New Guy from Downunder (4 stroke Conversion)

[tacho]

Hi all.... I have been lurking here for a while and decided to jump in and say g'day....

I recently acquired a second hand Arrow AX6 go kart from a friend. It is a rolling chassis (no motor) with a few minor missing parts. It has a 50mm rear axle (3 bearings) and is in reasonable shape... a bit dusty/dirty from sitting around for a long time.

I am planning to try a Lifan 4 stroke conversion, along the lines of this thread:

http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=9829

I read through the whole thread, only to discover Dan never completed the story and has not provided a summary of the completed project... did it work well? Speed? Acceleration? Etc...

I can get virtually the same engine as the above thread on E-bay (Australia) here: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/291539479133?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

This one is "full auto" (wet clutch?), but there is also a semi-auto and/or a full manual version... Which is best? Any experience with these?

Some specs: 125cc 4 stroke, 8.5kw(11hp) max power @ 9500rpm, 6.5kw(8.7hp) rated power @7500rpm. Torque: at least 8.8 Nm @ 5,500 rpm

Before I start (and spent too much money), I have some questions and/or observations:

1. Is this a viable option?
2. What kind of performance: speed/acceleration can I expect (eg, compared to a standard K100 'J' or 'S' 2 stroke motor)?
3. I am an older, bigger guy (over 115kg / 250lbs): Is this going to have enough power to be a fun casual kart (no official racing)... Just doing some laps with friends.
4. Any suggestions for other engine options (limited budget)
5. I plan to use it both on bitumen and on dirt (changing to bigger wheels/tyres on dirt): It currently has 5" rims with 10" (F) and 11" (R) slicks on it... but I plan to run 6" rims with 12" or 13" dirt tyres on our gravel track, to give some more ground clearance...

In case you are interested, I'll be using it here: https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.5532807,118.1552233,303m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

Dirt track (around the outside) is about 650m long... A couple of my mates have more expensive Go Karts (125cc water cooled 2 strokes) and currently do laps in around 40 seconds... but there are others running Yamaha K100J motors, that are only a little slower on this track.

I just wanna get out and have some (cheap) fun... not set new land speed records.

Anyway, thanks for reading.... any feedback appreciated.

- Tacho

 

[Poboy kartman]

to the forum!!!!

 

[landuse]

Welcome

 

[supermanotorious]

welcome sir, you'll find more luck getting your questions answered by posting them in the appropriate sections of the forum, this one is just for introducing yourself, thank you for entering your location!

 

[OzFab]

Welcome to the forum, fellow 'strayen

you'll find more luck getting your questions answered by posting them in the appropriate sections of the forum, this one is just for introducing yourself

As true as that is, I'll answer one or two questions quickly but, please start a new thread in the general discussion section...

The biggest issue with switching from 2 stroke to 4 stroke is the position of the axle sprocket; on the KT100s, the engine sprocket is on the right side of the engine, any other engine (including 2 stroke dirt bike engines) will have a sprocket on the left, meaning that the axle sprocket needs to move to the inside of the engine rails; if there is no room for the sprocket, you either need to modify the frame or build a jackshaft...

The other issue I wish to address is the tyre change scenario; switching between 11" & 13" tyres will alter the drive ratio; granted, not by much but, it will make a difference...

 

[Bwdeaton]

First post for me, i've been lurking around for a while but i might be able to help with something so I made an account. I have a cart that is built with a Lifan 140cc motor with manual clutch and its a pretty fun ride. Some things that you will need to look for will be a carburetor and a exhaust pipe from an older honda bike or a chinese pit bike. The sale does not include these. The mounting of the motor is fairly straight forward because there are bolt holes into the bottom of the motor. To get the sprocket on the correct side, you may be able to remove the whole axle and put it in the opposite direction. Only challenge in my experience has been remounting the brake caliper. I can try and get some pictures of my setup if you are interested.