New member - new kart - expertise needed

[t1704]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the site and looking forward to talking with you all and learning more about this kart we just picked up. I can tell by perusing the site that there is a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience here.

My 11 year old son has been saving for the last couple of years to buy or build a go kart and finally had enough to make it happen. Originally, we were looking to build, but it's tough to find a good frame to start with and we happened to come across something that should be a great starter kart with plenty of room for upgrades. I had a kart when I was younger, but it was a very basic one (motor, centrifugal clutch and basic frame), so there's a lot about this one I need to get familiar with.

From what I've gathered so far, it looks to be a Manco Dingo, although I'm not sure of the specific model (Maybe a 285 or 286? - no sticker on the floor pan). I'd love to hear everything you all can tell me about this kart. We've had it and drove it for about a week; runs pretty well, but there's definitely some things that need some attention:

** The steering/alignment definteily needs som work as it's fairly tight to turn and pulls pretty hard to the left
** There seems to be a bit of play in the throttle cable, both at the pedal as well as at the motor which I believe is limiting output (unless you're supposed to adjust them with some play)?
** I'm not too familiar with the drive train on these (torque converter/clutch/jack shaft) as it's way different than what I had - At times it tends to chatter a bit when he takes off and sometimes it takes a bit to get it to idle still when he comes to a stop as it still wants to engage
** I'm not familiar with how the governer works or what types of adjustments you can make to the motor for optimal performance
** And a bunch more questions.....

I'm anxious to put it up on jacks and start tearing it down so we can put it back together with some better parts and with confidence that everything is safe on it, but I can't keep him off of it long enough.

Hoping you all can help me better understand what I have; maybe some things to look for or watch out for and any other advise you would be willing to share.

Thanks, Travis

 

[mckutzy]

Hello and welcome..
Yes offhand I see there can be a throttle problem...
Typically there is a fare amount of resistance within the cable housing, but at longer lender lengths it's a problem... I'd recommend an additional spring attached to the throttle arm and just sling it to the fan housing, a spring attached to the pedal wouldn't hurt aswell.

 

[Nosandwich]

Welcome to the forum. Look under the seat. Sometimes the tooth fairy hides stickers there. Nice kart.

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

Welcome! The evacuees are coming!!

How about a picture with that cover off of the drivetrain?

 

[landuse]

Welcome!!

Those rear tyres are huge! Do you have any problem with accelerating? Is it sluggish but then once you get going its fast?

 

[itsid]

Well the good news is, your Torque converter is still there (Pic 4 hides it a bit, but with some image magic, you can make it out)

the bad news is, the Jackshaft it's mounted to seems to be bent a bit (maybe that's just the pic playing tricks on my perception )

from what little I can see it's hardly possible to say what's causing it..
but a full TC maintenance doesn't harm nor takes very long and fixes any issue ..

So I'd go with that.

Paul.. Tyres look to be 18" -ish to me, that'd be the stock size... *shrugs*
(for a 285 that is; the 286 came with 21" rears [bigger engine ])

But to know for sure I'd rely on Grant's expertise to be honest

'sid

PS likely matching partsmanual:
https://americanlandmaster.com/pdfs...del-285/285_operatorsmanual_285191_199507.pdf
or
https://americanlandmaster.com/pdfs...del-285/285_operatorsmanual_285191_199611.pdf

 

[t1704]

Thanks everyone. yes, the rear tires are 18's. Once this storm passes, I'll get some better pics, including one with the TC cover off. Speaking of TC cover, it's pretty obvious it is homemade - and I will replace it with a stock one when I can get one that would be easier to remove.

It's not sluggish; it will chirp the tires when you take off, but they seam to chatter just a bit. Could be the uneven rear tires (one was clearly replaced recently), something with the axle or drive train related. Look forward to exploring more with you guys.

 

[kayde]

Looks like the manco red fox lxt i got for my younger boy.

Its just like a smaller scale version of dingo.

Im 6'2" an not too comfortable in it.
think without the cage i would fit better but its not for me.

Our cart is mostly original with the 5hp tec.
My first ever ride on it i was surprised by its overall performance.

Yours looks like a great start to build awesome lil' cart.

 

[t1704]

Thanks Keyde, it does look just like that red fox lxt. I can't seem to find any parts diagrams or anything for the Red Fox. Anyone know if they are compatible with the Dingo 285 for the most part? Now that the Hurricane has passed, I'm hoping to get my son's up on blocks this weekend. Will pull the TAV cover and get some pics of that along with some other things to share. I did order some new front 2" springs which should be here today and hope to get them on and adjust the tie rods to try to get rid of it pulling so hard to the left when driven.

 

[t1704]

Okay folks, here are some pics with the homemade TAV cover off - what am I working with? At first glance, it would appear as if the belt is too big, although we got this up to 35MPH with a 200lb adult on it. Do they make a stock cover for this? Any other thoughts/advice? Again, Im very new to this so please excuse the newbie comments/questions.

Thanks for the help.

 

[itsid]

that's a series30 in bad shape.

But since it's functional all you need to do is a good cleanup for maintenance,
I'd assume all the parts being still in good enough condition.

Since the sheaves are rusty chances are they've eaten on your belt and thus the belt is
narrowed enough for it to slip further down the sheaves, that's why it appears to be a tad too big for your center to Center distance.

A fresh belt (https://www.gokartsupply.com/5959belt.htm) on cleaned and smooth sheaves should sit a fair amount tighter and hold up longer even if it's the same size as before.

That kart came with a front mounting bracket:
http://rdswebs.net/reliablegokarts.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2184
and a rear bracket:
http://rdswebs.net/reliablegokarts....d=2185&zenid=18580a7cc6bb778dd4cdbb1a1387c991
to fit a std TAvCover:
https://beltpalace.com/comet218351a.html

you can try one of those instead if you like
https://www.gokartsupply.com/drivecovers.htm

those are from different Manco karts, but should still match your setup (no guarantee on that though)

what you really should do however is
remove all rust from your TC and buff the sheaves to a smooth and shiny surface finish.
then grease the mating surfaces of the weights and sheave/outer bell with dry moly
(DRY GREASE ONLY!!!) nothing else should need grease and very little else could be improved with dry grease (the clover hub inside the driver and the shaft of the driven allow to be dry greased)
Grant does so, so it's fair to say it's save to do so (although the manual doesn't ask for dry grease there).

'sid

 

[t1704]

Thank you for the great information. I measured the center of the driver bolt to the center of the driven bolt and it measures about 7 3/8. Does that seem correct?

 

[itsid]

seems to be too big of a distance...
(that 5959 belt is for ~7" of distance between the two.)

BUT the jackshaft plate the driven unit is mounted to should be adjustable (IIRC up to .5" at least) so chances are PO moved it out since he accidentally bought the next bigger belt *shrugs*

check if you can move the jackshaft plate closer to the engine (keep in mind that JS plate is fixed to the engine with the engine bolts or (if still stock) with a set of studs [nuts on both ends]

'sid

 

[t1704]

Okay, is this correct that you can get an entire 30 series TC w/ belt and cover for $54.00 at Walmart? What am I missing??

www.walmart.com/ip/COMET-TORQUE-CON...MIy-OE25HU3QIVUV5-Ch1VYgQWEAQYAiABEgJzo_D_BwE

 

[itsid]

nothing, it's unlikely a genuine comet tbh (more likely a cheap chinese copy)
but the latter sell on ebay for about that kind of money as well.

ONLY THING TO MAKE SURE:
You kart has a 420 chain (if still stock) and thus that version of the TC will not have a matching sprocket (12T #35chain) you need the 10T #41 chain variant of it in order to make use of the sprocket.

Also: the backplate TAvkit uses a different belt so it may not fit your current setup unless you also buy a new belt of course.

And you shouldn't (IMHO) replace the jackshaft you have with the backplate (and it's jackshaft) for convenience sake..
chances are you have to realign the axle sprocket.

but to skip the cleaning process and or have replacement parts to fix your original comet TC...
buying such chinese clone isn't a bad idea, since all important parts will fit nicely.

'sid

 

[landuse]

And those Chinese knock offs aren't bad either! Several people have bought them without issues.

 

[t1704]

You guys are great! I don't mind taking it apart and cleaning/servicing it, just wondered if spending the money for a new one would be easier and guarantee a little longer life. (I've pretty much arrived at the fact that I'll be investing some money in this now that I have it, and to satisfy my OCD). Other than having to potentially realign the axle sprocket, what's your opinion on getting one of the gokartsupply ones with the back plate vs. just getting the clutches and keeping the jack shaft that is on it?

Also, my carb seems to be seeping gas and needs a new gasket kit. Are these all pretty standard carbs on these predators when I start looking for rebuild kits or am I going to have to try to figure out exactly what carb I have? And, if I'm going to rebuild the carb, should I go ahead and add better intake and exhaust (assuming I'll have to change the jet in the carb)? Thoughts and/or recommended products would be great. I'm still getting acquainted with the site, so my apologies if this information is already accessible somewhere else that I should have found first before asking.

 

[t1704]

seems to be too big of a distance...
(that 5959 belt is for ~7" of distance between the two.)

BUT the jackshaft plate the driven unit is mounted to should be adjustable (IIRC up to .5" at least) so chances are PO moved it out since he accidentally bought the next bigger belt *shrugs*

check if you can move the jackshaft plate closer to the engine (keep in mind that JS plate is fixed to the engine with the engine bolts or (if still stock) with a set of studs [nuts on both ends]

'sid

I've been out of town and looking to pick this back up. I'll check tonight to see if I can move the jackshaft forward to get the clutches closer together, but my guess is that if I can, it will then reduce the tension on my chain, but perhaps not enough to be able to take out a link. Any thoughts on this? I'll report back. Also ordered a new carb as mine appears to be seeping/leaking. Only a few bucks more for an entirely new carb than just the gasket set.

 

[itsid]

I've been out of town and looking to pick this back up. I'll check tonight to see if I can move the jackshaft forward to get the clutches closer together, but my guess is that if I can, it will then reduce the tension on my chain, but perhaps not enough to be able to take out a link. Any thoughts on this? I'll report back. Also ordered a new carb as mine appears to be seeping/leaking. Only a few bucks more for an entirely new carb than just the gasket set.

well, the TC plate is fixed to the engine with the aforementioned studs first, then whith the driver/driven spaced correctly,
that set is then fixed to the kart chassis to get the chain tension corrected.

And yes, that ONLY works properly with studs.. it's difficult to do the same with just bolts (but you can with enough patience)

if all else fails, find a half link for your chain

'sid

 

[mckutzy]

If you use a half link... Make sure you dry fit it unpowered, to see if it will clear the back plate and move freely on the jackshaft sprocket.. They are a bit wider then the chain they are for, and typically have a small cotter pin..