yeah, I understand your point. Will a centrifugal clutch be better than a TC? will I then need a gearbox of some sort? I found a site that sell the Comet 40 for about $300. If I can get them to ship it for a good price I would really like to stick to a 13hp engine. You know, a young man likes his bit of power and fun every now and then. But thanks for the tip. I'll do my sums and see what will work out best.
What will the average cost be for the frame? (the kart is about 2100x1400x1300).
Is R4500 a good price for the 13hp engine? (brand new, starter with battery) I saw a 6hp one there as well but it's a recoil start.
Where could I find nice tires (with rims)? I'm hoping to use buggy/ATV tires, but don't really know where to find them.
And lastly: do you know where I can get clear plans (with detailed illustrations) on building double A arms and fitting the axle to the back ones and steering to the front? The plans I found was lacking detail here.
Thanks!
Firstly, a centrifugal clutch will never be as good as a TC. A TC gives you variable gear ratios as you go up through the power band as well as taking the terrain into account. A centrifugal clutch is basically engaged, partly engaged (slipping) or not engaged (when engine is idling). It basically works by centrifugal force pushing pads against the inside of the clutch drum. Going wt the TC, as far as i know you will need a jackshaft. Some of the more experienced guys here can give you some info there.
You wont need a gearbox for either the cent clutch or the TC. That is the beauty of them. They are their own gearbox. There is no changing of gears that you need to do. Not like a motorbike. If you use a motorbike engine, you will still need to change gears.
A 13HP engine might also have a larger diameter shaft than the smaller engines. If this is the case, centrifugal clutches become more expensive. Also make sure that you have a straight shaft (or PTO) and not a tapered one. Tapered ones are no use for karts. I called a place here in town asking about the price for a 13.5hp Subary engine, and they gave me a price of R6300, so R4500 with electric start does sound good. As long as it is a good engine.....
I am making a minibike at the moment, and the frame material I am using is 25mm X 25mm X2mm wall thickness square tubing. It is all the strength you will need for your frame. The amount of steel you will need depends on the cross bracing, as well as the complexity of your design. Work out the length of steel you will need on you frame. I bought steel the other day for R110 per 6m length. As far as I know it only comes in 6m lengths. You will just have to phone around to get the best price.
As for tyres, that is a harder one. For my gokart I got mine from a guy who has a motorbike repair shop in town. He is one of these guys who do everything, and has loads of spares for everything. He has drawers of old spares (most not working....). He fixes a lot of these small chinese quads, and has tyres and rims for sale. I don't think you will get some for cheap though. What you could also do is call all the lawnmower repair places in town, and ask about ride-on lawnmower tyres and rims. Often they can give you some info on where to get secondhand. Sometimes they have a private guy who does those repairs, and you might get some there. Getting new is going to be expensive.
What plans do you have for your gokart? I am not sure where you could get plans for that, but you could always post another thread asking for help and for people to post pics of their setup. If you search the forum a bit you will find pics of what you are looking for. There is tons of info here.
If it was me, I would make really sure about your engine, and what clutch you can get, before you buy. They are big price items that you don't want to purchase and then find that they won't work. I am pretty sure a cent clutch for an engine that large will be a bit expensive, and not easy to buy here, but shop around.
Sorry I couldn't be of much help, but SA is not the easiest and cheapest to get stuff.
