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Mini Project

Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 1:34 pm
by Optiskate
This is kind of a cross post, but I figured that some of you may find it amusing.

I happened to acquire a go kart from a friend of mine. In the past we'd run the piss out of it for a couple weeks, forget about it, rediscover it 6 months later, and do it all over again. It hadn't been run in probably 4 or so years and just sat in my buddies garage. His parents decided to clean out the garage and they told him the go kart had to go.

He came right to me and asked me if I wanted it. I told him that I'd take it and I figured it would be a fun little project. It needed a chain, new fluids, and a little TLC. It doesn't get much more easy, right? I started looking at go karts stuff and I discovered a lot of stuff that I had never even thought of before. I knew about shifter karts and all that because I had a friend in HS that raced them, but see a bunch of crazy built karts gave me an idea.

It already had a little work done to it. It had a torque converter, which helped it top out at about 30mph. Not fast enough for me. I wanted to let the kart stretch its legs a little more and allow it to spin faster than 3600rpms. To do this I discovered that I'd need a billet connecting rod and a billet fly wheel to keep the engine in one piece. I also wanted to make a little more power, so I ended up with an intake, exhaust, cam, valve springs, billet lifters, a new head, and a bunch of other crap. I'm hoping for 7hp out of a 5hp engine.

I also plan on doing a new seat and a new paint job.

Hopefully I can hit some where around 45-50mph.

Any way, I'll post pics later. I need to get back to sanding a dresser to keep the wife happy. :lol:

Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 3:16 pm
by Optiskate
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Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 3:35 pm
by iaccocca
You wanna go 45-50 mph in that thing? I hope you have leathers and a helmet. You should got out to Horn Rapids and check out the 4 stroke carts (and their safety gear.)

Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 3:41 pm
by Optiskate
Yeah, helmet is definitely on the to buy list. I've got other things up my sleeve to make it a little bit more safe as well. I've always wanted to go check out the shifter karts, but I've never made it out there to do it.

To be honest, I'm not trying to get into kart racing. My wife told me I had to put the Jeep on hold for awhile and I got bored. So I started this things. Now the Jeep is back on as I just bought myself some... uuhh... fun stuff for the Jeep. :lol: I'm still going to finish the kart though.

Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 3:59 pm
by CopenhagenCowboy
you should build a cage for that thing. like a sandrail. 8)

Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 5:55 pm
by Jafo
That thing is way too high and too narrow to take it up to 50 mph. Your sure to roll that thing, yea put a cage around it, I say leave it slow, if you want speed, just build a sprint kart/shifter. Yer gunna kill yer self on that.

Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 7:10 pm
by OldGreen
Jafo wrote: Yer gunna kill yer self on that.


Bah. . .just run it. . .you'll be fine. I'll hold your beer.

Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 9:10 pm
by White trash
OldGreen wrote:
Jafo wrote: Yer gunna kill yer self on that.


Bah. . .just run it. . .you'll be fine. I'll hold your beer.





Meh, I'd build radius arms and beams for long travel front suspension and a swing arm for the rear. Leave the rear with no articulation so it stays flat in the corners but still fly's over the faster stuff. I'd build a cage too... :lol:

Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 9:42 pm
by Danny
OldGreen wrote:
Jafo wrote: Yer gunna kill yer self on that.


Bah. . .just run it. . .you'll be fine. I'll hold your beer.


When I started reading this thread I just knew that I'd find an OG comment like this.

Makes me proud to know him!

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 7:46 am
by Grumpy
OG = :mdr Let me know when it's done :twisted:

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 9:45 am
by mattawajeep
Just needs a good set of outriggers. You'd really have to try hard to get it to roll after that. :lol:

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 11:03 am
by OldGreen
mattawajeep wrote:Just needs a good set of outriggers. You'd really have to try hard to get it to roll after that. :lol:


YEAH. . .like side-wheelie bars. . .with struts to cushion the impact. Do it!

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 1:45 pm
by SPR
Looks like you found a commuter rig while you work on the Green Thang.

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:31 pm
by Optiskate
Funny... I'm gonna just run it with some safety gear. As long as you don't get stupid with it, then its actually pretty stable for what it is. Maybe a new set of brakes is in order though... :lol:

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 4:15 pm
by Grumpy
Stopping's over rated :D

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 5:07 pm
by Optiskate
90% of the time you would be correct. It would be over rated. Except when you must slow down to safely turn. :lol:

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 6:40 pm
by Grumpy
Toss it sideways and crank in some reverse lock. Might work on pavement :wink:OG knows more on that subject than I do :)

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 7:40 pm
by Jafo
Except it doesn't have reverse.... :roll:

Grumpy wrote:Toss it sideways and crank in some reverse lock. Might work on pavement :wink:OG knows more on that subject than I do :)

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 7:47 pm
by Optiskate
Yup, no reverse. I'm not going to spend serious cash for any such feature to be on this kart.

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:18 pm
by Grumpy
Now we know why Jafo doesn't...Oh, never mind :roll:

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:20 pm
by Optiskate
You know what would really be fun... to build a course and see which one of you rumble goat guys has the most kick a$$ go kart skills. :lol:

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:51 pm
by Grumpy
It'll need a set of MT/R's and stronger steering knuckles :mrgreen:

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:55 pm
by Optiskate
I don't know about a set of MTR's, but there's a brand new set of tires in my buddy's garage that are pretty aggressive for a go kart. He just needs to dig them up for me so I can mount them. And steering knuckle beef... well... that's nothing a welder and some 3/16" plate couldn't fix. :lol:

Game on! :lol:

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:58 pm
by Grumpy
I'll let OG or Roman explain the knuckle thing...

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 11:34 am
by Optiskate
Yes... please explain.