NEWBEE with no experience...Where to start

[father/son]

My son and I want to tackle building a go-kart and have access to 1" sch. 40 pipe, a 220 stick welder, and a chain-saw motor. My experience is EXTREAMLY limited in all things mechanical. I am very handy in household endevors, but have tackled very few mechanical ones. Where should I start with plans? How long should I plan this taking working on it one-two days a week? My son is young (6), so a simple set up primarily for off road use, 2-seater, would be ideal (grandfather has 250+ acres to explore). Any good sites to order plans from or good free plans you've run across? Thanks for the help!

 

[Kaptain Krunch]

My son and I want to tackle building a go-kart and have access to 1" sch. 40 pipe, a 220 stick welder, and a chain-saw motor. My experience is EXTREAMLY limited in all things mechanical. I am very handy in household endevors, but have tackled very few mechanical ones. Where should I start with plans? How long should I plan this taking working on it one-two days a week? My son is young (6), so a simple set up primarily for off road use would be ideal (grandfather has 250+ acres to explore). Any good sites to order plans from or good free plans you've run across? Thanks for the help!

Your chainsaw motor is most likely not powerful enough, How many cc's is it? I suggest you find a used 5-8hp motor for him, Harbor Freight sells blue 6.5hp honda knockoff for fairly cheap, sometimes there on sale for $99 and are great for go kart power. As for plans, i have never used them i always plan stuff out myself, but google it im sure you can find some.

 

[r_chez_08]

where to start???
take a look at this page for frame ideas and make a few sketches, thats what i did. eventually my ideas progressed, and i had some plans.

im not sure if a chainsaw motor would have enough power, like kaptain krunch said depends how big it is. you may be better off buying a horizontal 4 stroke like the gx engines, briggs or harbour freight blue engine, but it all depends on what your budget is and what you want from the kart.
for cheap power i reccomend the harbour freight blue, or a honda gx200 clone.

 

[skip289]

Here is a good place to start for plans, at least it will give you an idea for a frame.

http://kartbuilding.net/

Also this forum has a lot of info for building a frame.
Let us know how it is going.

 

[r_chez_08]

i have used the site above loads, it is great!!!

 

[eronann]

My son and I want to tackle building a go-kart and have access to 1" sch. 40 pipe, a 220 stick welder, and a chain-saw motor. My experience is EXTREAMLY limited in all things mechanical. I am very handy in household endevors, but have tackled very few mechanical ones. Where should I start with plans? How long should I plan this taking working on it one-two days a week? My son is young (6), so a simple set up primarily for off road use, 2-seater, would be ideal (grandfather has 250+ acres to explore). Any good sites to order plans from or good free plans you've run across? Thanks for the help!

I got a Briggs 5hp motor you can have. I love to help out the Father and Son projects.
I'm located in MA if your interested on the motor.

Ron

 

[father/son]

thanks for all the replies! the chainsaw motor is 46cc off of a Homelite pro...too weak maybe? How long does building one usually take if you work on the weekends? Ron, thanks for the offer...sent u a pm

 

[jr dragster T]

This is my second summer with my kart and I'm still perfecting it.

 

[r_chez_08]

thanks for all the replies! the chainsaw motor is 46cc off of a Homelite pro...too weak maybe? How long does building one usually take if you work on the weekends? Ron, thanks for the offer...sent u a pm

one site says 7-8 weekends, but i reccon about 15 minimum (not including research ect.) for your first kart, but could be 100 lol