I never thought of the temp gun- I have one too!!! Need numbers to compare it too. Yes, regearing lower will reduce loads and make your clutch's life easier. Given your current setup, I doubt you'll be able to fit a much larger rear sprocket without clearance issues. You will likely have to set up a jackshaft. This is an intermediate shaft on bearings that hold a couple sprockets. Your clutch chain-drives the shaft with one sprocket, in turn the second sprocket drives your axle. Ultimately, you end up with two chain runs, and the ability to gear down much lower than you could without. As an example, My kids' cart is geared at about 15:1 as I recall. To do this without a jackshaft would require a 150 tooth rear sprocket! The wheels wouldn't touch the ground!
