Trying Engine Start

 I had a chance for a mid-week visit to work on the kart last week.  Pam was volunteering at an event in downtown Indy, so I tagged along.  The main goal was to start the engine... finally!

The photo above is the first time I had sat in the kart since we started the restoration.  I found out a couple things:

• Since Pete Evans owned the kart before Dad, I suspect this kart was created for a person of Pete's, um, width.  My hips did not fit down between the seat rails.  It's not a "loose a few pounds" problem. I could weigh 100lbs, and my pelvis still wouldn't fit.
• I can barely reach across my chest to change the carb settings.  I will figure something out. The use of triggers on the steering wheel for the Hi-needle makes a lot of sense.

Before starting the engine, I went to town for gas and picked up some Stihl 2-cycle oil.  Then I finished up some details like adding zip-ties to hold the brake line and the throttle cable.

Earlier I had put the fuel line on in a more direct route, basically "up" from the tank.  I figured it is better to loop it up and around so the fuel will build up on the down side.

This is another piece burnt in to my memories... the starter!

I am not sure if Dad created it, but it is pretty ingenious.  The karts of the 60s and early 70s were started with electric motors (car starters!) using fan belts to go from pulley to pulley.  I pulled the battery out of Dad's truck and hooked it up.  As with all of the other pieces, it hadn't turned in 40 years.  But it did!  Just not very fast.  

I set the needles to the suggested settings and added fuel mixture to the carb and cylinder before firing the first time.

kart stand for starting.

This video is just a short sample of what we did for about an hour.  It might pop a few times, but nothing close to starting.  I set the Seemed like the belt (an old one of the mower) was too worn, so I went to town for a new one.  The starter was still very slow and gave no hope of starting the engine.  So I grabbed a Sears 1/2" drill from the shelf to turn the crank with the bolt securing the clutch.  

It did turn the engine over and did pop a few times, but just did not have speed to get a good fire. So I had to finally give up for the night.  This has made me think seriously changing to a nut starter with a small hand-held starter.  I will hold off for now, but am investigating.

To top it all off, when I put the battery back in Dad's truck, it couldn't turn over the engine.  It was on the charger all night, but still could not start the engine.   So the truck has new battery.  I did not try the new battery with the kart... but really look forward to it.

My goal is to investigate the settings again and hopefully get it started next time.  But it is a "two-man" job and I have never done this!

Perfect timing!

The last post described Randy and I struggling with the clutch.  Finally, at the last moment it was fixed. 

Ann gave me a small sack with more of Dad's karting items.  Here are some pix of those items: 

Dad's stop watch.  I can't think of many items that go back as far in my memories.  

This was gift to Dad a few years ago.  It is about 4" long and comes with a "air gun" for changing out parts and tires. 

This is the envelope with all the items below.

Receipt for a carb and clutch shoes -- this carb goes for $10-$15 today on ebay

 These items apparently came with a clutch shoes that was sent from Chicago.

Page of owners manual 

Parts illustration with more detail than the one I already have.
This confirmed that there needs to be a spacer placed on the crank.  It is part 1012, top center 

Parts list and PRICING on back of parts illustration.  

Installation instructions with lots of good info.

 This is a hand-written note from "someone" a the shop where the carb and clutch shoes came from.  There are eleven pages, all with wonderful and needed instructions.  I have not shown the letterhead for a particular reasons.

Just a sample page with instructions on how to mix alcohol fuel. 

Point-by-point instructions for installing clutch.  I started laughing when I saw this.  Really could have used this on the last two work days!  But it does confirm what we figured out.

These items were in another envelope from G.E.M. Products.  They are still around.

Kart tie-tack

Clutch... Finally!

In the last post the clutch was assembled.  However, there was a problem.  When the starter pulley was tightened onto the crankshaft, the whole assembly would move as one.  Not a good thing!

Here is a quick description of this clutch. This photo helps:

The finned object is the engine. The brown ring is the clutch drum, which the chain sprocket attached to it.  Inside the drum are the clutch shoes.  In the very middle the tip of the crankshaft (which is how the power is transferred from the engine.)

When the engine is running at an idle or low revs, the shoes rotate with the crank, but don't catch on to the wall of the drum.   At high revs, centrifugal force throws throws the shoes out with such pressure that they "catch" the drum wall, thus turning it and the wheels.

If the two move as one, when the engine is running... the wheels would turn.

SO....  The MUST NOT MOVE AS ONE!!

Since Randy was down for the day to help with projects, we worked together, hoping to start the engine.  

I would tighten the pulley, but it would bind up.  We compared the clutch parts illustration with the actually parts. 

So we tore it down.  There were a couple washers and a retaining nut missing.  We would think about it... Talk about.   Put it back together.  Tear it back down.  Look at it. Talk about it.  Just a bit frustrating.  It just seemed to bind up.

Finally, we decided to put a put washers in to replace the missing ones.  By looking in Dad's cache of washers, we found a couple good sized washers to be a spacer. We decided to put a spacer on the crankshaft to move the pulley away from the cover.  The spacer used looked like this locking washer, only a regular washer.    

 Then we went to town to look for steel and bronze washers per the parts list.

Here are the copper washers purchased.

I also bought a gas can for kart use.  But will probably take it back.... didn't realize it was $18.00!!

We came back and put it all back together.... still no joy.   Randy looked at the bearings on either side and found the needle bearings were not turning and also no grease.  It took a while a bit of Blaster and compressed air, but finally the bearing started moving.  Then the both bearings were packed with grease.  Put the clutch back together.  Still binding!!!   UGHHHHHHHHHHH!

As always happens, we had to leave it undone to go to dinner.  Dinner was awesome!  BBQ ribs at Squealers in Mooresville, IN.   Steve and Becky came down to eat with us.  It was very good dinner.

Randy had a battery problem so I ran him to town so he could go home.  The bearings had the evening to get greasy, so I tried one more time before heading home.

I put the spacer on the crankshaft then put on the pulley.   BINGO!!  the pulley tightened up, but did not bind up to the clutch !!!  They move separate!

Next up... a good tech/safety inspection, then start it up!

UPDATED TO-DO LIST

To-Do List

Brake safety tether (KISS)  3' 1/8" CABLE  / 2 CABLE CLAMPS /A LOC-TITE

3-5GAL GAS CAN

CONTACT HOOSIER TIRE FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

ADD FUEL FILTER TO FUEL LINE

Replace pin with bolt with locking nut/cotter pin

Buy gasoline (which grade?)  sunoco or shell premium (called Hi-test in past)

Mix gasoline and oil  (20:1 or 16:1) (10-12oz Burris castor:1gal gas)  Shell & Stihl oil (add stabilizer for end of day flush)

Clutch oil --  old Hartman oil should work

Review first start procedure ( 1-2oz. fuel mix in carb and .5-1oz through plug hole to cylinder):  idle for 10 minutes until warmed up on horses/stand; repeat 3 times; re-torque head bolts)

Remove engine swing mount to fix rubber gasket

Place fixed swing mount

Place locking collar on Swing mount on axle (use punch to tighten then set screw)

Place engine on swing mount

Tighten engine mounting bolts to torque limit (loc-tite)  CHECK

Attach clutch to PTO side (half-moon key, clutch housing and ring, shoes, gasket, cover, tighten pulley         bolt, hex bolts with loc-tite, fill with oil) MORE WEIGHT= LESS SLIP

Align sprocket/oiler to drive sprocket (oiler not allowed.  put lube on sprocket)

Fill oiler at track(~70weight gear oil)(holds enough for one hour of racing)

Connect throttle cable to carb; attach to frame with zip-ties

Connect brake tubing to frame with zip-ties

Put on pipe (torque wrench)

Battery to starter and test (Check correct direction!!)

New belt?

Put on fuel line ( need a loop? PROBABLY)

Add gas/oil mix

Open the fuel valve

Set carb needles per manual before start

After start, set carb needles per manual

Buy new tires (Dunlop SL4) and tubes

SAND BLAST WHEELS???

Balance tires

Put on tires SWITCH FRONT TIMES SO COTTER PINS CAN WORK

Balance frame with a scale under each tire (what then?  tire pressure?   frame?)

Put temp gauge on spark plug (gauge is in helmet bag.  where is the plug end?)

Buy strong rod bolts (Bonbright)

Set clutch at high rpm

Inventory all kart parts and tools

New boxes for parts

catalog what tools are needed

table for pits

tent for pits (UMMM... BREAKING DESTRY TENT DID THAT)

Start wiki of info

EAR PLUGS



and much much more