Just completed build

[Abone]

Just finished a repaint on one of the karts I got for my grandkids. Forgot what a pain it is to paint round bars...
I have two identical karts with 5 Hp Briggs on both, two new clutches. One pulls me (240lbs...)around just fine, the other clutch slips way too much. Both are Chinese Ebay specials. Anybody know a reasonable priced clutch that works good on these?

 

[mckutzy]

What is the gear ratio, and rear OD of the tire size?....

 

[Abone]

what is the gear ratio, and rear od of the tire size?....

10/48
11"

 

[mckutzy]

Well the ratio you have there is hard on the clutch.. Thats why you have problems...
Need to up the tooth count on the rear sprocket, to about 60...

Is this a live axle rear end or a one wheel peel???

 

[Abone]

Well the ratio you have there is hard on the clutch.. Thats why you have problems...
Need to up the tooth count on the rear sprocket, to about 60...

Is this a live axle rear end or a one wheel peel???

Thanks!
They are both live axles. I'm sure you are correct, but maybe you can help me understand why I have two identical karts, both identical engines, gear ratios and tires, both new clutches and one slips so bad it won't pull me up the incline on the driveway and the other works quite nicely?

Thanks, Bernie

 

[mckutzy]

Off hand... slight differences in the manufacturing of the engine, clutch tuning ect....
It could be a bunch of small things...its hard to tell...

 

[Abone]

Thanks!

 

[Hellion]

Good looking repaint. Appears to be a Kartco go kart, for what it's worth.

I'd try a good old Max-Torque SS clutch (SS = Six Shoe). USA made.

 

[Karttekk]

Brake drag? Clogged air or fuel filter? Wheel bearing tight? If both clutches and sprockets are identical I'd look at other obvious reasons. Flip flop the clutches and see if the problem follows the clutches, that will give you the answer.

 

[Abone]

Good looking repaint. Appears to be a Kartco go kart, for what it's worth.

I'd try a good old Max-Torque SS clutch (SS = Six Shoe). USA made.

Thanks! That's what I was looking for. I had an old rusty clutch on another kart, when I cleaned off the rust, it said Max-Torque on it. Cleaned it up and put it on, cured it. I'll look for a source, have a couple of other karts to rebuild.

 

[Bansil]

Who cares, drive the faster one....for the safety of the childrezs...


So what's attached to the wheels in first picture

Welcome and good gramps

 

[Hellion]

...So what's attached to the wheels in first picture....

My guess is an MGB. What’s your guess? Wait a minute, I thought we were back on topic?
Which is it, on topic or off topic, dude?

Did you take your Ritalin today?

 

[gegcorp2012]

Off topic: car in background of first pic... my guess is early (?) 70's Mercury Capri.

@abone ... Nice work on the karts.

Sure sounds like a clutch issue to me. New defective part, missing weight or loose spring on the inside (?)

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk

 

[Bansil]

old Ford wheels? so maybe a maverick?

I guess we are in limbo waiting for moar pictures

NOPE 4 lug not 5

 

[Abone]

Who cares, drive the faster one....for the safety of the childrezs...


So what's attached to the wheels in first picture

Welcome and good gramps

My youngest grand girl is helping keep the grass down with the fastest one ;^).
Where in the mountains are you? I'm in Jonesborough.

---------- Post added at 08:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:49 AM ----------

My guess is an MGB. What’s your guess? Wait a minute, I thought we were back on topic?
Which is it, on topic or off topic, dude?

Did you take your Ritalin today?

Bingo. 73 1/2 MGB. Last of the chrome bumper cars. Been nursing it along for 25 years, learned a lot about go karts...lol!

 

[itsid]

Off topic: car in background of first pic... my guess is early (?) 70's Mercury Capri.

old Ford wheels?
NOPE 4 lug not 5

Funny btw.. that had been my first guess.
A 70s first generation FORD CAPRI (you called it mercury capri)
since that's what it's wheels looked like

Bingo. 73 1/2 MGB. Last of the chrome bumper cars. Been nursing it along for 25 years, learned a lot about go karts...lol!

As can be told by the hub cap upon closer inspection

nice car .. friend got himself a GT V8 .. love the size of it.

And now.. on with our regular program

'sid

 

[Bansil]

My youngest grand girl is helping keep the grass down with the fastest one ;^).
Where in the mountains are you? I'm in Jonesborough.

---------- Post added at 08:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:49 AM ----------



Bingo. 73 1/2 MGB. Last of the chrome bumper cars. Been nursing it along for 25 years, learned a lot about go karts...lol!

Flatlander

Mnt city suburbs are home right now...Watauga lake is 2nd home....

We work in JC and Piney flats

 

[itsid]

Thanks!
They are both live axles. I'm sure you are correct, but maybe you can help me understand why I have two identical karts, both identical engines, gear ratios and tires, both new clutches and one slips so bad it won't pull me up the incline on the driveway and the other works quite nicely?

Thanks, Bernie

the briggs are absoulte torque monsters for their size and net power.
BUT only as long as the briggs got full compression,
a mild drop in compression
(carbon deposites preventing a valve to fully close.. cylinderwall worn down a hair too much)
and even being slightly off in the fuel mix
can make a huuuge difference on a gear ratio like that.

Say you're on the edge with the setup..
and the kart is fresh from the bench
(bearings, chain, clutch and tires are new and perfectly setup)
aprt from the 'on the edge' gear ratio.

One engine however has (thanks to either lacking compression or being off in the mix)
IDK say 1ftlbs less torque than the other

and you as the only driver test these now (splitting yourself up and testing at the same time)..
you take a few runs on a flat stretch and everything is good..
both karts are within 1% of acceleration and top speed,
no difference you'd say is noteworthy.

But now you come to an inclination and try to climb that.
You stop just befrore that roll to the start line
and for one kart it doesn't appear to be an issue.
(the quicker one from above) and you climb that hills feeling the kart has a tough time getting up there but nothing too worrying.
and when you'r up ther you feel the clutch got really hot in the process.
The slightly slower kart however struggles alot climbing the hill,
it's clutch was already hot to begin with and half way up the hill it glazes over entirely it's hotter than a frying pan and just gives up..
you will not even get up that hill..

And as a result.. it won't even move you along a straight stretch any longer th clutch is shot.. burned out, glazed over and dead as a brick.

It's not entirely the clutch's fault IMHO.. it's the being on the edge ever so slightly ont he wrong side and then trying too hard.

Two karts for the grandkids..
that feels competetive..
one kid ever so slightly taller and heavier than the other,
one ever so slightly more worried at take off (not flooring the pedal like his competitor)
and it's clutch will gradually be getting worse over time..
and that's an exponential rate of change. so a 'new' clutch can be burned out in a matter of less than 4hrs of driving around

and while all you need is one kart getting stuck somewhere (pithole, dip in the field, a branch or stone on the road)
and the kid just kicking the pedal to "resolve" and instead of moving the kart melting the clutch.

It doesn't have to be a rookie driver mistake that ruined one of the clutches.
it could've been the minor difference building up.

But frankly.. it's been your fault in the end..
and I can prove it!
swap the clutches between the karts.
and the one that just propelled you forward will no longer be able to
and vice versa.
And clutch glaze can (as above) be made by a dumb driver mistake
or (as mckutzy already stated crrectly) be made off tiny little differences building up to kick your behind

if you buy just two new clutches.. chances are it'll be happening again in the foreseeable future (kids getting bigger over time history told us.. soooo maybe even quicker)
if however you choose to adjust the ratio to a more viable one,
you can buy yourself some time.

OH: the engine state is indeed my main concern.
when I got my kart (11" wheeled kartco 5hp briggs 4.8:1 geared one wheel peel) pulled me (~190lbs) up a very steep inclination (PO's driveway was ~15% (I would've placed a bet on it not getting me up there to be honest)
but the rusted worn down clutch got just a tiny bit hot..
kart didn't struggle at all getting me up there.

So maybe one valve isn't closing completely, or you need oversized piston rings in the very near future..
or maybe you want to dial in the fuel mix some more (after cleaning the carb properly and thoroughly)

'sid

PS if you buy new clutches, buy maxtorque SS they're very fairly priced (mine was 25bucks) and the blueprint for most chinese cheap clutches but a much higher quality as far as I can tell
and most of all.. CONSISTENT (engagement speed doesn't change too much between batches)

 

[Abone]

the briggs are absoulte torque monsters for their size and net power.
BUT only as long as the briggs got full compression,
a mild drop in compression
(carbon deposites preventing a valve to fully close.. cylinderwall worn down a hair too much)
and even being slightly off in the fuel mix
can make a huuuge difference on a gear ratio like that.

Say you're on the edge with the setup..
and the kart is fresh from the bench
(bearings, chain, clutch and tires are new and perfectly setup)
aprt from the 'on the edge' gear ratio.

One engine however has (thanks to either lacking compression or being off in the mix)
IDK say 1ftlbs less torque than the other

and you as the only driver test these now (splitting yourself up and testing at the same time)..
you take a few runs on a flat stretch and everything is good..
both karts are within 1% of acceleration and top speed,
no difference you'd say is noteworthy.

But now you come to an inclination and try to climb that.
You stop just befrore that roll to the start line
and for one kart it doesn't appear to be an issue.
(the quicker one from above) and you climb that hills feeling the kart has a tough time getting up there but nothing too worrying.
and when you'r up ther you feel the clutch got really hot in the process.
The slightly slower kart however struggles alot climbing the hill,
it's clutch was already hot to begin with and half way up the hill it glazes over entirely it's hotter than a frying pan and just gives up..
you will not even get up that hill..

And as a result.. it won't even move you along a straight stretch any longer th clutch is shot.. burned out, glazed over and dead as a brick.

It's not entirely the clutch's fault IMHO.. it's the being on the edge ever so slightly ont he wrong side and then trying too hard.

Two karts for the grandkids..
that feels competetive..
one kid ever so slightly taller and heavier than the other,
one ever so slightly more worried at take off (not flooring the pedal like his competitor)
and it's clutch will gradually be getting worse over time..
and that's an exponential rate of change. so a 'new' clutch can be burned out in a matter of less than 4hrs of driving around

and while all you need is one kart getting stuck somewhere (pithole, dip in the field, a branch or stone on the road)
and the kid just kicking the pedal to "resolve" and instead of moving the kart melting the clutch.

It doesn't have to be a rookie driver mistake that ruined one of the clutches.
it could've been the minor difference building up.

But frankly.. it's been your fault in the end..
and I can prove it!
swap the clutches between the karts.
and the one that just propelled you forward will no longer be able to
and vice versa.
And clutch glaze can (as above) be made by a dumb driver mistake
or (as mckutzy already stated crrectly) be made off tiny little differences building up to kick your behind

if you buy just two new clutches.. chances are it'll be happening again in the foreseeable future (kids getting bigger over time history told us.. soooo maybe even quicker)
if however you choose to adjust the ratio to a more viable one,
you can buy yourself some time.

OH: the engine state is indeed my main concern.
when I got my kart (11" wheeled kartco 5hp briggs 4.8:1 geared one wheel peel) pulled me (~190lbs) up a very steep inclination (PO's driveway was ~15% (I would've placed a bet on it not getting me up there to be honest)
but the rusted worn down clutch got just a tiny bit hot..
kart didn't struggle at all getting me up there.

So maybe one valve isn't closing completely, or you need oversized piston rings in the very near future..
or maybe you want to dial in the fuel mix some more (after cleaning the carb properly and thoroughly)

'sid

PS if you buy new clutches, buy maxtorque SS they're very fairly priced (mine was 25bucks) and the blueprint for most chinese cheap clutches but a much higher quality as far as I can tell
and most of all.. CONSISTENT (engagement speed doesn't change too much between batches)

Thanks! I had though I mentioned that I had a very rusty old clutch that I cleaned up and discovered to be a Max Torque. I installed it, cured the issue and sold the kart.

Since then, I dragged out another of the 5 karts I had bought, this one a small kids kart, with a really rusty old 3.5 hp Tecumseh, single wheel drive. Rebuilt the carb, cleaned up and painted kart and motor. It is now up for sale. 3 down. 2 to go.

 

[Abone]

Thought I would write the rest of this story. 5 of 5 karts functional, sold three keeping two. My granddaughters red kart and the black Bird kart for my grandsons who are too young still. The hot rod, the yellow and the white are all sold.