My First Build - Modifications

[souperman000]

I finished up my first kart around labor day and it was a blast. It works well, but now I am running inot some issues. I also have some things I would like to improve just because .

Things I am going to do:
- Fix chain/tighten it up so It doesn't come off
- Kill switch mount
- Get the rear axle rock solid, no moving or shifting (some locking collars)
- New front tires
- Jam nut or nylock on the front.
- Dial in the engine idle
- Quick/simple engine tune-up
- New seat

Things I might do:
- fix the steering
- Paint!
- New control cables

I am doing this basically for reliability purposes. I am going to the desert in Janurary and want it to be in tip-top shape.

It will be slow progress as I am very busy right now, and I will probably be ordering some parts. I'll update as I go.



You can view my original build log here - http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=14501 It has some more pictures of the overall kart.

 

[OzFab]

Things I am going to do:
- Fix chain/tighten it up so It doesn't come off
- Kill switch mount
- Get the rear axle rock solid, no moving or shifting (some locking collars)
- New front tires
- Jam nut or nylock on the front.
- New seat
- Dial in the engine idle
- Quick/simple engine tune-up
- New seat

So, 2 new seats then...

Things I might do:
- fix the steering
- Paint!
- New control cables

What this says to me: As long as it goes, steering doesn't matter...

IIWM, "fix the steering" would be on top of the list

 

[souperman000]

So, 2 new seats then..
IIWM, "fix the steering" would be on top of the list

Well, I need a welder for that. I am trying to get one for christmas. I don't really want to keep bothering Roger, who helped me before, but I just might have to. We'll see how it goes.

no its not 2 seats......its 1 big seat!

 

[OzFab]

That comment relates to the fact that, in your list, you have "new seat" twice

 

[Doc Sprocket]

That doesn't mean two seats simultaneously, Could be one after the other! I did sumpin' like that! No seat belt. Lap belt. Shoulder belt. 4-pt harness. My upgrade list coulda looked like this:

Restraints
Engine tweaks
Speedo
Restraints
Front suspension
Restraints
Rear suspension
Bike engine
LOL...

 

[OzFab]

Now there's a good point

 

[souperman000]

That comment relates to the fact that, in your list, you have "new seat" twice

That doesn't mean two seats simultaneously, Could be one after the other! I did sumpin' like that! No seat belt. Lap belt. Shoulder belt. 4-pt harness. My upgrade list coulda looked like this:

Restraints
Engine tweaks
Speedo
Restraints
Front suspension
Restraints
Rear suspension
Bike engine
LOL...

Picky picky picky...geez

I might get around to starting this this week, been busy lately.

 

[souperman000]

Yay, it's finally Friday! (in America at least....:rolleyes3

ok here is my first fix. One of the two screws holding on my fuael filter/pump fell out so the gas was leaking. I picked a screw up at the hardware store with length/thread as close as I could match it.

The new screw gets hard to turn once it gets into the blower housing. Should I try tightening it down or go back to the store and try to find a closer match?

the shiny silver screw is the new one, the darker one is the original.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Woah- Stop screwing (around, LOL) and go back to the hardware store. You have the wrong thread pitch there. I think the original is a UNF pitch and the new one is UNC, or one of them might be metric- who knows... Most good hardware stores have a little thread-checker gizmo you can use to find the correct pitch, so bring one of the originals with you. If you keep forcing the wrong one in, it will crucify the threads in the hole...

 

[souperman000]

Woah- Stop screwing (around, LOL) and go back to the hardware store. You have the wrong thread pitch there. One of them might be metric- who knows... Most good hardware stores have a little thread-checker gizmo you can use to find the correct pitch, so bring one of the originals with you. If you keep forcing the wrong one in, it will crucify the threads in the hole...

Yeah, I noticed the threads were a bit different. When it wouldn't go in easy, I stopped.

I'll hit the store tomorrow. Thanks!

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Good stuff. Please note that I edited my above post.

 

[OzFab]

I think the original is a UNF pitch and the new one is UNC, or one of them might be metric- who knows...

The new one looks like UNC but the original looks like it could be metric to me; UNF is finer than metric & that doesn't look fine enough compared to the UNC

 

[denhammotors]

It looks to me like the old bolt is M6-1.00mm pitch, while the new one you bought looks like 1/4"-20.

 

[OzFab]

I would tend to agree but, with nothing for comparison...

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Tough to judge with no reference. However- with the engine being a Briggs, and sourced from the USA, I'm inclined to think the original fastener is a UNF. So, if the new one is 1/4UNC-20, then the original would be 1/4UNF-28.

 

[denhammotors]

How old is this Briggs? If it's quite old, then I'd say it's definitely 1/4UNF-28, but I know quite a few US manufacturers use metric fasteners nowadays.

 

[souperman000]

I don't know how old the engine is, got it from a family friend.

When I got the new screw, I think it was 14-28 or 14-32 or some dashed thing like that. Can't remember off the top of my head.

I'll go to the hardware store tomorrow and ask the guy to help me, I'll also check the other screw dimensions to see who is right!

 

[denhammotors]

When I got the new screw, I think it was 14-28 or 14-32 or some dashed thing like that. Can't remember off the top of my head.

14-28? 14-32? Maybe you could have mistaken 1/4 for 14.
If it's smaller than 1/4", then the new screw you bought could be a #10-24. If that's the case, the correct fine thread screw is #10-32. If it's metric and it's around that size, it's most likely a M5 thread.

 

[souperman000]

14-28? 14-32? Maybe you could have mistaken 1/4 for 14.
If it's smaller than 1/4", then the new screw you bought could be a #10-24. If that's the case, the correct fine thread screw is #10-32. If it's metric and it's around that size, it's most likely a M5 thread.

Spot on!

I just got back from the store and asked an employee to help me locate a new screw. The one I bought previously was a 10-24. The new ones I got today are Metric M5x25 with 0.80 pitch.

EDIT - pictures added. Left is previously purchased screw, middle is the original, right is the new one. Fits like a glove!

 

[souperman000]

The danged thing is still leaking. Oh, I really don't want to try and find a new one