Predator Advice Needed

[ghosted]

Hello everybody, I recently picked up a go kart for about 25$ it came with an engine that didn't work. I gave it a paint job and borrowed a spare engine from my buddy, it's a craftsman, but I have no idea what the model is.

Anyhow, I plan to pick up a predator engine this Friday and was looking for some advice on carbs. I was searching the forums and Google to find the best carb setup because we've been using these stock suction carbs.

The only thing I have found being recommended for the Predator 212 6.5HP is the Mikuni 22MM. Is this the way to go? Also is there an adapter required for this carb? I'm not sure what size the Predator takes but I read another post from a user that said he picked up an adapter, but did not mention anything about it. (Trying to get the most power out of the engine, we do a lot of drifting and racing around the lake while staying in the 6.5hp "class")

This is the link I was looking at for one of these: https://amzn.com/B0176TACDC

Attached a photo of our karts, mine is the one with the orange paint job that cost more than I paid for the actual kart. lol.

Thanks in advance for any advice/help

 

[Hellion]

..to the forum!

You're off to a good start--already have the kart, complete, and just looking for an upgrade. Look up member Kentucky Boy who has recently added a Predator to his Streaker kart and with an aftermarket carb.

Not that it matters too terribly much, but look for Predator 212cc #60363. It's the Hemi model.

 

[chancer]

Are those harbor freight wheels and tires? They look like they have a good amount of wear on them. Usually the wheels brake long before tire wear!

How are they holding up in you experience.

 

[Joe-405]

alot of guys also use the gx390 style carb on the 212's also.

 

[ghosted]

Are those harbor freight wheels and tires? They look like they have a good amount of wear on them. Usually the wheels brake long before tire wear!

How are they holding up in you experience.

lol they most likely are. We've been buying them from Northern Tool because they are on sale for $4.99. We usually get about an hour of riding out of them. They are garbage; however, we had some "haul master" rims that were holding up, so we've just been taking the bearings, tubes and tires off of them and putting them on the haul masters. A set of bearings is 9$ so to get bearings, tubes and tires for 4.99 isn't bad. Eventually we broke the haul masters. We are pretty hard on them.

My buddy's cart on the far right has some sort of front "independent suspension" setup so his seem to last longer than mine. On my kart I can get down to the tube nylon in about an hour of riding. Trying to figure out a better solution if you have any. My buddy is close to 300lbs and I'm around 180 so something must be working with that suspension setup he has. Plus his kart weighs way more than mine.

---------- Post added at 04:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:45 PM ----------

Also, here is an idea of how we ride them:

Powerland 6.5HP, Craftsman ??HP, and a Briggs 5HP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbivMKy7LJs

Powerland 6.5HP vs Briggs 5HP lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAQHEok8w5A

 

[chancer]

That is what I thought. about 1 Hour of use.
I have heard alot about the wheels Breaking! a flat or bald tire is one thing a broken wheel stuck in the ground is another.

I do not have any suggestions for wheels, but here are some cheap Tires that last more than hour. http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=33565

 

[Hellion]

You appear to have a smoking problem on one of those karts. Something's on fire.

Are you smoking your clutch or your brake? Don't forget to oil your clutch bushing now--couple o' drops of motor oil every hour or two.

 

[chancer]

I thinks thats a CEEGAR!

 

[ghosted]

You appear to have a smoking problem on one of those karts. Something's on fire.

Are you smoking your clutch or your brake? Don't forget to oil your clutch bushing now--couple o' drops of motor oil every hour or two.

Found out it was the brake. I had a bootleg throttle setup temporarily and the carb valve wasn't returning so I was pretty much wide open as soon as it cranked and had to ride the brakes all the time. I finally did a real throttle cable setup after my parts came in from amazon but unfortunately my brake (the band and drum type) was all the way to the metal. I have ordered a new one, but I really want to go to a disk brake setup; however, I have only found the disk brake for a 1" axle. My rear is a 3/4 setup.

Didn't know anything about oiling the clutch. I might have burned it up too. Luckily I only put a 15$ one on from Amazon. I'll definitely oil it up if it isn't destroyed already.

---------- Post added at 10:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:19 PM ----------

I thinks thats a CEEGAR!

ceegar?

 

[chancer]

In the Vid your BIG buddy has a "Cigar"

 

[Hellion]

In the Vid your BIG buddy has a "Cigar"

Now that's something I can get behind. Natural leaf tobacco rolled up in natural leaf. Novel concept, huh?

Cigarettes (with the feminizing -ette suffix) are for the womenfolk...

 

[chancer]

Cigarettes (with the feminizing -ette suffix) are for the womenfolk...

Like Driving a SAAB!

 

[BattleGroundCycles]

That looks very fun! I don't know about whether the carb will bolt right on but I know that those pit bike carbs are pretty good. 22mm's are dirt cheap on fleabay. What kind of karts are those?

 

[bob58o]

Love that you drive to the gas station to fill up.

Love the Law and Order sound clips

---------- Post added at 04:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:24 AM ----------

http://www.nrracing.com/product-p/man-lg-wop.htm
Manifold for 22mm on a Honda or Similar clone engine.
Should work for the 6.5 Powerland or 212 Predator.

---------- Post added at 04:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:28 AM ----------

Some Cheap or Free Mods. Depending on on what tools and fabrication skills that you may have access to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsVIbNJ5vLQ

And I like to recommend this, if you want to spend $80
https://www.ombwarehouse.com/Predator-212cc-Go-Kart-Kit-Stage-1-Hemi.html

---------- Post added at 04:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:33 AM ----------

I have a gx390 carb on my 212cc with this adapter
http://www.nrracing.com/product-p/nr-cc390b.htm

This carb
https://www.everestpartssupplies.co...KMjSOeIPm8RPl175gFm6SyMmi8fv77eFrNxoCGJnw_wcB

 

[ghosted]

In the Vid your BIG buddy has a "Cigar"

Oh hahaha, that's a flashlight. It gets pretty dark out there.

---------- Post added at 06:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:37 AM ----------

That looks very fun! I don't know about whether the carb will bolt right on but I know that those pit bike carbs are pretty good. 22mm's are dirt cheap on fleabay. What kind of karts are those?

I'm not sure what kind of karts they are. We grew up on these two-seater "types" as kids so we thought it would be fun to try and get some and make them ridiculously fast.

---------- Post added at 06:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:39 AM ----------

Anyone run "positrack"? I put a key in both keyways on my rear axle. My goal is to be able to do rolling burn outs with this Predator build, but my turning radius took a dive and I end up chewing up tires in the corners.

---------- Post added at 06:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:49 AM ----------

Love that you drive to the gas station to fill up.

Love the Law and Order sound clips

---------- Post added at 04:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:24 AM ----------

http://www.nrracing.com/product-p/man-lg-wop.htm
Manifold for 22mm on a Honda or Similar clone engine.
Should work for the 6.5 Powerland or 212 Predator.

---------- Post added at 04:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:28 AM ----------

Some Cheap or Free Mods. Depending on on what tools and fabrication skills that you may have access to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsVIbNJ5vLQ

And I like to recommend this, if you want to spend $80
https://www.ombwarehouse.com/Predator-212cc-Go-Kart-Kit-Stage-1-Hemi.html

---------- Post added at 04:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:33 AM ----------

I have a gx390 carb on my 212cc with this adapter
http://www.nrracing.com/product-p/nr-cc390b.htm

This carb
https://www.everestpartssupplies.co...KMjSOeIPm8RPl175gFm6SyMmi8fv77eFrNxoCGJnw_wcB

Thanks! I'm no video editor, but I try. Thanks for the link for the adaptor, I was looking all over for it. How do you like the gx390 carb?

I'm definitely going to upgrade to the billet fly wheel and crank from ARC as soon as I pick up the Predator 212 like Kentucky Boy's Streaker build. I was talking to a friend of mine who said he went through 3 predators and said the fly wheel was the weak link after removing the governor.

Is there any way to identify a kart?

I have access to most tools aside from a welder. My brother has one, but I don't trust the welds I learned how to make 10+ years ago in shop class lol.

 

[Poboy kartman]

No one runs "positracks".

Some of us have live axles, some of us have dead axles....and are granted the wisdom to know the difference.

 

[ghosted]

No one runs "positracks".

Some of us have live axles, some of us have dead axles....and are granted the wisdom to know the difference.

I put positrack in quotes for a lack of a better term. I am running a live axle with keyways on each end. I have keys in both ends so both the wheels spin instead of just one. Most karts I have run into only run one key, generally the wheel on the sprocket side. Is that typical?

 

[Poboy kartman]

I put positrack in quotes for a lack of a better term. I am running a live axle with keyways on each end. I have keys in both ends so both the wheels spin instead of just one. Most karts I have run into only run one key, generally the wheel on the sprocket side. Is that typical?

No...it is in fact extremely rare. Very, very, very few karts run a live axle set-up with only one key. To operate properly that way requires at least two axle bearings and to keep from getting the hub and axle destroyed, wheel bearings on the non-driven wheel.

What is common is an axle that doesn't turn...two wheels with no keys and a sprocket attached to the left rear wheel.

 

[bob58o]

Thanks! I'm not video editor, but I try. Thanks for the link for the adaptor, I was looking all over for it. How do you like the gx390 carb?

I'm definitely going to upgrade to the billet fly wheel and crank from ARC as soon as I pick up the Predator 212 like Kentucky Boy's Streaker build. I was talking to a friend of mine who said he went through 3 predators and said the fly wheel was the weak link after removing the governor.
.

I like the gx390 carb, but didn't try the stock one with my modifications. Some claim a bog when whacking throttle WOT from idle, but I seemed to fix it with jetting.

I put it all together at once (making a half dozen changes all at the same time) so I haven't run the stock carb for comparision??


CONNECTING ROD IS THE WEAK LINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Grape Ape]

Back to the carburetor, in my area most upgraded Predators are using the Holey Moses carburetor from Dover Power, it bolts right on and is great addition. Some of the guys I ride with are pushing close to 18hp and are using this carburetor.

http://www.doverpoweronlinestore.com/catalog/item/8223863/8926652.htm