kyjohn
New member
I'm partial to blue but I think yellow would look good to.
First kart build, lots of trial and error!
- Thread starter mysteryboy28
- Start date
- Status
I'm partial to blue but I think yellow would look good to.
Doc Sprocket
*********
Again, you really should be okay with your current machine.
Green!
Green!
mysteryboy28
New member
Took the kart for it's maiden voyage today, with no brakes, and with the seat not bolted on. Lol. Chain was loose and was slipping over the sprockets, so had to remove half a link - luckily I had some spare links that came with a new chain that came with the first Manco Dingo go-kart I bought.
The kart performed GREAT! Lots of balls, steering worked seemingly flawlessly. I didn't really push the off-roadedness of it, considering I had to keep reaching behind myself and shifting the backrest steel plate that was keeping the seat from leaning back too far, and because I had NO BRAKES. Lol.
Tonight I plan to hook up the brake, attach the seat, and get started on the roll-cage. Yay!
The kart performed GREAT! Lots of balls, steering worked seemingly flawlessly. I didn't really push the off-roadedness of it, considering I had to keep reaching behind myself and shifting the backrest steel plate that was keeping the seat from leaning back too far, and because I had NO BRAKES. Lol.
Tonight I plan to hook up the brake, attach the seat, and get started on the roll-cage. Yay!
Mrpinhead11
New member
looks awsome great job.
Good job. A nice clean build.
Greetings to all you four wheelers from a Harley Head
What you guys are doing looks like great fun and the wrenching and metal work is great. I'm really proud of my boy for getting in so fast. He's going to build some nice carts before all is said and done. Near as I can figure, this site rocks. To a soul you guys seem sincere, smart and "on it". While I'll stick with my Sporty, as a biker, I see what you guys are doing as way cooler than store bought ATVs, snowmobiles and jet skis. Live to ride, ride to live. Have (lots of) fun. But be safe. PEACE!
Mystery Dad
What you guys are doing looks like great fun and the wrenching and metal work is great. I'm really proud of my boy for getting in so fast. He's going to build some nice carts before all is said and done. Near as I can figure, this site rocks. To a soul you guys seem sincere, smart and "on it". While I'll stick with my Sporty, as a biker, I see what you guys are doing as way cooler than store bought ATVs, snowmobiles and jet skis. Live to ride, ride to live. Have (lots of) fun. But be safe. PEACE!
Mystery Dad
Doc Sprocket
*********
Thanks, "Dad", we appreciate the props! We do have a heckuva lot of fun, and (for the most part), legally, too! As old as I am *cough*, I really do hand a lot of credit to the younger guys here. They're learning and using valuable, real-world skills, basically staying out of trouble, and not permanently plugged into an Xbox, or Wii, or whatever the flavour of the day videogame thingy is today.
Come on, you know you dig on this stuff. Can't we convince you to build something? How about a mini-chopper? You know you wanna!!!
Hey Mysteryboy- C'mon! Keep bugging your gearhead dad until he buckles under the pressure and starts a build- even if it is just to shut you up!
mysteryboy28
New member
Yeah, I don't think my dad will be building a motorized toy anytime soon. Lol. He does love his Harley though!
Let my nephew try out the go-kart today, and he burned up the belt trying to climb the giant sledding hill across the street. Was going too slow (not enough RPMs to fully engage the clutch/CVT), overheated the belt to the point of it pouring smoke, and still kept gunning it. LOL. I was too far away to yell at him to stop. Luckily a new belt is only $16 on eBay. Got a brake cable on the way too, hopefully better than the 1/16" throttle cable I'm currently using.
Here's some pics of the almost complete roll-cage.
Let my nephew try out the go-kart today, and he burned up the belt trying to climb the giant sledding hill across the street. Was going too slow (not enough RPMs to fully engage the clutch/CVT), overheated the belt to the point of it pouring smoke, and still kept gunning it. LOL. I was too far away to yell at him to stop. Luckily a new belt is only $16 on eBay. Got a brake cable on the way too, hopefully better than the 1/16" throttle cable I'm currently using.
Here's some pics of the almost complete roll-cage.
Attachments
-
roll-cage side.jpg -
roll-cage other front side.jpg -
roll-cage rear side.jpg
Doc Sprocket
*********
That is looking good. Musta been a he//uva hill- I have only had one belt smoke, and that's because my neice pinned it against a tree, panicked, and kept it floored.
mysteryboy28
New member
My nephew is HUGE - 6'2"+, creeping up on 300 lbs (yes, he plays football in high school). Plus, it's a Comet 30 on a 13hp motor. Lol. The kart makes it up the hill just fine - IF you're cruising at full throttle. He started up the hill about half-way, going maybe half-throttle, revving it erratically (I think it was his first time riding a kart). It IS a he//uva big hill!
mysteryboy28
New member
Here's a video of my nephew taking the kart for a spin, and a walk-around video. Enjoy!
http://youtu.be/JSylJWi6sSc
http://youtu.be/aNAo8ysthBU
http://youtu.be/JSylJWi6sSc
http://youtu.be/aNAo8ysthBU
mysteryboy28
New member
Got the new belt, and within an hour it was fraying and had stretched a bit. I'm thinking that 13 horses is too much for the Comet 30 and the 3/4" belt that goes on it. The other possibility is the tiny little nicks that were on the surface of the driver and driven units, which I sanded smooth after belt # 2 kicked the bucket. The alignment looks reasonable between the 2 units, although I could probably use 1 washer/spacer on the driven unit to make it perfect.
Any thoughts? Time for a Comet 40 or snowmobile clutch???
Any thoughts? Time for a Comet 40 or snowmobile clutch???
r97
Measure twice cut once
A comet 40 or 500 series clutch should be in order. The 30 series were only designed for up to 8hp, sure you can make it work ok, but you should be much happier once you have the proper clutch installed.
mysteryboy28
New member
What typically happens to a Comet 30 if you use it on a motor with too much horsepower? Belt stretching and fraying apart within an hour? or just limited performance? As soon as I put the new belt on the kart had great power, good top end speed... but now that the belt has stretched the top end speed has gone down. I'm sure the belt is going to snap if I keep using it. Lol.
Doc Sprocket
*********
Your belt death is a combination of too much power and too much load. That poor belt just can't take the strain. It is time for an upgrade.
mysteryboy28
New member
Comet 30 for sale!!! Lol.
mysteryboy28
New member
And anyone with an upgrade for sale PM me. Thanks!
r97
Measure twice cut once
The belt wears down very quickly, the more worn the belt gets, the lower your performance.
http://www.bmikarts.com/shop/index.php?keywords=comet+500&match_criteria=all&x=0&y=0&shop=1
You will need to fabricate a new jack shaft assembly too.
40 series will be a bit more difficult to get, BMI has a driven. You can search ebay, cl, or contact Certified parts corporation for a driver. Beware of chines imitations.
mysteryboy28
New member
was hoping to avoid making a jackshaft, really liked the simplicity of my current setup. maybe i can just fabricate a new "Tav2" like steel plate with a 3/4" bore fixed short axle welded to it for a jackshaft (current one has a 5/8" shaft). it'd be nice to find a Comet 40 1" driver and 5/8" driven. worried that the Comet 40 belt isn't going to hold up much better than the 2 Comet 30 belts i've ruined almost instantly with the current motor/weight ratio.
meanwhile having a heck of a time finding a good deal on a CVT. already waaaaay over budget on the kart, spending another $320 on a clutch just seems insane! still need to polish the kart up and paint it, some minor finish work to do.
i think i can also hear the chain slipping when taking off due to the 1" axle bending because my sprocket is close to the center of the axle. there's no way in heck I can remove the axle to add another bearing (had to beat the crap out of the Kart just to get the axle out of the way the first time!). would hate to have to make a new engine mount and put the engine on the left side of the kart. would just look weird. lol.
meanwhile having a heck of a time finding a good deal on a CVT. already waaaaay over budget on the kart, spending another $320 on a clutch just seems insane! still need to polish the kart up and paint it, some minor finish work to do.
i think i can also hear the chain slipping when taking off due to the 1" axle bending because my sprocket is close to the center of the axle. there's no way in heck I can remove the axle to add another bearing (had to beat the crap out of the Kart just to get the axle out of the way the first time!). would hate to have to make a new engine mount and put the engine on the left side of the kart. would just look weird. lol.
r97
Measure twice cut once
Well, looking at your pictures now, I think you could really do to gear a bit lower. Doing that will take some strain off the clutch (although the comet 30 still won't be happy with 13 HP). As long as your gearing is reasonable, a comet 40 will need next to zero maintenance.
We need to know your tire dia, and the number of teeth on each of your sprockets to give you a better ratio (if needed).
The right way to install a comet 40 is to have a 3/4" shaft, with one bearing on either side of the driven. I wouldn't suggest installing it any other way. But I would suggest you move the engine over if you can't install a 3rd bearing, chewing up sprockets and bending your axle is no way to save money.
We need to know your tire dia, and the number of teeth on each of your sprockets to give you a better ratio (if needed).
The right way to install a comet 40 is to have a 3/4" shaft, with one bearing on either side of the driven. I wouldn't suggest installing it any other way. But I would suggest you move the engine over if you can't install a 3rd bearing, chewing up sprockets and bending your axle is no way to save money.
- Status