Carter Econo Kart Project Rush

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realfast89gt

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To make a long story short I bought a Murray kilowatt kart last year for my "daughter" and it has officially turned into my kart after various modifications.....:wai: Her 5th bday is the 29th of January so i decided i owed her one.

This brings me to my current project, a Carter econo kart i purchased A few days ago for $175. It was a complete kart minus 1 front wheel/tire and I was told it worked fine before the wheel broke. I could tell the guy didnt know much about go karts but he seemed trustworthy so i took his word for it. This is what it looked like when i first got it.
imagejpeg_2_2.jpg

It has a tec 5.0hp engine which i needed to get running. First i checked the oil and it was extremely dirty and black so i changed it. I replaced the spark plug. Added gas and noticed the tank leaked and so did the carb from the bowl. I had an extra tecumseh tank so i swapped that out. The carb was full of problems so luckily i had an extra carb off another tec. engine which i was able to use. Added gas and it started right up.

Next comes refreshing the whole thing. I dont want to give my daughter a weathered ugly kart with a torn seat so I basically stripped it to the frame.
carter frame 2.jpg

If you have ever seen the econo karts the frames were available in a few different colors and the roll bars were black. I picked a really cool purple for the frame and plan on repainting the roll bars satin black. (And yes i know i am going to be welding and cutting to install the live axle and moving the engine mount to the center, but i wanted to paint it first and then repaint the back of it again....:sifone:)
carter frame painted.jpg

I ordered the axle bearings and brackets so i will have to wait till the end of the week to get the axle on. Tomorrow i plan on sanding and painting the roll bars and going fabric shopping for new vinyl and padding for the seat(yes i know how to sew).

Updates hopefully in a few days.
 

OzFab

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Just thinking out loud but, for a 5yo, why not leave it as a dead axle for now; otherwise you'll probably need to redesign the steering as well. Leave well enough alone for now until she gets a bit older & do the mods over time
 

realfast89gt

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Just thinking out loud but, for a 5yo, why not leave it as a dead axle for now; otherwise you'll probably need to redesign the steering as well. Leave well enough alone for now until she gets a bit older & do the mods over time

Well i had all the parts besides the $18.95 for the bearings and hangers so it isnt costing me much. Plus i am keeping the axle within an inch or 2 of the old setup so the geometry will stay close to the same and not effect the steering.

Not to mention my wife will be the one driving until my daughter gets a little bigger and is able to use it on her own.
 

OzFab

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Well i had all the parts besides the $18.95 for the bearings and hangers so it isnt costing me much. Plus i am keeping the axle within an inch or 2 of the old setup so the geometry will stay close to the same and not effect the steering.

That's not the problem. There's a huge difference between single & two wheel drive. Once you have a live axle, the steering becomes a lot less reactive
 

realfast89gt

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That's not the problem. There's a huge difference between single & two wheel drive. Once you have a live axle, the steering becomes a lot less reactive

I understand what you mean. Being a automotive mechanic since 99 doing hundreds of alignments I am sure i can adjust it accordingly. :thumbsup:
 

realfast89gt

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Well i had the time last night to finish the rear of the kart.

The frame before mods(i already cut off the engine mount and rear spindles).
frame before.jpg

After all welding and even got a coat of paint on it.
newframe.jpg
newframe2.jpg
 

realfast89gt

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Purple much :lolgoku:

Nice work man :thumbsup:

Have you driven it? How does it handle?


It is purple for a 5 yr old girl.......lol

Havent driven it yet, couldnt find the second rear axle nut so i didnt want the rr wheel flying off on me!! Going to Lowes for the nut today.
 

realfast89gt

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Well my daughter loved the kart, so did my wife. It was a little too responsive as far as the steering goes, but once i lowered the air pressure in the tires my wife said it was much better. They both love it!!
20130129_164043.jpg

Fabroman- The only complaint i have with the steering is the radius, besides that it is great. Since i raised the rear of the kart by 2 inches and kept the front the same, it added weight to the front tires and helped with the steering.
 

machinist@large

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Well my daughter loved the kart, so did my wife. It was a little too responsive as far as the steering goes, but once i lowered the air pressure in the tires my wife said it was much better. They both love it!!
View attachment 32122

Fabroman- The only complaint i have with the steering is the radius, besides that it is great. Since i raised the rear of the kart by 2 inches and kept the front the same, it added weight to the front tires and helped with the steering.

I love hearing about a project like this that goes well with a nice happy ending.:thumbsup::cheers2:
 

The Scooby kart

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Can you get a pic of your intake set up I'm building one right now for Subaru robin and I'm using a car filter like yourself
 
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