Engine upgrades....help?

[mustachemaster78]

So I have an old go kart that I bought for $200 from a neighbor. It has an old Tecumseh 5 hp gas pull start engine. I don' know the exact year of the whole go kart or the engine but I was thinking of either upgrading parts in the engine or just buying a more powerful engine altogether. Any suggestions? If I were to just upgrade it, any parts you'd recommend? Or if I were to get a whole new engine what type/brand engine should I get?

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

It's more rewarding to get the old one running.

Or join the derp cult.

What kinda skills you got?

 

[Nosandwich]

Why?

 

[mustachemaster78]

If you're asking why I want to upgrade, it's because the original engine isn't running too well

---------- Post added at 09:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:52 PM ----------

It's more rewarding to get the old one running.

Or join the derp cult.

What kinda skills you got?

I agree about the satisfaction but its old and I don't have the time or the resources really to effectively fix it myself. As for skills, I am the lowest novice in mechanics, so not good at all. This is however my first go kart ever so, and it's pretty old but has some room to fit bigger things on the frame

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

So fix it.


I see you edited after I posted.

Most of the time the old industrial engines just need a good carb cleaning and a gasket kit. Give it some love man it's not that hard. We can help. There's only 3 things needed, air gas and spark. Some compression helps.

Post some pics and ask specific questions. You can do it!





Or just derp it your self.
Cue the commercial.........

 

[Nosandwich]

Then make it run well first.

 

[mustachemaster78]

Then make it run well first.

Good point, I'll come back to you when I get some experience and knowledge under my belt. Right now I know just about nothing about actually fixing any sort of engine.

---------- Post added at 10:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:03 PM ----------

So fix it.


I see you edited after I posted.

Most of the time the old industrial engines just need a good carb cleaning and a gasket kit. Give it some love man it's not that hard. We can help. There's only 3 things needed, air gas and spark. Some compression helps.

Post some pics and ask specific questions. You can do it!





Or just derp it your self.
Cue the commercial.........

I already cleaned the carb and it's got a brand new spark plug but I haven't replaced any of the gaskets yet. Honestly I didn't even think of that.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

You possibly could have an intake leak. Makes it hard to get running right that way.


Just wondering, how would you be willing to do engine upgrades with no experience?


In my opinion. Try to get this one running. Learn a little and ride it. Then start the upgrades. ONLY THEN will you know how much of an upgrade you made. This is what makes it fun.

 

[bob58o]

Fine I'll be that guy.
Don't waste the time and money on the Tecumseh. If you get it running good, you are still going to wonder if you should of got the Predator. And the answer will be Yes, you should have gotten the Predator.

Go to the nearest Harbor Freight and treat yourself to each and every one of the glorious Two Hundred and Twelve Cubic Centimeters of Grace and save room for the galloping Six and One Half Horses of Freedom.


I can only assume your mustache is quite grand. And a man with a mustache like yours should not be seen on anything less than a Predator 212cc Horizontal Shaft Engine.

When you get to the Register, tell them Large Marge sent you. They'll understand what that means.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Fine I'll be that guy.
Don't waste the time and money on the Tecumseh. If you get it running good, you are still going to wonder if you should of got the Predator. And the answer will be Yes, you should have gotten the Predator.

Go to the nearest Harbor Freight and treat yourself to each and every one of the glorious Two Hundred and Twelve Cubic Centimeters of Grace and save room for the galloping Six and One Half Horses of Freedom.

When you get to the Register, tell them Large Marge sent you. They'll understand what that means.

Where's the commercial?

 

[mustachemaster78]

Fine I'll be that guy.
Don't waste the time and money on the Tecumseh. If you get it running good, you are still going to wonder if you should of got the Predator. And the answer will be Yes, you should have gotten the Predator.

Go to the nearest Harbor Freight and treat yourself to each and every one of the glorious Two Hundred and Twelve Cubic Centimeters of Grace and save room for the galloping Six and One Half Horses of Freedom.

When you get to the Register, tell them Large Marge sent you. They'll understand what that means.

Good point, but the go kart came with a Tecumseh originally

 

[Texan]

Getting a Predator is a quick, cheap and easy way to get into the Kart/small engine hobby.

It's easy to install, easy to start and easy to maintain. You will appreciate and learn from it.

Then use that knowledge to work your way back to the original engine.

 

[bob58o]

Good point, but the go kart came with a Tecumseh originally

Then keep the Tecumseh. LOL

 

[Nosandwich]

Yeah, why spend next to nothing fixing an American made engine, and learning something to boot, when you can just send your hard earned dollars to China.

BTW, Bob is the guy that buys a $100 engine, spends 2,000 hours, and $1,000 dollars on it...but he says:"Just go get one.", like he ever even started one up stock.

 

[bob58o]

Yeah, why spend next to nothing fixing an American made engine, and learning something to boot, when you can just send your hard earned dollars to China.

BTW, Bob is the guy that buys a $100 engine, spends 2,000 hours, and $1,000 dollars on it...but he says:"Just go get one.", like he ever even started one up stock.

Do what I say, not what I do. And don't get me started on the Corporate Lawyers and Lobbyist, their influence on our puppet government, and its effect on US Manufacturing.

 

[mustachemaster78]

Yeah, why spend next to nothing fixing an American made engine, and learning something to boot, when you can just send your hard earned dollars to China.

BTW, Bob is the guy that buys a $100 engine, spends 2,000 hours, and $1,000 dollars on it...but he says:"Just go get one.", like he ever even started one up stock.

True, true

 

[Hellion]

I agree about the satisfaction but its old and I don't have the time or the resources really to effectively fix it myself.As for skills, I am the lowest novice in mechanics, so not good at all. This is however my first go kart ever so, and it's pretty old but has some room to fit bigger things on the frame

Don’t have the time or resources to indulge in this hobby? Maybe you should not have bought it because that’s a pure cop out. Those are words of defeat spoken right from the get-go, no less

This is a Do It Yourself forum. You better do it yourself, pal.

If you take these other blokes’ advice and buy a new clunker Chinese engine from Chinese Tools, Inc, you will have learned nothing (except the concept of goods exchange). When something breaks on it or it fails to operate, what are you gonna do, just go buy another one?

You said it at least runs, albeit poorly. As a DIY’er, you’ve been blessed in that regard. Just think if it didn’t run at all....BEDLAM!!!

 

[landuse]

Don’t have the time or resources to indulge in this hobby? Maybe you should not have bought it because that’s a pure cop out. Those are words of defeat spoken right from the get-go, no less

This is a Do It Yourself forum. You better do it yourself, pal.

If you take these other blokes’ advice and buy a new clunker Chinese engine from Chinese Tools, Inc, you will have learned nothing (except the concept of goods exchange). When something breaks on it or it fails to operate, what are you gonna do, just go buy another one?

You said it at least runs, albeit poorly. As a DIY’er, you’ve been blessed in that regard. Just think if it didn’t run at all....BEDLAM!!!

Sometimes it is just not worth trying to fix an engine. Everyone has their own set of abilities and priorities. Buying a predator isn't a cop out at all. They still have to install the thing themselves and get all the linkages correct. That's pretty DIY to me, and when you know nothing at all, it can also be a daunting experience

Save the Tecumseh engine for a later date when you feel you have the knowledge to tinker with it

 

[Hellion]

Come on Landuse, you too can be an encourager as well. We must all be witness to the valiant struggle with the Engine Demon and the triumph at the end! There might be a blood sacrifice involved....bloody knuckles. But we have Band Aids.

Let’s move this to the proper venue, OP with a new thread title...to the Go Kart Forum!

Post pics there while you’re at it.

 

[landuse]

Come on Landuse, you too can be an encourager as well. We must all be witness to the valiant struggle with the Engine Demon and the triumph at the end! There might be a blood sacrifice involved....bloody knuckles. But we have Band Aids.

Let’s move this to the proper venue, OP with a new thread title...to the Go Kart Forum!

Post pics there while you’re at it.

Sometimes you just have to be a realist. People are not always into the nitty gritty of stripping an engine. To them, swapping an engine is about as DIY, and as difficult, as they want to go. It took me a few years before I felt I was ready to tear into an engine