Initial product review of $59 eBay Chinese TAV2

[KingCobra]

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A paragraph is a collection of related sentences dealing with a single topic. Learning to write good paragraphs will help you as a writer stay on track during your drafting and revision stages.

Good paragraphing also greatly assists your readers in following a piece of writing. You can have fantastic ideas, but if those ideas aren't presented in an organized fashion, you will lose your readers (and fail to achieve your goals in writing).

Maybe you should have minded your beezwax............ BAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

---------- Post added at 10:08 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:55 AM ----------

Mine works good. Pulls my 250lbs and my light kart close to 40mph. I have a few comets but they all need work so I cant do a comparison.

I have to admit im getting spoiled with the big blocks so im not sure if ill be using too many more of these lol. My 40 series knockoff is doing ok so far, I also had mine mounted backwards as Bob pointed out.

Too many projects, but I do want to add a small racing mower to my lineup. Much like Fearlessfront on youtube. Probably have to be a 212 on that lol. Not sure on a clutch or torque converter, it would be strictly road crusing. We have big hills but the machine is so light I might try a clutch just for kicks. When I was younger I had a sears kart that I put a 8hp briggs on with a heavy clutch it had no problems on the roads with hills.

What kind of work? That spring and two rod deal inside the driver is strange to me and I don't understand how that works ( anti reversal mechanism?). BUT, I believe the lighter the spring in the driver the sooner the engagement or lower RPM engagement........BUT, I believe you also have to change the springs in the Driven clutch as well, right? I would like to see photos of your Comet collection. I only have 3 comets. I have 2 Tav2's and a 30. I would like to go to a 40 on my Murray but not sure if that will change the pulley spacing, because, as you know, the jack shaft plate is mounted perfectly with the engine with NO room for adjustment.

AND.....

I don't know if anyone has actually done a comprehensive review of one of these things yet, and the mailman just dropped one off on my porch today, so I figure why not?


priceIt's $59 and free shipping. Seems too good to pass up. Heck, that's what they charge for a no-name centrifugal clutch at Tractor supply.

unboxing The tav2 came in a plain cardboard box. Individual components were in plastic bags in the box, with little other packing material. The driver was in a bag in a box in the box.

Initial impressions... It's not a Comet by any stretch of the imagination. Some of the big things that stick out are as follows;

Casting quality isn't great. There's considerable shrink tearing in many places on the casting. They look like cracks, but are generally limited to surface imperfections. This is not uncommon in low quality die castings.

Finish grinding was hastily and poorly done. There are places where the grinding medium was definitely bumped into or dragged across. Grinding of the casting flash is excessive in some places and completely neglected in other places. I will be cleaning it up further with a dynafile and some roloc discs.

Countersinking of holes is inconsistent and looks like it was done with a really worn out countersink or cutter.

Sprues (where the aluminum is injected) appear to have been knocked off with a hammer instead of cut and ground.

Holes for the cover are not very precise. The cover will fit, but one of the holes is so far off center the threads actually cut through the surface of the casting.

The aluminum casting has a lot of dings and scratches like it was dumped from one big bin into another, and another, and another. They definitely do that take much care handling them during manufacturing.

The driven unit has about 30 thousandths of radial runout on the rim of the stationary face. Not enough to be a problem, but it will cause some vibration.

The cover is immaculate. Nice thick injection molded polypropylene. Only problem is there is nowhere for the chain to come out. The cover appears to be designed for a standalone jackshaft 30 series. Either that, or you're just supposed to cut it. But there are no assembly instructions or information included to tell you that.

The driver looks a-ok.

Belt has a funny smell to it, which I noticed immediately upon opening the box. A lot of cheap rubber products seem to.

All in all, it's about what I expected for a $59 torque converter. It's not nearly as good of a Comet clone as a Predator is a Honda clone, but it will work, and for the price, it's hard to beat.

I will probably do a video review of this during and after installation and testing.

If there are any questions, feel free to ask.

Edit:. On a side note, the mounting and crankshaft bolts that these come with are likely to NOT all fit your engine. Plan on supplying your own hardware so you don't ruin your crank cover. This particular unit is going on an Intek 190, so the mounting bolts and crankshaft bolt will all be 5/16-24 UNF.

NOW, I will not hesitate to buy one. Even as general parts, it is worth it just to buy and replace the parts with a quality spring kit etc. BUT, I would like to know more about spring set-ups..... It's not a product you can mess up in strength.... The aluminum plate is cast in a sand cast made at a foundry and it's not easy to mess that up considering the molten aluminum composite that is poured in. Being made in china, I would worry about handling it with my bare hands not knowing the lead content! You do know that is how they are disposing of their lead right?? They dispense it into products such a metals and paint and ship it away instead of disposing of it correctly. The pulley assemblies have to be quality steel and stamp molded to spec, BUT, the question is in the quality of the springs and shoes, etc. Springs usually go through intense testing. I used to work at Kalamazoo Spring Co. in Portage Michigan in my youngster years....Thanks.

 

[Kansaskart]

Lol, trying to round up pics of my comet collection too much hassle there sprinkled about the shop.. Most just need cleaned. I buy karts for parts then either swap stuff and sell or totally strip. For instance I just got a kart for $150 that had new mower tires and rims all around, a flathead 5hp briggs running, and a comet. I needed a new driver on my manco 3 wheeler and am currently using the one off the kart. Someone will give me around $100 for the frame eventually so I got all that for $50 bux.

I shoot for getting stuff free. Or cheap. When possible.

 

[Hellion]

I actually posted the gps screenshot in the thread sir....

Joe-405: if you'll kindly direct me to the pertinent thread where that pic was posted, I shall gladly read.

...I buy karts for parts then either swap stuff and sell or totally strip. For instance I just got a kart for $150 that had new mower tires and rims all around, a flathead 5hp briggs running, and a comet...

If that is true, you should be posting regularly in B.M.800's long standing thread "What did you buy?" I think it is called, in the Crazy Craigslist forum.

But of course you'd have to cough up some photos to go along with it all, or it didn't happen.

I like to see the other man's trash before it is turned into treasure.

 

[KingCobra]

I like to see the other man's junk.

NO! You did not just say that!!! I'd be happy just to see someone's pile of Comet clutches.......

 

[Hellion]

I did not say that, wise guy, and there's more to the phrase. Good job adding words and taking it out of context. And what an adolescent, puerile mind you have. Stay off the dark web, now.

For those that are utterly mystified like this pervy chap, it was in reference to this famous idiom:

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

 

[Panhead5496]

I also just ordered 10 new Preds 212cc at $137 each including shipping

Did I read this right?!?!

 

[sunday_money]

Did I read this right?!?!

I was wondering the same?? They are $99 all day in my store with the coupon. And I only have to buy 1 at a time. I'm guessing you aren't nearby a store?

 

[Kansaskart]

I was wondering the same?? They are $99 all day in my store with the coupon. And I only have to buy 1 at a time. I'm guessing you aren't nearby a store?

I live in a rural area 50 miles from hf. I gladly pay to have them shipped but more so to avoid the insanity than the mileage. No patience for heavy traffic areas. If I were gona buy 10 id probably make the trip. Plenty of people dont live near an outlet, been thru western kansas lately?

 

[KingCobra]

Joe-405: if you'll kindly direct me to the pertinent thread where that pic was posted, I shall gladly read.




If that is true, you should be posting regularly in B.M.800's long standing thread "What did you buy?" I think it is called, in the Crazy Craigslist forum.

But of course you'd have to cough up some photos to go along with it all, or it didn't happen.

I like to see the other man's ((trash changed from JUNK)) before it is turned into treasure.

MAYBE YOU need EDITING restrictions put in place for CHANGING YOUR POST 'after the fact'! That's ok, It's on record in the 'history' record. So don't accuse me of turning your words around or adding words. It's what you said!! And it's rude to call another person's 'stuff' JUNK or trash for that matter!! What's the matter, you can dish it out but you can't take it??

---------- Post added at 10:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:39 AM ----------

I was wondering the same?? They are $99 all day in my store with the coupon. And I only have to buy 1 at a time. I'm guessing you aren't nearby a store?

No I'm not near a distributor or a go kart store and Yes $99, in your store ( great price btw) THEN THERE'S TAX , so I doubt $38 is not too bad for shipping if you want to look at it that way $99 plus $38. BTW could you ship that boxed up engine for $37 plus tax ?? NO WAY... Also MOST retailers mark up 100%.. Do you pay $50 each for you engines?... I pay nearly $35 shipping ham transmitter radios.

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

I like ham.

 

[Joe-405]

Joe-405: if you'll kindly direct me to the pertinent thread where that pic was posted, I shall gladly read.




If that is true, you should be posting regularly in B.M.800's long standing thread "What did you buy?" I think it is called, in the Crazy Craigslist forum.

But of course you'd have to cough up some photos to go along with it all, or it didn't happen.

I like to see the other man's trash before it is turned into treasure.

Reply number 91. And that was 48mph @ 3/4 throttle and holding on tight cause the front end had the shakes and I ran out of real estate in a small church parking lot. That was about 500 feet or so if I was to guess. I need to get the new design out and do it again on a longer stretch of road to try it.