Carter 2336 ZXH - Quick and Dirty Refurbish

[wax]

Day Zero

Picked up this Carter Dec 28 after work for $120. My father always said never to buy a car at night and the same is probably true for karts.

PO bought for his grand kids, but it's been abandoned 4-5 years and just sitting outdoors. I had hoped to arrive a little earlier, but as it gets dark at 4:30 these days it was already dusk when I arrived.

Used the flashlight on my phone to take a look and dug it out of it's leafy prison the best I could. All four tires were low/flat and it took a bit of effort to get it rolling. Steering was completely frozen, but between myself, the PO, his son-in-law, and the (now late teenager) grand kids we were able to get it on the truck.

Once I got it home I aired up the tires and was happy none of them immediately deflated.

---------- Post added at 05:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:36 AM ----------

Day One

I didn't have much time to spend on it, but I snapped some more pics and made some early assessments on overall condition

• Frame is in good shape
• Light rust on driver floorboard
• All four wheels turn freely
• All four tires held air overnight
• Chain and sproket are rusty, but turn
• Steering moving slightly after round one of PB Blaster
• Engine looks to have been pulled from bottom of the ocean

I hit everything I could see with a another round of spray lubricant and rolled it back into the garage.

 

[pRoFiT]

Good find.

Are you going to clean up the engine? or replace with a standard HF Predator engine

 

[wax]

Day Two

I didn't have any real ambitions of keeping the Tecumseh on the kart, but I made a half-hearted attempt to get it to start. The cord for the pull start was only retracting about 3/4 of the way after each pull so I removed the flywheel cover in hopes I could get at it with a drill, but there just wasn't enough room.

The back end of the thing was under the most vegetation and it shows on every nut and bolt on the thing.

The fuel tank was bone dry and the motor is still holding oil. I didn't smell any gas on the dipstick so I don't think it's seeping into the crankcase.

I spent another 30 mins goofing around with it and got it to turn over and briefly start with a shot of WD40.

Mystery solved as the fuel lines are (unsurprisingly) dry rotted. I could easily spend $30-$50 buying a new recoil starter, carburetor parts, new hose and other incidentals for this thing...or kick it to the curb.

Went after it with a brush and shop vac to make it a little more presentable and threw it up on CL in hopes I can get a few dollars out of it. I've waffled back and forth on keeping it for a spare, but stuff already rolls of the door of the shop when I open the roll up and I don't want to end up on an episode of Hoarders: Buried Alive.

Went around the rest of the kart with a wire brush and cleaned up the best I could. Check out the pile of stuff on the mount plate.

Finally, like so many pilgrims before me I made the trek to the Harbor Freight Holy Land and used my $99 coupon. Here's hoping to a running kart tomorrow.

 

[chancer]

Doh!!! Could have saved you 5 Bucks

 

[wax]

Chancer,

I am so cheap I thought about returning it and re-buying with that coupon. I can feel all five of those wasted dollars screaming!

-----------------------------------

Day Three

Not too much accomplished today. Mix of rain and sleet on and off all morning and I don't have a heater in the shop so I didn't spend too much time out there.

The Predator installation was no problem, everything lined up lined up properly without having to make any mods to the mount plate. I added the extra return spring and fired it up without the throttle cable connected.

Started up without issue, however, when I increased the throttle by hand I noticed the torque converter wasn’t moving as the speed increased.

I pulled it off and found the telescoping shaft was stuck inside the casing. I hit it with a couple of rounds of PB Blaster and tried to tap it out with a rubber mallet, but it won’t budge.

I dropped it into a de-rusting bath to sit overnight and am hoping it will come free after a good soak.

While waiting I figured I’d get a few small things done. I found a 12v battery on the parts stack and wired up a switch for the lights. I ran new wires for the kill switch below the steering wheel, but the switch handle snapped off when I tested it, guess I'll replace it.

When I tried to connect the throttle cable to the engine it was just barely long enough, but was pretty frayed at the end. I tightened it down and it lasted all of four or five press/release cycles before it snapped off.

I went to the hardware store and picked up a replacement throttle cable and kill switch. The belt is in-tact, but very worn, so I ordered a new one and decided that was enough abuse for one day.

 

[wax]

Day Four

First of all, Happy New Year to everyone.

Another soggy day here. I got up early and checked the torque converter. The rest of the pieces cleaned up pretty well, but the shaft is still stuck firm.

I gave it another 12 hours and tried to tap it out again and again, it’s still stuck tight. I’m going to give it another day or two before I give up on it. Any tips on getting it out?

My goal was to have the kart ready to ride before I have to go back to work Tuesday, but that’s looking unlikely.

I only had a couple of hours to spend on it today so I tried to knock out a couple more small things.

The pull start was at an inconvenient angle so I rotated it.

I applied lubricant to the rail for the adjustable seat, but still couldn’t get it to budge. I unbolted it to give it a good cleaning. Here’s what the wood underneath looked like:

Pretty soggy. So rotted I could scrape it off with a plastic putty knife.

Ran the new throttle cable while the seat is out and dropped some more parts into the rust bath.

That’s all I have time for today. One bite at a time I suppose.

 

[chancer]

Chancer,
I am so cheap I thought about returning it and re-buying with that coupon. I can feel all five of those wasted dollars screaming!

I know the feeling. But that is kinda why we are here, Check with us first. Many of us are that cheap and Broke.
Well lets see how cheap you are...
A few weeks ago I forgot my coupon for a 10 dollar item on sale for 7.99. I asked and the guy said no problem, bring your receipt and the coupon withing 30 days and we will give you your 2 bucks.
Sure enough they did. That may be worth a try but I dunno since you already used a 99 dollar coupon. May be worth trying to quiet those screaming 5 bucks though.

 

[wax]

Days 5-7

Returning to work has put a damper in the rate of progress, but I did have a few good things happen. I spent another hour or so on the Tecumseh and between some carb cleaner and some gasoline in a squirt bottle I got it "kind of sort of running". Put it on Craigslist and made a quick $50. Good for the bottom line of the project.

I kept the torque converter soaking in a rust remover for another day and then took it to work and tried to free it with an arbor press, but it still wouldn't budge.

I did a dumpster dive at work and salvaged a terminal block, large alligator clips and an old laptop power supply. I combined those with an old rubber container and some scrap metal to make an electrolysis bath. So far it seems to be working well at getting the rust from in-between the frozen parts.

I have a ton more parts that need to be run through the electrolysis bath and other than the $4.99 I spent on washing soda I made i for free.

Last thing, just for you Chancer, I went I got my extra $5 off from Harbor freight. I had to buy an engine with the $95 coupon and then return it with my $99 receipt, but the cashier was cool with it.

I'll get some pics of the rust removal system and some before/after pics later in the week.

 

[chancer]

Last thing, just for you Chancer, I went I got my extra $5 off from Harbor freight. I had to buy an engine with the $95 coupon and then it with my $99 receipt, but the cashier was cool with it.

That is Awsome! You are my new hero. I would be broken up about the 5 bucks, but too lazy to go back across town for it.

Hey the 5 bucks paid for the electrolysis Soda!
This is what you are doing?
http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24943&highlight=electrolysis+rust+removal

 

[Hellion]

Those same seat sliders might be the ones on the bargain aisle at BMI.

http://www.bmikarts.com/Adjustable-Seat-Sliders_p_1764.html

I've got a set that are seized up too. Either they were uncoated steel, poorly galvanized or something but they rusted right up even tucked under a metal seat.

 

[wax]

Day 10

Busy week at work and too much going on in the evenings to do anything during the week. It was a balmy 24 degrees here today (Arctic like conditions for Alabama), but I managed to get the kart driving.

Chancer,
Yes, that's pretty much exactly what I rigged up.

Hellion,
Thanks for the link to those rails. That's a steal!

The electrolysis bath did a good job cleaning up the seat rails (see above for old pic when it was still attached to the seat) and I think they will still work.

Cut up a scrap piece of lauan 1/4" plywood to make a new support for the seat and glued it in place with a tube of liquid nails. Also bought new hardware to put it together.

The throttle cable replacement I added keeps slipping off. It was a mower cable and lacks a large enough dog leg to stay in place. I wanted to take it for a test ride anyway, so I knew there was only once option to operate the throttle.

The real seat was still drying, so I took the hillbilly to another level and placed a rubbermaid lid in the bottom of the kart and took it for a spin.

The kart ran great even under my weight, so I know my kids are going to enjoy it. Just needs a legitimate throttle fix and to have the seats bolted back in to be done with "phase one".

Leaving tomorrow to take the wife to New Orleans for her birthday, so I won't be doing any work until next weekend.

 

[chancer]

Sweet test ride! Freerunner style no seat and hand throttle!

Have a good trip.

 

[wax]

Finished the "phase one" portion of the project yesterday morning (get it running and driving) and we had a blast taking it around the yard.

The kids and I rode for about 4 hours yesterday and it was hard to tell who had a better time.

Made a little 30 second clip of the action
https://youtu.be/2EUnbv6gTr0

 

[chancer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EUnbv6gTr0&feature=youtu.be