Hello.
I'm a modestly experienced mechanic, owning 9 vehicles & always tinkering.
Last year I picked up a KT196 for my son.
It was a used unit, but virtually BRAND NEW. The folks had used it once..... They claimed they used it for 10 minutes... And the engine froze. My guess is that they simply overlooked checking the oil level in the very beginning.
It was a bargain (to me) at $700, as retailers here in Western ND sell these at about $1,400 at the time.
I had a new electric-start 7HP engine sitting here for another project, and I added a new clutch (Parts missing, as they were assessing the failure). My new engine was an exact-size replacement. I added a box for the battery, making a clean set-up.
Anyway, I went through a half dozen belts, my learning curve, getting the belt alignment understood.
We live in a very rural place, no paved roads, plenty of dust, but hard soil and few grassy places to ride. The Drive-system-cover mounts have already failed, so that's been removed. I use BRAKE-CLEANER to remove gum build-up. This seems to work well, and I've not noticed any belt degradation with that use.
Everything seems to be running well, but now I'm considering learning more about tuning & modding.
My first interest is in replacing the 'clutch & torque converter' with a chain drive, in lieu of the belt.
Is there any thread sharing the pros/cons of this?
Best Regards,
TIG
I'm a modestly experienced mechanic, owning 9 vehicles & always tinkering.
Last year I picked up a KT196 for my son.
It was a used unit, but virtually BRAND NEW. The folks had used it once..... They claimed they used it for 10 minutes... And the engine froze. My guess is that they simply overlooked checking the oil level in the very beginning.
It was a bargain (to me) at $700, as retailers here in Western ND sell these at about $1,400 at the time.
I had a new electric-start 7HP engine sitting here for another project, and I added a new clutch (Parts missing, as they were assessing the failure). My new engine was an exact-size replacement. I added a box for the battery, making a clean set-up.
Anyway, I went through a half dozen belts, my learning curve, getting the belt alignment understood.
We live in a very rural place, no paved roads, plenty of dust, but hard soil and few grassy places to ride. The Drive-system-cover mounts have already failed, so that's been removed. I use BRAKE-CLEANER to remove gum build-up. This seems to work well, and I've not noticed any belt degradation with that use.
Everything seems to be running well, but now I'm considering learning more about tuning & modding.
My first interest is in replacing the 'clutch & torque converter' with a chain drive, in lieu of the belt.
Is there any thread sharing the pros/cons of this?
Best Regards,
TIG
