GX200 go kart clutch options?

[tb504]

Hey people. My friend and I purchased a kart from a rental facility that went out of business. We have done up the engine to a stage 3+ and have gotten to the power level we are happy with. However, it is not getting it to the wheels. We have ripped off most of the clutch material and cant decide if we just want to replace the components or change the whole setup. We want nice snappy acceleration with around a 3000 or 4000 rpm engagement if possible. Its a very slow acceleration with the wet clutch and takes a while to hit top speed. We care more about acceleration than we do top speed because of out riding area. Do we go to a torque converter set up? We really dont know and need some help. Thanks a lot guys.

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[madprofessor]

Sounds like your gear ratio's too tall, so while a TC would always increase the low end power, that's treating the symptom and not the cause. Treating the cause would mean using a larger axle cog-pulley and belt.
Don't know much about wet clutches, or about replacing those cog-drive pulleys and belts. If it's possible to lock the motor's output shaft to the crankshaft's rotation, then a TC slapped on it with a chain-drive could handle the clutch duties, increase the low end power and a little top end, and the new axle sprocket could gear it to a stronger ratio. Solve all your problems.
Note: Remember that you can't change a cogbelt's length, replace only. Chains can be shortened and lengthened to fit at will.

 

[panchothedog]

If you want acceleration go with a torque converter. You will have to put a sprocket on the rear axle, but then it is easy to play around with gear ratios to
time for top end speed. Also you can change spring tension on the drive clutch in order to control engagement rpm. Geared low with a high enough engagement RPM you can make it leave pretty hard.

 

[Hellion]

I like how they (or you) put the spare belt on the axle already and zip tied it down.
That's a massive time-saving measure.

 

[madprofessor]

Forgot to mention, if you change over to chain-drive sprockets, whether running off of a TC or not, gear ratio changes to get exactly what you want can be easy and inexpensive. What's required is to NOT buy axle sprockets that fit directly to your axle, ie; a bore size of the sprocket to match and slide onto your axle.
Those require you to remove wheel hubs, bearings, maybe a brake disc, the old sprocket, some locking collars, etc. Then you have to put it all back on in reverse with the new sprocket that has the number of teeth you only hope will be right.
Instead of that you get a sprocket hub with the bore that matches your axle, like my 1" axle, and has a 5.25" bolt circle. Same procedure as above to put it on, but you never have to do that again. $15 or less split sprockets that bolt onto it with the 6 supplied bolts can be swapped out in 5 minutes flat. Like my 60-tooth split sprocket was too tall, and a $13.95 split sprocket that's 72-tooth took its place in 5 minutes.

 

[Denny]

You can NOT use a cvt with that engine. It already has a built in centrifugal clutch and a 2:1 reduction. My best advice is go to McMaster Carr website and start looking for timing belts and pulleys. Count the teeth on the cogs also note the size and shape.

 

[Hellion]

Good luck with it--those rental/concession karts are the fat chicks of the kart world. Overbuilt and heavy, designed for occupant safety foremost and to absorb the pounding of countless hours of stop 'n go track running plus the abuse of customers who think it's a game of high-speed bumper cars. "High speed" being a relative term...

Engine has a built-in reduction gear and clutch, but it could be converted to chain drive with a TAV or centrifugal clutch provided of course that the shaft on the engine is the right type and not tapered. Anyone know what the engine's drive shaft is like?
Is the engine a Honda GX model?

My main focus would be eliminating the belt drive, the gear reduction and removing as much superfluous weight as possible with fire (oxy/actyl torch, plasma cutter) or the high speed wheel (grinder, cut-off tool).

 

[Denny]

You can not remove the clutch reduction box on the side of the engine. No provisions to put a seal. Shaft is far too short and an oddball diameter that you can’t get anything to fit. Those belts believe it or not will outlast a chain and sprockets. Increase sprocket on axle. Or decrease sprocket size on engine. Believe it or not the factory optimized that set up for the general idiots ( public) that ride it on a paved track. Built like a tank.