My Kart with pictures and qustions...

[juvius]

i bought this go kart for my kids to ride. It runs pretty good and goes down the road ok, but the clutch gets too hot pretty fast. It has 18 rear tires, 12 inch front tires, live axle, 8hp Briggs and stratton motor w/ 1 inch shaft, electric start, 12t centrifugal clutch, 72t on the axle, and adjustable seat. I went to the surplus store today to look at getting smaller rear tires, but I couldn't fine any that would bolt on to the hub I have in the rear (i believe the spacing is 2 3/4. all the wheels i saw had a spacing of 2inch. they didn't have any hubs with 2inch spacing that would fit on my 1 inch axlel. either way, i did the math and saw that for around $50 or $60 more i could get the torque-a-verter for $199 there. My quesiton is... if i get the torque-a-verter will it work for my setup. if i buy that, i don't want to spend more money on smaller tires or anything like that....

if you need any additional information in order to help me, just let me know.....

once i get it running down the road right, i'll want to know if there is a quick way to swith the speed levels so it'll go slower when my daughters are driving it and faster when my son and myself are on it....

here's the pics.. my daughter just had to be in them...
***a few more pics here: http://s629.photobucket.com/albums/uu19/dawnehale/gokart/ ***

 

[kendelrk]

dont take it from me, im not good for identifying karts, but i believe this is a thunderkart the only want to really switch speeds is let off the pedal , you could make a stopper but thats not always the best idea, you could change gearing but it would always be slower.torque converters are great, but i don't think you could get away with it on the frame, but dont take that from me, wait for someone more experienced to come in. all you need to do is buy wheels to fit the axle, the sprocket is already there, what size are you looking to get on that axle? and how big is the axle?

 

[juvius]

dont take it from me, im not good for identifying karts, but i believe this is a thunderkart the only want to really switch speeds is let off the pedal , you could make a stopper but thats not always the best idea, you could change gearing but it would always be slower.torque converters are great, but i don't think you could get away with it on the frame, but dont take that from me, wait for someone more experienced to come in. all you need to do is buy wheels to fit the axle, the sprocket is already there, what size are you looking to get on that axle? and how big is the axle?

last night i was doing some reading and by what i read, i'd want 13 inch or less tires on no bigger than 6inch rims for the clutch. the rear axle is one inch thick, but i'm not sure how long it is. i probably should go out and measure it, just so i know more about my kart.

yah.. i don't have a clue to what kind of kart it is. before i painted it, there were to large stickers on the side that said viper 800.. but i don't know if someone may have just stuck them on there or they were part of the kart...

could you explain to me why you think that the converter won't work on my frame. i'm not very knowledgeable yet, but the more i read and the more info provided, the better off i'll be.

thanks again for the input...

 

[kendelrk]

the only reason i dont think the torque converter will work with your frame is because, theres a backplate, and it comes off the engine to the rear, and if you look at the picture, either way the backplate could hit the frame, and even if it cleared it, when you put the chain on the driven it wont go past those bars as the chain will come back and run into the bars, and you dont want that, and i think you should get some 10 inch tires and get some 10 inch for the front to, itll drop the kart down, and it wont be as high, but the tires seem to be hurting the clutch, the tire might be to big for the sprocket to turn, overheating your clutch, i beleive a 10 would do good, but you wouldnt have much space off the ground, definetley not a viper800, not a make or model with that name. someone else will know, might be a manco, yerf dog, or thunderkart, but i dont know,

 

[juvius]

what if i were to cut that portion of the frame off and weld in two more support.. once going straight down to the bar below and another short one extending to the rear most bar?

 

[kendelrk]

youd need to cut the whole left section out to the cage, and then find a way to make better supports, but then it would work

 

[devino246]

Im fairly certain that the backing plates can be turned any orientation in 90* increments, meaning it could be mounted vertically.

 

[juvius]

here is what i mean:

 

[juvius]

Im fairly certain that the backing plates can be turned any orientation in 90* increments, meaning it could be mounted vertically.

thanks for the input... so, it may work as is, but if not, i can do what is pictured. Do you guys think that's enough support if i need to cut that section out? also, i'm still not sure if the torque converter will actually run the rear tires. will i still need smaller rear wheel with it or can i run the wheels i have on it?

 

[kendelrk]

the torque converter could run them, i still suggest smaller tho, but it should be enough support, or you could weld 2 thick bars off of where the one was

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Hey- Cool little kart!

Regarding your CVT questions- of course, make sure you purchase one with the right shaft size for your engine. It wouldn't hurt to ensure that you also get one that matches your existing chain pitch so you can re-use your axle sprocket.

I don't think you'll have too much trouble getting it mounted as most models can be "clocked"- rotated in mounting orientation to suit mounting requirements. I think you have enough room there, and if all else fails, you can cut out that bar and rework things a bit to suit. I assume you have access to a welder?

Depending on the model of CVT you select, your final drive ratio will differ. That said, the likelihood is that you will get one with 10-12 teeth on it. At worst, top speed will drop a bit, but since kids will be driving, that won't hurt one bit. On the other side of that equation, several of these models offer a 0.90:1 overdrive, which would help compensate for any overall speed loss to to the slight gearing drop.

Regarding top speed- Centrifugal clutches do not like to slip a lot. If constantly run at lower RPM, they will overheat and burn out. This is why speed must be limited by gearing, rather than throttle input. CVT's, on the other hand, only slip when starting from a standstill, and are much more tolerant to lower engine RPM ranges over longer periods of time. What I am getting at here, is that once it's set up, you can safely use the engine's throttle limiter screw to reduce toop speed to suit your needs without cooking the driveline. At that point, it is adviseable to install a pedal stop (adjustable) so that pressing the pedal too hard does not "force" the throttle linkage. The pedal stop can be as simple as a bolt that threads in and out, and the pedal strikes the bolt to limit it's travel.

EDIT-With the new low ratio afforded by the CVT's reduction, you can keep your tire size as it is. Reducing the tire diameter would decrease top speed- IF you deem it necessary.

 

[juvius]

the had for a one inch shaft and for the same size chain #35... they actually have a few different set ups there. i didn't pay attention to how many teeth were on the it's sprocket. it was still in the box and didn't wan't to open it.

does it matter how long the chain is from the converter to the axle?

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Nope. Shorter is arguably preferable, but it's not life and death.

 

[juvius]

Nope. Shorter is arguably preferable, but it's not life and death.

thanks... do you have any input on the rear tire size, as well?

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Yeah- re-read my previous post, I added to it after the fact.

 

[juvius]

great!!! thanks again.... i will buy it before next weekend and let you know how it all turns out.....

 

[B.M.800]

If it comes down to it, looks like you would be able to move the motor mount forwards a bit...

 

[juvius]

If it comes down to it, looks like you would be able to move the motor mount forwards a bit...

thanks for the advice.... i'm going to get it next week and see where it takes me... i have my fingers cross for not having to make any changes... i don't weld, but i can take it to my dad's or grandfathers house and talk them into helping me out if i do have to make alterations

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Does anyone happen to know who made this cart? it's not really important, but i'm pretty curious.....

 

[Blazkowiez]

I'm not sure if you asked for an ID because I just skimmed through it, but I believe you've got a kartco kart. Good stuff. The torque converter will be a necessity with your kart unless you're just gearing for a smaller child, in which case i'd just suggest a good gear ratio created by a jackshaft.

 

[juvius]

i've been googling kartco, rupp, thunderkart, manco, and anything else i can find, but still haven't found one that looks like mine... i'm getting more curiousto see how it was set up new....