“Kop Kart”(police kart)-18Hp Yerf Dog Resurrection; Father/Son summer build

[miniblazinbmx]

Either harbor freight tire mounted or I will go local co-op and it's like a dollar to mount lawn mower tires

I ended up buying this mounting tool today after visiting 5 diff power sports and tire shops and coming home with a freshly destroyed paint job on one of my front wheels. It turned into a huge issue actually but I’m gonna try to figure this out at home and I guess be the local guy for mounting these if no one else can do it. Wish me luck..

 

[miniblazinbmx]

This was my original design idea, something minimal using what’s already there, choosing the triangular design due to the 3 uprights and extra clearance for motor. Really just wanted something I could bungee a tool bag or small ice chest too and it works perfect. What do you think?

 

[Bansil]

Looks perfect, I would add a couple tie-down mounts, triangles are hard to use straps/bungies due to them slipping towards smallest gap

 

[miniblazinbmx]

Looks perfect, I would add a couple tie-down mounts, triangles are hard to use straps/bungies due to them slipping towards smallest gap

For sure. I tried a small ice chest, a fire extinguisher, and a tool bag already and all had loops and were able to be bungeed very well and secure, but I keep eyeballing some welded rings and hooks at the hardware store too. Had an idea about a tow hook, but maybe some of those could be tacked on for extra tie downs and securing. Good thinking! I’ve also ordered a 4-point off Amazon so will need those mounts gabbed up and tacked soon also.

 

[miniblazinbmx]

I’m expecting to end up having to run a throttle cable like everyone else does and trying to think ahead about some of the issues I’ve seen with other setups, so I’ve began clipping cable guides off old bike frames as they head to the scrap pile.. with each one a little different, they will come in handy with repairing some of the other karts.
Next is a rough mock up of our dash panel, this is where the headlights and chase lights are all controlled from.

I had planned on getting access to a tubing bender earlier this week and it never happened.
I got far enough this weekend to mess with the engine mounting again. I knew I had to add a brace and plate extension to offset the motor for better alignment and weight distribution.

It’s a little tough to bend a tube without a bender but I wanted to recreate a factory look with it if possible. This was my attempt.. it’s Close.. but not perfect. It is very strong and level though.
I’m down to a handful of things to wrap up before we can actually start and ridethe kart.. and soon we’ll
Be moving to an inside shop and starting the two next builds..

 

[miniblazinbmx]

Working on mocking the engine in place, basically had to grease the frame rails to get it in, but it’s in..

Finally redid the brakes that were rubbing, doing the best I can with limited space, time, and tools here.
It also appears my chain is a bit short to work with this sprocket.
I am starting with a clutch, bc I was worried about space, but if you have experience with a torque converter please drop your comments below, never actually used one. Im
Wondering if I would be a better setup later on for this.
planning on a Governor removal and stage 1 upgrade as soon as I get everything runniyjnans broken in.. for now I am just trying to get it running before my son comes home this weekend. I’m sure wiring will take a couple weeks. A lot of really tedious wire jumping and soldering to make everything work right.

and yet through this build I’ve learned so much and have so many ideas for our next one. Im
Afraid I might have been bitten by this bug again, but it’s still cheaper than my other hobbies!

 

[miniblazinbmx]

So a little update, for my audience of two..

Been a rough week with little time available to play with the kart, but I decided against a clutch and went with the converter, only to find out the kit I had doesn’t work anyway.. so two steps backwards and now I’m looking into restoring the OG jack shaft since the housing and cogs are good, but the bearings are shot, in fact one even has the inner race broken in 3 pieces. Never seen that before.
One of two jack shaft setups will end up going on over the next week, and hopefully closer to running under its own power. Still have a small to do list to get it started, but inching closer by the day. It’s mainly waiting on me..

I was able to fab up a couple tabs and mock mount the 4-points, and I’m slowly building up the electrical system with relays, coverter, etc.. still aiming to power this off 18v-20v drill batteries.
Also did a little spindle notching and reinforcing to tighten the turn radius a bit more. A lot goes a long way I’ll say that.

So minor issues most people would handle in a day, just waiting on time to work on it and the rest of the parts to show up in the mail.
Here’s a few more sneak peeks..

 

[miniblazinbmx]

During my cleaning up this week I came across an ancient dc power converter(1960’s?), and as I was tossing it i instantly regretted letting it go.. thankfully it missed the dumpster anyway and landed on the driveway pavement with a freshly bent corner.

As I retrieved it I realized the reason it stood out was the copper anodizing.. I wondered if I could clean it up, strip it and use it to maybe house some electrical stuff.
it did clean up rather well, however it’s not going to end up on this project bc I want to hide the wiring under the seat, and this is rather bulky for my vision.

I will probably use it on an upcoming vintage-style build. Although part of me doesn’t want to let it out of my hands again now. I believe it’s also been in the family for about 40-50yrs.
Also pictured is the converter I’ll actually be using, which will help regulate my voltage and amps to the lower power LED circuitry. This is always a better option than linear diodes bc it doesn’t dissipate heat as wasted energy and power. It should conserve battery life even if only 10-20%, and will allow my lights to stay consistently bright no matter how much life the battery has left. I have a few batteries and two diff chargers so they’ll just go with us in a gear bag on trips to ride. I still feel it’s better than using an alternator which robs HP, an expensive good quality deep cycle battery and tender.. to each their own for sure. What works has always worked, but I want to try something new for myself on this one..

 

[miniblazinbmx]

Thoughts on the new plate design? August because that’s our debut target. (And bday month)

 

[Bansil]

Is plate just decorative or a custom low speed vehicle? If just decorative I would put a star in between the words.....



EDIT....am I part of your audience? Or......



I kid, I kid....


maybe....

My plan for a battery is to use a 12v out of a battery backup, they have two 1/4 males to attach, strictly for led lights

 

[Bansil]

2-1/2 × 4 x 6

 

[miniblazinbmx]

2-1/2 × 4 x 6

Such as from an alarm system? That’s clever. But what about charging?
ive never tried that.. but I’ve never tried a drill battery either. Im no schematics guru, but I love a good challenge. Electrical is my weakness so I like taking on new projects.. and believe me 80 wires is a lot for me haha..

The plate is strictly decorative. I have no intention of having a street legal go kart in TX, just another vehicle needing tags and nope. I have car projects already not tagged lol.

An audience of two is still better than none. Maybe there will be more of a response after the video debut..
Because what fun is a police kart without a few good chase videos?

 

[miniblazinbmx]

So I’ve got some flanges also, but figured I might as well clean up and slim down this stock jack shaft housing, we’re upgrading the bearings and adding a 2” longer shaft for ease of alignment purposes. Hell, I’m not even sure why there was 8” of plate attached to it honestly but I’ll recycle the metal for another project as always.

Little man is stoked on his new shell.. Full face, goggles, and a 4-point harness. We should be fine.

 

[Bansil]

Get him some gloves also....imagine sitting down in kart, buckle in, strap on helmet, goggles check and then pull on the gloves.....he can imagine he is in Monti Carlo.

Great job Dad

As for charging either a small alternator driven from rear axle or just a small solar panel sitting on it when parked, don't really know yet

 

[Denny]

Your engine should have a built in charging coil if it has electric start. If so you would be better off using a lawn tractor battery. You are using 40 series cvt aren’t you. 30 won’t hold up. Use genuine Comet belts, most cvt trouble can be traced back to cheap belts.

 

[miniblazinbmx]

Get him some gloves also....imagine sitting down in kart, buckle in, strap on helmet, goggles check and then pull on the gloves.....he can imagine he is in Monti Carlo.

Great job Dad

As for charging either a small alternator driven from rear axle or just a small solar panel sitting on it when parked, don't really know yet

Yes! His helmet actually came with gloves and goggles. The goggles will really come in handy.
Ironically I thought about solar charging too, but figured it was risky with the sturdiness they require and the shakiness I’ll be putting them through.

I think with the converter and the rechargeable batteries I expect to get at least 3-5hrs run time with full illumination. For us that’s 2 LED pod headlights, a 22” LED “high beam”, the chase light on top,2 pair of single color panel strobes, and 5 dual color panel strobes, and all of the lighted dash buttons, and the USB port/battery monitor. Altogether my wiring map is already showing over 75 wires. I get to start that headache next week.
Wish me luck..

 

[miniblazinbmx]

Your engine should have a built in charging coil if it has electric start. If so you would be better off using a lawn tractor battery. You are using 40 series cvt aren’t you. 30 won’t hold up. Use genuine Comet belts, most cvt trouble can be traced back to cheap belts.

Any idea what that coil might be rated at? I’m simply adding a button start to the circuit. I probably need to figure that out..

I had a clutch and 30 series sitting here. I have a new 40 series showing up this week.
We smoked the clutch today actually so it’s now a shop paperweight.

 

[miniblazinbmx]

So a little update after relocating our project and tools to a new shop space this weekend..

It’s been up and down and we’ve been hammering it hard.
After disassembling half of it to move it through doorways, we finally got in and quickly began working on final assembly.
The goal was to ride it this weekend. Especially after losing a week of work time.
Brakes working(but insufficient for weight and HP)
Throttle and brake returns working(both need
a stiffer spring)
Throttle cable added and fabbed up some solid mounting for it. (Needs another adjusment and cable lube)
New *gold* chain cut and sized, installed with current 14t clutch and 60t sprocket.. looks AMAZING, actually maybe one of my fave parts!
Acorn spikes added to remaining exposed hardware bolts..(per sons request)
Springs added and modified for better throttle return(still **** and sticky)
Gas tank stickers added(because why not)

And after some “troubleshooting”, our new 440cc Duromax fired right up first and every start (when I had the key on💁‍♂), but clearly it needs some throttle/carb tweaking. We were also able to move under our own power about 8ft before the $30 “13hp” clutch began slipping and cooked itself. Thankfully we never made it off the property lol. As it sat smoldering, we also noticed the front suspension had complely collapsed under the weight after 3min..

I had got the replacement 12” shocks offline. But not the HD, because I wasn’t sure they would fit at the time. After some closer inspection of angles this evening, I decided we are going to try something with a much higher rating and adjustable pressure, and put these back on the shelf for another project later on.

We still have to get our tires mounted, and break down our off road set and repaint them too.
This week we replace the shocks and redo the alignment. We’ll finish our restomod on the new jack shaft setup, get our new tires mounted on the new street wheels, start mounting our lights and electrical components, and make any more minor adjustments needed to finish dialing it in. Minor setbacks, but still moving forward.
My son now knows the taste of sweat and success. We’re happy it runs. But that’s not enough

 

[landuse]

Nice going!

 

[d2freak82]

Looks good, I just finished a kart myself - had a lot to do on it - I can definitely appreciate what you have going on! I'm sure you'll get it soon!