Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

On Sat, 26 May 2012 09:08:54 -0500, Ignoramus30279
wrote:

Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i
The transmission out of a lawn tractor might do the job - ore even a
transaxle, which may also have the brake included.

On May 26, 10:08*am, Ignoramus30279 ignoramus30...@NOSPAM.
30279.invalid wrote:
Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

Go-kart specific bits rarely have anything other than a centrifugal
clutch right on the crankshaft, so you are immediately into riding
mower/tractor territory.

How fast should it go, and what size engine are you going to put on
it? Will it be used for a lot of stop-and-go or mainly 'track' duty?

You can make it crazy quick and get an auto-clutch and reverse if you
find the right quad engine.

"Ignoramus30279" wrote in
message ...
Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few
go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

The Northern Tool catalog lists common components, so you can see how
others build them:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...ic&cm_i te=go
kart parts&mkwid=s9zBHuBQ0&pcrid=15295625111&mt=b

http://tinyurl.com/7byvsgo

jsw

wrote in message
...
..
The transmission out of a lawn tractor might do the job - ore even a
transaxle, which may also have the brake included.

Some, like mine, can only be shifted when stopped.

jsw

On 2012-05-26, Dave__67 wrote:
On May 26, 10:08?am, Ignoramus30279 ignoramus30...@NOSPAM.
30279.invalid wrote:
Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

Go-kart specific bits rarely have anything other than a centrifugal
clutch right on the crankshaft, so you are immediately into riding
mower/tractor territory.

How fast should it go, and what size engine are you going to put on
it? Will it be used for a lot of stop-and-go or mainly 'track' duty?

You can make it crazy quick and get an auto-clutch and reverse if you
find the right quad engine.

It will be used by a 11 year old and possibly by 6 year old, so, I
would say, it should go 10 MPH tops.

i

On 2012-05-26, Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Ignoramus30279" wrote in
message ...
Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few
go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

The Northern Tool catalog lists common components, so you can see how
others build them:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...ic&cm_i te=go
kart parts&mkwid=s9zBHuBQ0&pcrid=15295625111&mt=b

http://tinyurl.com/7byvsgo

jsw



This is nice. Toe torque converter is a Reeves drive, right?

i

Ignoramus30279 wrote:
On 2012-05-26, Dave__67 wrote:

On May 26, 10:08?am, Ignoramus30279 ignoramus30...@NOSPAM.
30279.invalid wrote:

Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

Go-kart specific bits rarely have anything other than a centrifugal
clutch right on the crankshaft, so you are immediately into riding
mower/tractor territory.

How fast should it go, and what size engine are you going to put on
it? Will it be used for a lot of stop-and-go or mainly 'track' duty?

You can make it crazy quick and get an auto-clutch and reverse if you
find the right quad engine.


It will be used by a 11 year old and possibly by 6 year old, so, I
would say, it should go 10 MPH tops.

i

You might want to do what a mate did, he got a Lotus 7 go cart and took
the engine out and made it electric with various bits from a mobility
scooter. This allowed him to add a remote control for the motor easily
so he could stand back and kill the thing if the kid was getting too
close to objects for comfort. I think his son was about 6 at the time
and it was mainly for use in the garden.

On 5/26/2012 12:36 PM, Ignoramus30279 wrote:
On 2012-05-26, wrote:
On May 26, 10:08?am, Ignoramus30279ignoramus30...@NOSPAM.
30279.invalid wrote:
Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

Go-kart specific bits rarely have anything other than a centrifugal
clutch right on the crankshaft, so you are immediately into riding
mower/tractor territory.

How fast should it go, and what size engine are you going to put on
it? Will it be used for a lot of stop-and-go or mainly 'track' duty?

You can make it crazy quick and get an auto-clutch and reverse if you
find the right quad engine.

It will be used by a 11 year old and possibly by 6 year old, so, I
would say, it should go 10 MPH tops.

i

No transmission needed on a go cart.

Centrifugal clutch only and gear ratio determined by sprockets and
chain.

Detune the engine (not) or put stops on the gas pedal linkage to keep
it down to safe(er) speeds.

Keep it simple.

On Sat, 26 May 2012 17:45:02 -0500, Richard
wrote:

On 5/26/2012 12:36 PM, Ignoramus30279 wrote:
On 2012-05-26, wrote:
On May 26, 10:08?am, Ignoramus30279ignoramus30...@NOSPAM.
30279.invalid wrote:
Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

Go-kart specific bits rarely have anything other than a centrifugal
clutch right on the crankshaft, so you are immediately into riding
mower/tractor territory.

How fast should it go, and what size engine are you going to put on
it? Will it be used for a lot of stop-and-go or mainly 'track' duty?

You can make it crazy quick and get an auto-clutch and reverse if you
find the right quad engine.

It will be used by a 11 year old and possibly by 6 year old, so, I
would say, it should go 10 MPH tops.

i

No transmission needed on a go cart.

Centrifugal clutch only and gear ratio determined by sprockets and
chain.

Detune the engine (not) or put stops on the gas pedal linkage to keep
it down to safe(er) speeds.

Keep it simple.


Depends on what kind of "go cart" you want. An "off road" cart is a
lot nicer to run with reverse. (think side-by-side quad - or even a
standard quad without reverse). A "racing" type cart has no need for
reverse.

A "kid's car" gocart can really make use of reverse.

As far as speed limiting, no throttle block or detuning is required.
That's what a "governor" is for. Racing carts quite often have the
governor removed or disabled or bypassed. A "kid's cart" needs a
governor - and a centrifical clutch is the simplest drive, while a
torque converter is a lot more flexible. I've seen carts made with
the torque converter drive and a starter motor for reverse. Just means
you NEED a battery - and it is a bit heavier.

On Sat, 26 May 2012 09:08:54 -0500, Ignoramus30279
wrote:

Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i
Hey Iggy,

My expericnce comes fron a looooonnnngggg time ago, so not current,
but all we used was a centrifugal clutch. At low RPM, it was
disengaged. As the RPM's get to a certain point, the clutchbegins to
engage, but slips a lot at first, then locks in to direct drive as
trhe RPM's increase. Very simple. Works well. Relatively cheap.

Brian Lawson.

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 26 May 2012 17:45:02 -0500, Richard
wrote:

On 5/26/2012 12:36 PM, Ignoramus30279 wrote:
On 2012-05-26, wrote:
On May 26, 10:08?am, Ignoramus30279ignoramus30...@NOSPAM.
30279.invalid wrote:
Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

Go-kart specific bits rarely have anything other than a centrifugal
clutch right on the crankshaft, so you are immediately into riding
mower/tractor territory.

How fast should it go, and what size engine are you going to put on
it? Will it be used for a lot of stop-and-go or mainly 'track' duty?

You can make it crazy quick and get an auto-clutch and reverse if you
find the right quad engine.

It will be used by a 11 year old and possibly by 6 year old, so, I
would say, it should go 10 MPH tops.

i

No transmission needed on a go cart.

Centrifugal clutch only and gear ratio determined by sprockets and
chain.

Detune the engine (not) or put stops on the gas pedal linkage to keep
it down to safe(er) speeds.

Keep it simple.


Depends on what kind of "go cart" you want. An "off road" cart is a
lot nicer to run with reverse. (think side-by-side quad - or even a
standard quad without reverse). A "racing" type cart has no need for
reverse.

A "kid's car" gocart can really make use of reverse.

As far as speed limiting, no throttle block or detuning is required.
That's what a "governor" is for. Racing carts quite often have the
governor removed or disabled or bypassed. A "kid's cart" needs a
governor - and a centrifical clutch is the simplest drive, while a
torque converter is a lot more flexible. I've seen carts made with
the torque converter drive and a starter motor for reverse. Just means
you NEED a battery - and it is a bit heavier.


At 11, I was let loose for a day in a Class 4 Kart, tuned 250cc Villiers
Starmaker 2-stroke engine, 5-speed gearbox (fitted to motocross bikes, they
were), capable of at least 120mph... Around Brands Hatch circuit they were
quicker than Formula 1!

I was suited, booted and wearing a helmet though - but still it was like the
junkie's first fix, been addicted to *Fast* ever since!

Dave H. (the other one)

On Sat, 26 May 2012 12:36:18 -0500, Ignoramus30279 wrote:

On 2012-05-26, Dave__67 wrote:
On May 26, 10:08?am, Ignoramus30279 ignoramus30...@NOSPAM.
30279.invalid wrote:
Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

Go-kart specific bits rarely have anything other than a centrifugal
clutch right on the crankshaft, so you are immediately into riding
mower/tractor territory.

How fast should it go, and what size engine are you going to put on it?
Will it be used for a lot of stop-and-go or mainly 'track' duty?

You can make it crazy quick and get an auto-clutch and reverse if you
find the right quad engine.

It will be used by a 11 year old and possibly by 6 year old, so, I would
say, it should go 10 MPH tops.

I can't help you with brakes, but for the "transmission" just use a
centrifugal clutch with fixed (low) gearing. Kid pushes on the loud
pedal -- cart goes.

If you want them to be ready for real cars, do it the lawnmower way, with
an idler pulley that tensions the drive belt when they let of the pedal.
Then you won't have to find a centrifugal clutch, and their cart will be
more manly.

If you're home-building this and you don't want to spend much on brakes,
just weld up a pair of steel plates that scrub on the rear wheels and
don't let them ride when it's wet out. Or scarf something off of a lawn
tractor.

--
My liberal friends think I'm a conservative kook.
My conservative friends think I'm a liberal kook.
Why am I not happy that they have found common ground?

Tim Wescott, Communications, Control, Circuits & Software
http://www.wescottdesign.com

"Ignoramus30279" wrote in message
...
Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

http://books.google.com/books?id=VCY...page&q&f=false

A different time and spirit...

"Ignoramus30279" wrote in message
...

Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

One idea, if you found a junk zero turn mower you could use the wheel drive
hydraulics to make a variable ratio hydraulic transmission for a go-cart. A
lawn mower hydrostatic transmission might be the same type of thing, I'm not
very familiar with them.

When I was growing up, a neighbor had one of those struck kit (sp)
mini-dozers. It had a belt from the engine that ran around pulleys on 2
shafts one on the outside of one shaft and the inside of the other shaft.
The result is that one shaft ran clockwise, the other shaft ran counter
clockwise. Each track a large pulley on the inside and a small sprocket on
the outside, the small sprocket went to a larger sprocket (by chain) to
drive the tracks. A loose belts go from the cw and ccw pulleys to the track
drive pulley. The shafts were spaced so the forward/reverse lever with
idler pulleys would tighten one belt when pushed forward and tighten the
other belt when pulled reverse. This is the same idea I see used on many
lawnmower decks that tighten the belt to engage the blades. Anyway the same
kind of idea could be used to make a go-cart have forward and reverse.

I always thought it would be fun to power a go-cart with a motorcycle
engine, set up linkage for the shifter and clutch. I guess the 4 wheelers
have what I would have wanted now, I'd like to have a Honda Rancher 4X4 but
paying off debt first.

RogerN

RogerN wrote:
"Ignoramus30279" wrote in message
...

Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i


One idea, if you found a junk zero turn mower you could use the wheel drive
hydraulics to make a variable ratio hydraulic transmission for a go-cart. A
lawn mower hydrostatic transmission might be the same type of thing, I'm not
very familiar with them.

When I was growing up, a neighbor had one of those struck kit (sp)
mini-dozers. It had a belt from the engine that ran around pulleys on 2
shafts one on the outside of one shaft and the inside of the other shaft.
The result is that one shaft ran clockwise, the other shaft ran counter
clockwise. Each track a large pulley on the inside and a small sprocket on
the outside, the small sprocket went to a larger sprocket (by chain) to
drive the tracks. A loose belts go from the cw and ccw pulleys to the track
drive pulley. The shafts were spaced so the forward/reverse lever with
idler pulleys would tighten one belt when pushed forward and tighten the
other belt when pulled reverse. This is the same idea I see used on many
lawnmower decks that tighten the belt to engage the blades. Anyway the same
kind of idea could be used to make a go-cart have forward and reverse.

I always thought it would be fun to power a go-cart with a motorcycle
engine, set up linkage for the shifter and clutch. I guess the 4 wheelers
have what I would have wanted now, I'd like to have a Honda Rancher 4X4 but
paying off debt first.


Just don't do it like the guy at Wichita Votech when I was there around
1981. I was in the evening class and we got to see the construction of
the machine with IIRC a 750cc Jap bike engine in it by someone in the
day class. The exhausts were so close to the back of the seat that I
think ones helmet would have melted. The output from the gearbox had a
sprocket welded on to it, a neat weld, and we saw the cart disappear one
week and the next the sprocket reappearred looking like the whole weld
had failed at the interface, probably due to carbon content. I suspect
that failure shook the designer/driver somewhat when it went pop.
RogerN

On Mon, 28 May 2012 12:48:02 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

On Sat, 26 May 2012 12:36:18 -0500, Ignoramus30279 wrote:

On 2012-05-26, Dave__67 wrote:
On May 26, 10:08?am, Ignoramus30279 ignoramus30...@NOSPAM.
30279.invalid wrote:
Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

Go-kart specific bits rarely have anything other than a centrifugal
clutch right on the crankshaft, so you are immediately into riding
mower/tractor territory.

How fast should it go, and what size engine are you going to put on it?
Will it be used for a lot of stop-and-go or mainly 'track' duty?

You can make it crazy quick and get an auto-clutch and reverse if you
find the right quad engine.

It will be used by a 11 year old and possibly by 6 year old, so, I would
say, it should go 10 MPH tops.

I can't help you with brakes, but for the "transmission" just use a
centrifugal clutch with fixed (low) gearing. Kid pushes on the loud
pedal -- cart goes.

If you want them to be ready for real cars, do it the lawnmower way, with
an idler pulley that tensions the drive belt when they let of the pedal.
Then you won't have to find a centrifugal clutch, and their cart will be
more manly.

For safety on a kid's cart you can do it the other way. Press on the
clutch pedal to go. Release the pedal to loosen the belt and apply the
brake. A commom brake on simple carts years ago was a heavy V-belt
pulley on the rear axle with a length of belt wrapped around it that
was tightened by stepping on the brake pedal (or pulling a brake
handle), wrapping it into the pulley.

If you're home-building this and you don't want to spend much on brakes,
just weld up a pair of steel plates that scrub on the rear wheels and
don't let them ride when it's wet out. Or scarf something off of a lawn
tractor.

On May 26, 6:35*pm, Brian Lawson wrote:
On Sat, 26 May 2012 09:08:54 -0500, Ignoramus30279

wrote:
Someone gifted me a go cart frame, with steering wheel, pedals and
road wheels. It so happens that my 11 year old wants one.

I have a Honda horizontal engine.

I would like to see if I can find some product that combines a few go
cart related functions, like a transmission, with forward, reverse,
and neutral, and, as a bonus, braking.

Anyone can recommend something?

i

Hey Iggy,

My expericnce comes fron a looooonnnngggg time ago, so not current,
but all we used was a centrifugal clutch. *At low RPM, it was
disengaged. *As the RPM's get to a certain point, the clutchbegins to
engage, but slips a lot at first, then locks in to direct drive as
trhe RPM's increase. *Very simple. *Works well. *Relatively cheap.

Brian Lawson.

Yup, the classic setup was with a solid drive axle with a pulley on
it, belt went to the centrifugal clutch on the engine. If you went
high-tech, you might even have a spring-loaded tension wheel to
tighten up the belt. Most kids didn't bother, the belt gave some slip
on starting. I later found out there was a special B&S throttle kit
for engines meant for karts, closed the throttle when there wasn't any
pressure on the go pedal. Otherwise it would keep howling away
wherever the throttle happened to be last. Would run fast enough to
suit kids. Brakes were via boards riding on the tires. Reverse was
hop off, grab an end and drag it around. That was before mini-bikes,
when I was in junior high, the craze was for mini-bikes. Most of this
stuff was put together from EMT, whatever caster wheels could be had,
some solid rod, washing machine pulleys and belts and a horizontal
shaft engine. Guys that had fathers that could weld were VERY
popular. The was before the popular mechanics/science mags became
home decoration only. Also before helmets, boots, gloves or whatever,
Darwin at work.

If you just have to complicate things, you can get a lawnmower
hydrostatic transaxle from Surplus Center, but I'll bet it'll cost a
lot more and probably won't be as much fun.

Stan