Momma-N-Son Go Kart Rebuild—Help needed

[LearningStill]

Hey ya’ll!

So I have an old Dingo by Manco go kart that I am rebuilding with my nine year old son. No experience ‘at all’ with this type of stuff but I don’t plan to let that stop us! However, I am gonna need help along the way.

Here is the first issue we are having... we bought a 6.5hp predator engine (I know there were better options, we were looking for something more simple). We got it home and realized the mounting bolts don’t align with the mounting plate because the engine is hitting the seat frame preventing it from aligning

I am wondering a few things: Should I bang the big gear thingy that the chain attaches to further from the mounting plate so I may possibly get the engine to align? Or should I damage the gas tank by smashing it in on the side that is touching the seat frame? Or if there is another alternative someone may have that is better?

FYI: I don’t have a welder just in case anybody thinks of something that would require one.

 

[redneckengineering]

yes the sprocket will need to be moved. you won’t need to hit it with a hammer. there should be adjustment screws on the collar. final alignment should probably be done with the drive system in place or else it might end up misaligned and throw the chain. don’t damage the fuel tank. do you know if the engine would fit without the fuel tank on? you could simply take it off and reposition it or find a different one if it is only the fuel tank.

 

[LearningStill]

yes the sprocket will need to be moved. you won’t need to hit it with a hammer. there should be adjustment screws on the collar. final alignment should probably be done with the drive system in place or else it might end up misaligned and throw the chain. don’t damage the fuel tank. do you know if the engine would fit without the fuel tank on? you could simply take it off and reposition it or find a different one if it is only the fuel tank.

Okay, thanks! I will look for the adjustment screws. It definitely seems like it would fit without the gas tank; I will keep taking it off and replacing/repositioning it in mind just in case moving the sprocket doesn’t work. Thanks again!

---------- Post added at 05:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:22 PM ----------

Not at this stage yet, but does anyone know if I could use an old bicycle brake cable in place of my broken throttle cable (assuming that is what it is called, haha).

Also, can someone explain why I have to install a belt and a chain? I guess I don’t quite get their individual purpose. I guess I thought I would just have a chain going from the clutch to the sprocket. However, in some images of other’s go karts similar to ours they have both.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

If you have a torque converter, you will need a belt.
If you have a centrifugal clutch, you only need a chain.
Predator 212s are a fine beginning point for karting engines! They're cheap, available, reasonably punchy, and reasonably reliable.
You can probably use a bike brake cable as a throttle cable(yes those were the proper terms), but from my understanding, the cable must have a little barrel shaped fitting on the end of it.
BTW, nice job on the Dingo! A classic.

 

[redneckengineering]

you could use a bicycle cable, but it would most likely come down to length. often a bicycle cable is too short, but if it is the right length, it will save you money and make things easier. and the belt you see in pictures is a different sort of drive system than clutch and chain. it is a higher performance part, and puts a larger dent in your pockets. it is called a torque converter and works with the engine to deliver mor power and speed to the wheels. if you have a clutch, it will do just fine and you have no need of a belt.

---------- Post added at 04:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:19 PM ----------

pretty much parroted you there speeddemon. sorry the page hadn’t refreshed.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Not a big deal.
Just reassuring me that I wasn't wrong!

 

[itsid]

most certainly you will not need to move the sprocket!

Reason being: the sprocket ony really works with a Torque Converter setup
(which was the original setup on your Dingo when new)

And that moves the sprocket that drives your axle sprocket inwards compared to a centrifugal clutch's sprocket.

So yes if you were to install a clutch, the sprockets won't align, BUT the kart wouldn't move anyways.. so why bother aligning the two?
INSTEAD:
Buy a series 30 Torque converter off ebay (can be had for 60 bucks or less these days)
as a TAvKit (with aluminium cast backplate to make things easier)

Then the sprockets are most likely matching already, if not the axle sprocket would need to move a hair or two

NOW mounting: the Kart you have came with a flathead engine with is shorter (upright cylinder) but you should still be able to mount a predator 212 just nicely.

It is indeed a very tight fit, but as long as Rato didn't put larger tanks on the horror fraud predators these days, it should just fit.
at worst you'd have to file the slots for the engine to mount to a tiny bit longer.

Unfortunately you are missing the original jackshaft plate,
which would've been nice to have, but with the TavKit the jackshaft part is covered
and to mount the engine you can just get two pieces of square tubing (2") to mount the engine

Please do the following:
put the engine on the mounting plate;
and push it as close to the seat as possible.

Now if you have/can.. take a lacquer pen (silver or white work best)
and poke the center of the boltholes of the engine on the mounting plate below.

Else take a regular sharpie and reach under the mounting plate..
find the slots and mark the engines base where the slots are ending (rearmost part of each slot)

measure the distance from the marking to the boltholes
and tell us (that plus half the bolt diameter is what you need to increase the slotlength by

If you search our website for Dingos..
you'll find several with 212's installed..

here's one with recut slots and the original jackshaft plate:

and here's one with the Tavkit I was talking about sitting on square tubing to align the engine:

If you can tell us how big of a distance you would have to cover,
we can tell you if it's easier to raise or just recut

'sid