up to code.

Poor new guy, stripped of his dignity and left out in the cold.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

The donor is in and running.

While I had all the parts in a pile I noticed something I found quite interesting. I decoded the vin code on the fan cowl.

They were made one day apart at the same plant/shift.

What are the odds! 2 carts, identical, from 2 different sources, and have the engines made so close together.

 

[Poboy kartman]

Poor new guy, stripped of his dignity and left out in the cold.

You're not treating the kart much better.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

That's a good point poboy!

So I can't believe you guys haven't cought my mistake yet.
I kept saying a new 212 is in order. Well I went to HF to look at the selection an realized the 212 is a 3/4" shaft.
The comet 40 I have is a 1" shaft.

Well that really ups the price from what I thought was going to be just a little over a bill, to 2 and a half!

Good thing I got this cart for cheap.
None the less a new heart awaits.....

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

And to really make it sting I find out from this forum there this power land 420? For less than that.
Too bad for late info...

---------- Post added at 09:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:51 AM ----------

So in the meantime the track I made in the weeds in a previously posted vid, is to tight. It's gonna take a lot of work to get it wide enough to go fast.

Time for an oval! Sill haven't figured how to format vids on this forum but here's a link to a lap.

https://youtu.be/lE4aNFJb0fs

And a quick over view. It's about a quarter mile around. And I drift the corners. Again I couldn't get full throttle in the vid. Can't hold the phone and drive one handed...

Hmm, can't get the pic to load....

 

[landuse]

You can get 40 series adapter, but if you have a 212 predator, then all you need is the 30 series

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Started cleaning up the frame on #2. Again I had to weld the frame at the axle. This one only had one crack on the top. #1 had both sides broke. I might attempt to make a shock absorber set up for them but that's for later.

There's a big off-road event I participate in coming up and my brother is coming in from out of state. I don't have the time to fully strip and paint and do all the little things to #2 like I did to #1. So just make it run!

The frames not in bad shape, surface rust and dirt mostly. All the controls work as far as brake and throttle.
Like I said it ran before it was parked.

There are little things different between the 2 karts.
#2 has a parking brake,#1 doesn't have the tabs or even scars where they might have been removed.

There's various tabs on #1 but I don't know what they were for.

I don't think the headrest will buff out...

And the last of the graphics.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Boy do I hate rust! I checked the rear axle for any free play and it would barely spin. Bad bearings of course. So off with the tires and one hub came off with a little persuasion. Pulled the bearing off and it was pitted but spun freely. Not bad, I'll use it till I can get new ones ordered. But the axle still won't hardly rotate. Ok, pull the other hub.

Nope.

I had my little puller on it a BFH, and I'm out of acetylene so the only heat I had was mapp gas. Obviously not enough heat but ya never know. I was generous with the PB blaster too. Let it sit over night and still nothing.

Like I mentioned before, I dislike the mounting design.

Now the sprocket had to come off and it press fits on a tapered hootus that is keyed to the shaft. It too was full of rust and the BFH was needed. Can't swing it in the frame so out come long drift punches. What a PITA.

The brake disc was welded to the key and the key was welded to the axle. Grind and cold chisel.

Finally the axle was free from the frame and a trip to my dad's shop was in order for the big boy toys.

Big puller with a clamshell behind the hub and fired up the torch. Got that mother clamped in a big vise on a metal table, got the hub red hot and started in with a bigger sledge.

Nothing.

So what next. I guess the press is next.
Dad always complained about the press being just a smidge too small, physical size wise.
Well it was. From the floor to the bottom of the pushing nub was just around 1/8" to short to fit the axle. Well that's out.
Back to the vice.

More heat and more sweat and finally it starts to break loose. Victory!! You sob.

So, back to the bearing. It has froze completely and was spinning the race on the axle. Well I have the old bearings from #1 and found one that was useable. The axle had a little wear but nothing too bad. I figured a lock ring on the bearing would hold sufficiently.

While I was at the shop I did use the press to straighten the axle back. Nothing like a bent axle.

Back at my garage and all back together with lock rings instead of tach welds the axles is back in.

Sorry no pics of this part. I was too tired from the fight to think about pics.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Now to take care of the front tires. Didn't notice this till now. Looks like I get to test out how long it's gonna last.

Changed out a bearing or two for better ones from the parts pile and new tubes and back together they go.



(And yes I checked the inside of the tire for stickers and thorns)

 

[Poboy kartman]

You can fix that with JB Weld....especially if you have the piece that's broken off.

Kelly Wood fixed a couple and never has reported back that they failed.