Hi

[panchothedog]

About the pressure washer engines that you will have access to. As stated by
Denny, make sure the shaft is horizontal and NOT TAPERED. Many industrial
gas powered tools have a tapered output shaft and you will never find a clutch
to fit it. If you are given a choice try to get one with a 3/4" shaft , as clutches
for that size are more common and also less expensive as compared to 1" .

 

[Butterland]

Ok, I’ll see if I can get a pic of the frame, I haven’t seen it, my wife just heard about it.

And I’ll see if the pressure washer: 3/4” horizontal shaft that is not tapered
If the engine is bad I will just wait for the next sale on the predator 212. And I’ll spend the time till then making the frame.

I pulled the front off. Would this be stable enough for the body? It feels super stable. I know the wood looks rough; I will clean the wood up before it’s done.
It’s metal bar bolted to fence pipe with 2x4 laid across.
Where is the weak point? I really am trying to learn. I would think if I build a better front this would be plenty stable.

Yea I want to weld, I started looking for a basic one to start. I’m not sure if I’ve seen the one you mentioned, I’ll look.

 

[panchothedog]

You have nothing more than a jerry rigged platform. You don't have a vehicle.
Could you bolt a motor ( to wood no less ) on it and expect it not to shake itself
apart for an hour or so, I don't know, MAYBE. But like I said where is the vehicle? A three wheeler is not a good ride for very young children to learn to
try and control a motorized vehicle. One turn too sharp and the next thing you know, they are on the ground and the trike is on top of them.
Denny wants you to learn how to weld. I just want you to look around for what's
out there. You are waiting on a frame your wife has HEARD about ? There are
SOOO many advantages of buying a complete ( even junky ) kart. Doesn't sound like you have done much looking. You don't need to have a face book account to look at face book market place. I am a complete KLUTZ on
technology, I can't even figure out how to post a picture on this forum. But I have been able to figure out how to go to Craigslist and Offer Up. And have found and bought inexpensive used karts on all three. It has taken me almost
a full hour to type this message to you. So I probably have 3 hours invested in
trying to convince not to hurt your children and not be disappointed by a poor quality build. If you get a kart and have questions ( no matter how many )
get back on here and ask away. If you are going to build a wooden death trap
tricycle HAVE AT IT.

 

[Butterland]

You have nothing more than a jerry rigged platform. You don't have a vehicle.
Could you bolt a motor ( to wood no less ) on it and expect it not to shake itself
apart for an hour or so, I don't know, MAYBE. But like I said where is the vehicle? A three wheeler is not a good ride for very young children to learn to
try and control a motorized vehicle. One turn too sharp and the next thing you know, they are on the ground and the trike is on top of them.
Denny wants you to learn how to weld. I just want you to look around for what's
out there. You are waiting on a frame your wife has HEARD about ? There are
SOOO many advantages of buying a complete ( even junky ) kart. Doesn't sound like you have done much looking. You don't need to have a face book account to look at face book market place. I am a complete KLUTZ on
technology, I can't even figure out how to post a picture on this forum. But I have been able to figure out how to go to Craigslist and Offer Up. And have found and bought inexpensive used karts on all three. It has taken me almost
a full hour to type this message to you. So I probably have 3 hours invested in
trying to convince not to hurt your children and not be disappointed by a poor quality build. If you get a kart and have questions ( no matter how many )
get back on here and ask away. If you are going to build a wooden death trap
tricycle HAVE AT IT.

I appreciate your answers. I wasn’t asking to challenge your answer. I took the front off, and would plan on putting two wheels up front. The motor I had on it didn’t shake it, so I consider the shaking, granted it didn’t drive.
Looking in those sites si far I found karts and a few frames m- all at least $200.

I looked up the flex core welder, found harbor freight one for $140, Home Depot for around $230. There were some arc welder also, I think they were around the same price, it looked like the flex core was easier to use.

there is a part of me that really wants to build it myself. I’ve sadly come to terms with the current frame not being enough.

My price point for a frame is ~$100. For that price I’d rather spend $50 more to buy a welder.

I know I sound like an *** half the time. I just mean to be straightforward. But I do appreciate the advice and I am adjusting plans based off y’all’s info.

 

[Butterland]

And the reason I’m aiming cheap is because Im a nurse with 5 kids. Between the motor and wheels I thought I was doing good, the frame pieces I had around the garage. And I didn’t expect much from the motor, so I thought the kids could use it.

If I got square metal bars and bolted them would that hold? Or would I run the same risk of rattling apart?
I’m planning on the predator 212 engine now so it’s alot more motor.

I’m assuming bolts will rattle loose whether it’s wood or metal but thought I’d ask.

80 Amp Inverter Arc Welder

Amazing deals on this 80 Amp Inverter Stick Welder at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

That’s the welder thing found that seems like it would work? I’ve never welded, and will have to spend a bit of time figuring it out if I do get it

 

[Butterland]

Sorry that’s the arc welder

Flux 125 Welder

Amazing deals on this 125 Amp Flux Welder at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

That’s the flux one, would either work?

 

[panchothedog]

Not a darn thing wrong with trying to keep it ( cheap ) inexpensive. That is a fundamental part of a successful life in my book. I am not very schooled on types of welders. I believe that the flux core type are a lot easier to use than the
arc welder, but you probably should get others opinion and or do some research. If you do build it from scratch there are plans available for many different styles and sizes. Also before you begin or buy a welder you should figure out material type ( square or round tubing ) wall thickness, total amount of lineal feet needed ( plus 10 to 15% ) for mistakes. Find a metal yard and price it out. Then make a list of incidental parts you will still need to purchase.
Rear axle and bearings, bearing hangers, motor mount plate, front spindles, tie rods, brake system ( mechanical cheaper, hydrolic more but works better )
steering shaft and wheel, seat, cables for gas and brake. On top of that you still have the welder to purchase AND don't forget a power chop saw. NO WAY
are you going to be able to make the amount of PRECISION cuts necessary with a hand hacksaw and not end up with a lopsided mess. I am not trying to discourage you, I just want to make sure you have thought and PRICED this project all the way through. Those $200 frames might start looking better. If you do build one, with 5 kids, I would recommend it be a two seater. Maybe you should build two. It would help justify the tool investment you are going to make. One more recommendation, bolting a steel frame together would not be much more riged than wood after a very short time.

 

[Denny]

The flux core welder will be loads easier to learn with. Once you get your wire speed and heat figured out it’s as easy as writing your name with a ball point pen. No to bolting frames together. The problem with doing that is the joint will figure out a way to get loose even with lock nuts. Metal will deform and waller out. Wood will deform and waller out. Then you have a bunch of pinch points or just joints that have failed. I myself started out building wooden push gokarts 50 years ago and then worked my way up. Gas and wood don’t mix and never will. Every few years we will start a joke thread about building a gas wooden Gokart. Everyone posts up their most outrageous ideas, like using a 3” rusty nali for the seat to keep you from sliding off the seat in turns. Or bending it over some to hold you into the seat during jumps or so you don’t need seat belts. Or powering it with a small block Chevy with a Muncie 4 speed and using a 1”x1” board with a 10 penny nail through it to rub on the ground when you pull the end of it up for brakes!
As outrageous as those ideas sound to you, that’s how your build looks to us. Between us active members we have hundreds of years of experience. We have discovered every wrong way to do things and then some. Made up new and exciting ways to hurt ourselves or our underwear. Discovered ways to build karts wasting hundreds of dollars on stuff that will never work no matter how we “make it better”. Use us for the resource that we are.

 

[Denny]

You know what might be a good option for you being you have no Gokart experience at all. A Gokart kit made by Azusa. They come pretty complete already welded all you have to do is paint it and put it together and bolt an engine on. Look for one at Gokart Supply, MFG Supply, BMI, Amazon or any of the other kart parts suppliers. Or an even cheaper option a mini-bike kit.

 

[Butterland]

Yea I’ve been searching for a metal frame, already welded. So far I have not found the frame, the search continues.
I did get a 4hp Briggs and Stratton engine on a tiller. It doesn’t start at the moment. Hopefully it’s just a spark plug. But as I’m looking for the frame I’ll try to figure the motor out

 

[Butterland]

These are pics of the engine.





These are directly from the engine.
I’m having issues finding where to get the right parts. I wanted to start with spark plug and then move to carburetor. I was hoping someone here might be able to help

 

[Butterland]

That first pic is from the actual tiller

 

[panchothedog]

Let's see a picture of the output shaft, with the key way up. Maybe one of the
carburetor and exhaust as well. Pictures of the labels pretty meaningless. Have you measured the diameter of the shaft?

 

[panchothedog]

Was it free? If you can get it to run it will have 8 to 10 times the torque of that
pocket bike engine in your first post.

 

[Denny]

It’s a Briggs, got to be parts somewhere.

 

[redflash]

poncho's point about the crankshaft is, that some of those utility (pressure washers, farm use, and others) motors have a tapered shaft which will not work with the available clutches or torque converters. as well as the shaft diameters are sometimes weird diameter, and my not work !

Da Redflash

 

[Butterland]

Yes it was free.
Here’s a pic, it had a belt drive attached

 

[Butterland]

 

[panchothedog]

I have never seen an engine with such a short output shaft. At least that's how it
looks in the picture. How long is it, about 1 3/4" ? I guess you could put a centrifugal clutch on it. You would never get a torque converter on it. It is too
short for that. Is it 3/4" in diameter ? Have you been able to get it running yet?

 

[panchothedog]

Hello again. No idea what part of the country you live in. Did you see the post from earlier today. Grasshopper kart for sale. What it is missing you already have, a rear axle. Even comes with a running engine. The Guy is asking $100.
That is a VERY good deal.