Hello and diesel a arm go kart build

[apeboy63]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and I would like to know your opinions on a two seater, diesel, a arm go kart for off roading that my cousin and I will be building.

We have this 3 cyl diesel motor and radiator that runs (if anyone could tell me the manufacture/size that'd be great) that we are going to use that our uncle is letting us use for it.

We have the motor side of things done and the suspension and axles also. The suspension and axles we are going to use from a quad i have that doesn't run, we are going to use the suspension, the axles on it (lengthen them possibly) and brakes + the switches and throttle cable to run to the pedal.

I was wondering if you guys would know the best way to hook the engine up to the transmission/gear box on the quad so we can have multiple gears. Also how to run the gear shifter up to the cabin, the gas pedal, and how to run the brakes to the pedal (and should I hook up both the front/back if I even can or just front?)

Any help you guys give would be great since we are going to shoot for getting it done as quick as possible, we are building our own frame btw which is easy enough for us. (P.S. this is the engine, going to take off the muffler and add a air filter. Everything is there.)

 

[apeboy63]

This is the engine

 

[landuse]

Throw some pics up of the frame you guys are building. From all angles

 

[apeboy63]

We have not started yet. We will be starting this thursday/friday. It will be a simple frame with a cage since it is our first project together and we can always add on and change things.

 

[apeboy63]

I can throw up some pics of the suspension and what not later today. We may need to widen out the axles and arms.

 

[landuse]

I can throw up some pics of the suspension and what not later today. We may need to widen out the axles and arms.

Do that. Also, look at the bottom of your post for he edit button instead of posting three times in a row minutes apart

 

[apeboy63]

Ah I see that, thanks

 

[firemanjim]

I see a few problems. .... first, your diesel motor will not hook up to an atv trans as it is part of the atv motor. I have tried several ways to machine,manipulate, and Macgyver-neer a way to drive the atv trans via motor crank,but so far no good. You could use an irs transaxle from a vw but would have to have the adapter plate made. A car trans is gonna be too heavy. Im thinking stick with regular kart motor or atv motor. Sell the diesel so y'all can buy one. (Where do u live? I might want it for an army tank...)
Second, if you have a standard size (is there one?) 4 wheeler, you dont really have to widen it. Just stretch it a little in the middle and make the.driver area just wide enough for you n passenger. You'll find that if you're conservative with design,you will both fit just fine with out being too narrow. Look up how a limousine is built/stretched. Im lookin for an atv right now to cut up and turn in to a mini buggy...
Do yourselves a favor... sit down and draw this thing out. Design your seat area,you're linkage route for shifter, suspension, .... If you go with just whats "in your head" something will go wrong. Are you and your cuz on the "same page" as far as wants and expectations? You must have a good plan of attack to succeed in your venture. Good luck, and welcome to DIY.....

 

[fowler]

firstly welcome

and now to break this down a bit
the engine is a 3 cylender deisel right
do u know what its from?
there should be a name of the OEM of the engine or machinery on the rocker cover

there should be a set of stamped numbers on the block on the side of the engine
they like sticking the numbers in strange places like behind the starter motor

we would need this info to identify what u have

as for the use of this engine
unfortunately its not the best engine for an off road buggy in the usual sense
diesels make alot of torque but lack rpm and thereby hp (sorta)

most industrial engines are governed to 3600rpm
with a petrol engine u can mod them very easily to push 6000rpm

diesels just wont rev
the fuel wont burn fast enough
they can make high rpm diesels like the Le Mans racers
but very few people have that much coin

so u have a high torque motor
to make use of this u need a situation like a truck
loads of gears
or u will have low acceleration or low top speed

what this engine is good for is something like a tank
or something simpler like an argo
http://argoindonesia.com/images/Produk/ARGO 8x8 750 HDi/DHi.jpg

u wont break 40kph but u will never get bogged and climb over anything
they also float and can operate in water

 

[apeboy63]

Thanks guys. It's a Kubota. We don't know the exact model but we know it is a Kubota. We have no idea where it is from also. It is our first build so we were looking to do a simple build and go from there. We didn't really plan on spending too much and we have motors there that work. I know that there is a military gas engine but i don't think it would be too powerful since it is smaller than the diesel. Also yes I have found out that the motorcycle tranny won't work, the diesel requires a hydrostatic transmission apparently. We may be able to find another motor and all, do you guys think a john deere lawn tractor engine would work? I am in the process of sketching out the plans for the kart, I have 3d plans for a rear engine buggy but I think it would need to be shortened maybe. The suspension I think is going to work perfectly after examining it more. Also we are in the northern california area. I may look into buying a motorcycle engine after I sell some scrap. Sorry for not using multiple paragraphs and addressing things out of order, I was in a hurry. (this is the buggy from plans i downloaded that we would modify to fit our plans and the small military gas engine that I think is too small) http://store.colemans.com/cart/4-cylinder-gas-engine-32-cid-p-125.html

 

[apeboy63]

UPDATE: The front suspension looks good, we will basically be cutting the front of the frame off and using the steering column, brakes, wheels, and suspension. It will be wide enough I think, may have to fabricate something. The rear we are taking the rear axle and extending it, the rear brakes, the chain, and the shock. The shock I don't think is strong enough so we will put a spring around it for extra strength. The steering column may need to be moved down a little but other than that it looks fine in the front, rear needs lengthening. Seems to be going good (always willing to change things to work, like how everything may need to be lengthened) EDIT: may be able to get beefier suspension from one of the multiple motorcycles lying around

 

[firemanjim]

Hey, start a build thread or ask a mod to move this to the build threads. Im currently building a buggy and using a motor from a Honda 200cc 3 wheeler. Its easier to get low end and a high end by manually changing gears, and a LOT more fun... You got the right idea now,about that quad in pic. Im gonna do the same when i get one. If that quad motor runs or you can make it run, you already got 90% of what you need. Cut n stretch the quad, build seating area in between the 2 halves. Dont make it too wide,just wide enough for your 2 butts plus a lil.... Realistically, you can't just lengthen your rear axle by cutting and welding and really dont have to any way. You want it a lil wider? Get wheels with less backspace, and or get/make wheel spacers and use long ,GRADE 8 bolts and nuts to put it together. You dont want the back end too much wider than the front, in my opinion anyway....

 

[landuse]

Using a engine from a lawn tractor would mean that it would probably be a vertical engine, which might confuse things for you guys a bit

Start a build thread over in the Projects section with any further updates. This thread should just be reserved for an introduction. You can reference this thread if you like in your build thread

 

[apeboy63]

Okay thanks guys. We will get things sorted out tomorrow. First thing is just making sure everything is going to work.

 

[apeboy63]

I got a Kubota 850 diesel engine. And a hydrostatic transmission. Anyone wanna chain up? I'll drag your piece of **** go karts in a circle and up my grandma's hill. I roll coal like i roll chicken wraps, thick.

 

[ak99]

I got a Kubota 850 diesel engine. And a hydrostatic transmission. Anyone wanna chain up? I'll drag your piece of **** go karts in a circle and up my grandma's hill. I roll coal like i roll chicken wraps, thick.

??

Back to my question, you mentioned having a military gas engine. Do you know what make / model it is?

I have one sitting in my garage, just curious if it's the same thing you're referring to.

 

[landuse]

I got a Kubota 850 diesel engine. And a hydrostatic transmission. Anyone wanna chain up? I'll drag your piece of **** go karts in a circle and up my grandma's hill. I roll coal like i roll chicken wraps, thick.

Lay off the weed. LOL

 

[fowler]

I got a Kubota 850 diesel engine. And a hydrostatic transmission. Anyone wanna chain up? I'll drag your piece of **** go karts in a circle and up my grandma's hill. I roll coal like i roll chicken wraps, thick.

Lol

I take your hudrostaic trans and raise u a direct drive

Unless u get a rolling start the hydrostatic trans will just spike
Hit relief pressure and back off

I know this because we have a very similar setup in our forklift
Great for lifting and driving
Great for pushing stuff if u slam it
Crap at pushing if u do it gently

 

[firemanjim]

Lay off the weed. LOL

TOO DAYUM FUNNY.......

 

[firemanjim]

??

Back to my question, you mentioned having a military gas engine. Do you know what make / model it is?

I have one sitting in my garage, just curious if it's the same thing you're referring to.

http://store.colemans.com/cart/4-cylinder-gas-engine-32-cid-p-125.html
Its the motor our military used to power generators,pumps, ect. Great motors and will run submerged in water, when set up properly. If you can mate that with like a vw trans axle, you could use it for a buggy.... We have one with the generator still attached. Coleman's sells lot of cool stuff....