Issues Getting a Kart Running and Identification

[CrawfishStu]

Hello.

I'm having some issues getting a second/third hand kart running.
It looks to be something like the gk-110. It is the smaller sized mini kart. It has a shifter in the middle of the two seats.

Previous owner said it was running fine until the starter went out. It would turn over slowly with the starter. Spun freely with a socket.

Fresh gas and a starter went on. The gasket on the flywheel cover looked to be original.

It would not start. But cranked like it should.

Compression with the throttle open is 180psi and barely creeps down at all over 24hrs.

Spark was there but looked weak and the carb looked like it had some junk built up in it. I replace the coil, spark plug, and the carb. The spark looked much better.

It would occasionally make a clunk and pause cranking. To me, it sounded like it was out of time or had a valve issue.

I adjusted the valves. They were a little tight. I checked the timing. The cap on the sprocket looked like it had never been off.
Timing seems dead on.

If I spray ether into the cylinder and warm up the plug, all I get is the clunk right away and then maybe one or two more in about 3 and 6 seconds.

I started opening up the wiring on it and someone clearly hacked the wiring up. But, it looks like it should run. As a kill switch, they are running pulse from the motor, all the way up to the dash, to an on/off toggle, and back to the CDI.

The CDI that is on there is a 5 pin that is only using 4 wires. It looks like the center wire that would be a kill switch is gone. This might be why the ran an switch to interrupt the pulse signal.

I ordered another 5 pin A/C CDI and it won't get spark. I ordered another 4 pin D/C CDI and it won't get spark.

So, I'm back to tracking wires. I'm not sure if something is wrong with the old CDI and is allowing it to fire while the wiring won't let a new one fire. I'm going to eliminate some of the extras to make sure I'm not having some sort of intermittent issue while cranking and that is causing the new parts to not work.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[Karttekk]

Hello.

I'm having some issues getting a second/third hand kart running.
It looks to be something like the gk-110. It is the smaller sized mini kart. It has a shifter in the middle of the two seats.

Previous owner said it was running fine until the starter went out. It would turn over slowly with the starter. Spun freely with a socket.

Fresh gas and a starter went on. The gasket on the flywheel cover looked to be original.

It would not start. But cranked like it should.

Compression with the throttle open is 180psi and barely creeps down at all over 24hrs.

Spark was there but looked weak and the carb looked like it had some junk built up in it. I replace the coil, spark plug, and the carb. The spark looked much better.

It would occasionally make a clunk and pause cranking. To me, it sounded like it was out of time or had a valve issue.

I adjusted the valves. They were a little tight. I checked the timing. The cap on the sprocket looked like it had never been off.
Timing seems dead on.

If I spray ether into the cylinder and warm up the plug, all I get is the clunk right away and then maybe one or two more in about 3 and 6 seconds.

I started opening up the wiring on it and someone clearly hacked the wiring up. But, it looks like it should run. As a kill switch, they are running pulse from the motor, all the way up to the dash, to an on/off toggle, and back to the CDI.

The CDI that is on there is a 5 pin that is only using 4 wires. It looks like the center wire that would be a kill switch is gone. This might be why the ran an switch to interrupt the pulse signal.

I ordered another 5 pin A/C CDI and it won't get spark. I ordered another 4 pin D/C CDI and it won't get spark.

So, I'm back to tracking wires. I'm not sure if something is wrong with the old CDI and is allowing it to fire while the wiring won't let a new one fire. I'm going to eliminate some of the extras to make sure I'm not having some sort of intermittent issue while cranking and that is causing the new parts to not work.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thank you.

The part about it running fine until the starter went out sounds a bit odd. Watch this 110cc teardown video and see if there's anything in it that may help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UshzMAQxRg

 

[CrawfishStu]

I feel like they might have worked on it and the kickback killed the starter.

Thanks for the video. I'll check it out.

 

[Karttekk]

Look for some serial numbers or factory plates or labels with information on them so you can identify what brand of kart you're working on and get the correct parts. Look under the seat or behind the seat, look all around the engine for some type of identification. Buying and changing parts won't do you much good if you aren't getting the right ones. What does it say on the side of the body? I can't make it out.

 

[CrawfishStu]

It says "Mini Buggy".

I'll look around under the seats to see what I can find. I looked under the dash and all over the motor to no avail.

 

[Karttekk]

On my GY6, the original owner broke the starter clutch key off the crankshaft. The starter spun but didn't turn the engine over. It almost seems as though you'll have to do some major disassembly to find the problem. Knowing what you're working on will help tremendously.

 

[CrawfishStu]

I guess that I was operating under the assumption that these little chinese honda clone engines were essentially the same.

Mine does crank. Another thought is that the wrong flywheel or stator was put on. But the gasket seemed to be original.

I thought about the keyway, but the timing seemed to be spot on when I looked at the top dead center mark and the cam sprocket.

 

[Karttekk]

This looks real close, a Nitro Mini Buggy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-Zkb53hCM4

 

[CrawfishStu]

The part about it running fine until the starter went out sounds a bit odd. Watch this 110cc teardown video and see if there's anything in it that may help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UshzMAQxRg

He made it sound like one day it was running fine, the next day the starter was turning over very slowly. Which is what it was doing when I got it. I changed the starter and it cranks just as it should. But it won't run or attempt to run.

 

[Karttekk]

https://minibikes.store/50cc-mini-buggy-lights-4-stroke-2-seater-childs-gokart

 

[CrawfishStu]

I watched the video of this and mine does not have a pull start and the drive system is a yoke that goes to a carrier bearing with a sprocket on it and then down to the axle.

I can't fine where the 50cc mini buggy says that it has reverse. I'm pretty sure that mine has reverse as well.

 

[bthompson224]

Could there be an issue with the transmission? Safety lockout not letting power get to the ignition, clutch issue, etc.

 

[J.S.@SMS]

Try pushing in the brake pedal when trying to start it. Some engines wont start if the pedal isn't pushed in.

 

[CrawfishStu]

Could there be an issue with the transmission? Safety lockout not letting power get to the ignition, clutch issue, etc.

I can check that as well. Though, I can't seem to see any kind of indicator etc coming from it where it would get a cutoff signal.

---------- Post added at 01:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 PM ----------

Try pushing in the brake pedal when trying to start it. Some engines wont start if the pedal isn't pushed in.

I will check this as well. I don't recall specifically looking for this but don't believe that there was any kind of electronic switch tied into the brakes like my son't little 110CC tao tao atv.

 

[Karttekk]

Bypass any stop switches temporarily. They're usually on the engine and on the dashboard near the key switch.

 

[Karttekk]

Owner 2 or owner 3 may have run it low on oil and spun a rod bearing, you won't know until you start disassembling it. If the battery is fully charged, has the correct cranking amps, the starter is pulling the correct amps and the grounds & positive cable are good then it would almost have to be an internal engine issue.

 

[CrawfishStu]

I could not find any sort of safety on the brake.

Would a spun bearing let it turn over nicely with the starter?

 

[Karttekk]

No, a spun bearing wouldn't let it crank normally, I may have been thinking about your clunking comment. Sorry

Your best bet still is to try & find some more information on the kart. You mentioned you thought most of those engines were similar. The GY6 engines are for the most part but since you don't know what you have there's no way to compare it to anything. Parts can be a problem with these things.

 

[CrawfishStu]

Understood. I've scoured the thing for any sign of brand etc. But can't find anything on the exterior.

It has an A/C stator. But, I have a coil and 4 pin dc cdi that I ordered.
If I wire the coil to get 12v from the battery, ground, pulse, and signal to the coil. Shouldn't it give me spark?

Kind of like doing this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTW5hVLw-zQ&list=PLXe3Ur9S11oeX8iOzfD80fe5fpK37tg5W&index=6&t=0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w4xV62XlTQ&list=PLXe3Ur9S11oeX8iOzfD80fe5fpK37tg5W

 

[CrawfishStu]

I have not seen this drive system on any of the mini buggies that I found pictures of online.