Buying a Predator, advice?

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BaconBitRacing

BaconBitRacing

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I’m picking up a 212 tomorrow (on sale for $100:wai:) anything to look for specifically? I’m going to try and get a non-hemi 60730 model, is there anything else I should look for? Thanks as always.
 
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panchothedog

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I have purchased five of them over the last three years. I've built every one of them, so never even started them in stock configuration. Afterwards, not a single problem. Have heard people bad mouth them as Chinese junk. That
HAS NOT been my experience, and I 'm a big " Buy American " guy ( when possible ). You ask if there is anything to look for. Well if the box looks like it was stabbed by a forklift I'd say pass on that one. I really don't think you have much to worry about.
 
BaconBitRacing

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I did end up with a hemi, they didn’t have any flat tops, I’m going to open it up now. How do y’all break these ’lil turd motors in? It’s not going on the kart till paint is done, so I got some time.
 
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BrownStainRacing

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Make sure you chk bolt torque specs.
Flywheel nut
Rod bolts
Side cover bolts
Head bolts.

Set valve lash to .003" on both intake and exhaust. After checking head bolts.

I use conventional 30 weight oil for break in, if I can find it. If not conventional 10w30.

Rings seat faster with an up and down rpm, not a steady rpm. Keep rpm above 2500 for breaking in cam and lifters. It's real easy to wipe out a cam lobe during break in.

I do 4-5 hot, cold cycles during break in. Checking, bolt torq specs, and valve lash before the next hot cycle, takes a couple days or more, but I usally find a bolt that won't stay in spec after 1 or 2 hot cycles. I take my time during break in, if it's gonna fail, I want it to fail on the test stand, not on somebody's vehicle a mile down the road without cell service.

Magnetic drain plugs will show you how much metal comes outta these engines during break in.

Good luck. 👍
 
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BrownStainRacing

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@BaconBitRacing
jus to be clear, once you have pulled the side cover and checked the rod bolts are torqed to spec, you dont have to pull the side cover off any more. Jus keep checking those other bolts, on outside of engine till they stay in spec. I would hate for you to pull it off again, sorry. And always check the valve lash after you retorqed the head bolts. If you set valve lash, then retorqed head bolts, your valve lash would be off. The valve lash will be off a few times during break in. The cam, lifters, pushrods and rockers will wear a lil, then finally stop wearing and valve lash will stay in spec. Gokarts are alot easier to set valve lash on. Most big tire mini bikes, you have to pull the engine out to set valve lash. I like to take my time, and get it right before installing.
 
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panchothedog

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I better re-check my thoughts here. From your photo in post # 7, I thought maybe you were hiding it from the wife in the closet behind a bunch of shoes. If you go to build it and want high compression it will be easier with a non-hemi head. Otherwise you'll be notching the piston. Lots of work to get it wright, and hard to tell where too deep starts. Did you get it for $100?
 
BaconBitRacing

BaconBitRacing

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panchothedog said:
I better re-check my thoughts here. From your photo in post # 7, I thought maybe you were hiding it from the wife in the closet behind a bunch of shoes. If you go to build it and want high compression it will be easier with a non-hemi head. Otherwise you'll be notching the piston. Lots of work to get it wright, and hard to tell where too deep starts. Did you get it for $100?
Click to expand...
I got it for $100! I’m not looking to build this engine super high, if I was I would have picked up a 224. I’m actually not hiding it, that’s just a dry place to keep it. If I was hiding it I would have to do a lot better job.
BrownStainRacing said:
@BaconBitRacing
jus to be clear, once you have pulled the side cover and checked the rod bolts are torqed to spec, you dont have to pull the side cover off any more. Jus keep checking those other bolts, on outside of engine till they stay in spec. I would hate for you to pull it off again, sorry. And always check the valve lash after you retorqed the head bolts. If you set valve lash, then retorqed head bolts, your valve lash would be off. The valve lash will be off a few times during break in. The cam, lifters, pushrods and rockers will wear a lil, then finally stop wearing and valve lash will stay in spec. Gokarts are alot easier to set valve lash on. Most big tire mini bikes, you have to pull the engine out to set valve lash. I like to take my time, and get it right before installing.
Click to expand...
Thanks for clarifying. I haven’t gotten all the way out of the box yet, and I don’t have an inch pound torque wrench yet, or feeler gages (!!!) I’ll pick up some from the Jungle store. Then it‘ll get setup but not broken in for a while, I need to get the kart painted. Do you break in on an engine stand?
 
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BrownStainRacing

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BaconBitRacing said:
I got it for $100! I’m not looking to build this engine super high, if I was I would have picked up a 224. I’m actually not hiding it, that’s just a dry place to keep it. If I was hiding it I would have to do a lot better job.

Thanks for clarifying. I haven’t gotten all the way out of the box yet, and I don’t have an inch pound torque wrench yet, or feeler gages (!!!) I’ll pick up some from the Jungle store. Then it‘ll get setup but not broken in for a while, I need to get the kart painted. Do you break in on an engine stand?
Click to expand...
Yea, I mount them down on a test stand.
I use a ft/lbs for everything except rod bolts. You can get a 3/8" torq wrench to get to the stock rod. The billet rods need a 1/4" in/lb wrench. They take up a lil bit more room in the crankcase.

Check crank endplay, they usally around .015", that's not bad, but .020" will beat on the sides of the rod. I've seen them come outta the box with .000"-.060", so it's a hit and miss kinda deal, with the different thicknesses of the side cover gaskets, and bolt torq. I like to shim crank and cam to .010". To check cam endplay, you gotta pull it down to the bare block.
 
BaconBitRacing

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BrownStainRacing said:
Yea, I mount them down on a test stand.
I use a ft/lbs for everything except rod bolts. You can get a 3/8" torq wrench to get to the stock rod. The billet rods need a 1/4" in/lb wrench. They take up a lil bit more room in the crankcase.

Check crank endplay, they usally around .015", that's not bad, but .020" will beat on the sides of the rod. I've seen them come outta the box with .000"-.060", so it's a hit and miss kinda deal, with the different thicknesses of the side cover gaskets, and bolt torq. I like to shim crank and cam to .010". To check cam endplay, you gotta pull it down to the bare block.
Click to expand...
What size is the rod bolt? I’m going to pick up a 1/4 inch drive and I need to know if a need a socket as well. Thanks for the help :thumbsup:
 
Thepartsguy

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Go back and ask if they have any customer return engines. when there returned you know how many people leave the gas and oil in them? That is the biggest hassle for the store workers and to be honest they want you to buy the return engine so that they don’t have to deal with it... (so i’m told) you could walk out of there with 2 or 3 super almost dirt cheap predators with carburetor issues. one might be blown up. You never know.
 
BaconBitRacing

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Thepartsguy said:
Go back and ask if they have any customer return engines. when there returned some you know how many people leave the gas and oil in them? That is the biggest hassle for the store workers and to be honest they want you to buy the return engine so that they don’t have to deal with it... (so i’m told) you could walk out of there with 2 or 3 super almost dirt cheap predators with carburetor issues. one might be blown up. You never know.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I already picked up one new non returned for $100. I’ll think about that whenever I need another engine.
 
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