Newbie here with a story

[tommy9345]

Hey everyone, I'm Tom and I live in Mass. I got a cart yesterday for 200$. Its a pretty big kart with a 5hp tecumseh on it. I was riding it for the first time yesterday with a friend and it was starting to act a little funny, it was still moving when no gas was being given to it(pedal was untouched). We shut it down and restarted it back up with no one in it, bad idea. It revved to full throttle and started heading towards a fence, I tried stopping it but I was no match for its 5hp and got dragged until I let go. It hit a plastic fence at about 25(somehow the fence was unharmed except for the skid marks left by the tires xD), flipped over, still going while upside down, and I rushed over and hit the killswitch. I flipped it back over and something black was leaking out of the engine(oil I assume) and the steering had broken off the left wheel. The guy I bought it from brought it home and welded the steering and fixed the throttle and I get it back tomorrow, but any ideas as to what the hell happened to make the throttle get stuck wide open like that?

Pic attached below.

 

[tommy9345]

bump

 

[big-al]

Add a return spring on the throttle?

 

[tommy9345]

thats what the guy did when he fixed it i think. he said it was missing that

 

[big-al]

Without a return spring, the throttle can get stuck open and take off like it did. Now that you have one, everything should be good.

 

[tommy9345]

Yeah it was pretty scary. I really hope it doesn't happen again, I love this kart. And another question, what could cause the kart to shake a lot when im hitting higher speeds?

 

[fowler]

the fact it has no suspension
or an ungoverned engine going above what it should

 

[tommy9345]

fowler which question are you answering? the shaking at high speed or the throttle coming loose

 

[fowler]

the shaking

 

[tommy9345]

Oh okay thanks. Any idea where the governor is on a tecumseh 5hp? The guy I got it from said he adjusted it so it goes faster, how do I adjust it to go slower

 

[fowler]

is it shaking or juddering
or can u go along and acept carks are not going to be cumfy

 

[tommy9345]

its shaking, like my whole body shakes and my vision shakes too because its so bad

 

[Russ2251]

Get a Lincoln and books on small engine repair.
If you love your kart so much...why not take the opportunity to learn something about it?

 

[vozzy]

It's going to rattle your cage somewhat, the only suspension you have is the air in the tires. Paved roads are better, I drove my kids down our dirt road after they graded it, and it was not a fun ride :rolleyes3:

 

[Kaptain Krunch]

could be something offbalance, or a bent hub or axle causing the shaking.

 

[Homemader]

maybe the chain is too tight causing it to always be engaged with the clutch? that could be why your go kart doesn't idle.

 

[fowler]

it only shakes at high speed
also do u notice a slow shake at slow speed if so it is what krunch said

 

[modelengineer]

maybe the chain is too tight causing it to always be engaged with the clutch? that could be why your go kart doesn't idle.

The chain is supposed to always be engaged with the clutch.

I'd say its a wheel/sprocket/hub out of balance or allignment

 

[The_Machine]

i've had my 13hp go kart of the same weight take off full throttle with knobbies across dirt. held a perfect wheelie dragging the back of the frame, hit a vine in the woods and rode up it and did a backflip, landed on he nose and flipped back over then went to drive back up the vine and got stuck. instead of chasing it I just stood there laughing.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

There're a miliion or so possible reasons for the wobble. You'll have to examine things closely.
For safety, new folks especially, you should check throttle, brake, and steering operation before starting up. And when you start it, do so with it up against a wall or tree, or with the wheels chocked, while standing out of harm's way. I nearly got mangled by such a mishap a few years ago.