Best engine for go-cart?

[yamaha28]

I want to make a very simple go-cart just to practice welding. I will find some plans somewhere or make my own. But I was thinking that I would plop a quad engine in the chassis. The question is which one? Electric start is a huge plus but if I find a good deal that's pull start I will take it. Automatic transmission is also what I am really looking for. I would try to find all my automatic options before I go to manual. The bigger the motor the better of course! Since I just picked up a scrambler 500 I was thinking that motor would be about perfect. It's just really expensive. Any thoughts? Throw them out there.

 

[EvilElvis]

go with the china 250cc gy6 or bigger there cheap and so are parts

 

[sicivicdude]

Generally, quad engines are too long for a good go-kart setup. Go-karts usually have the occupant sitting down in the middle of the frame and the engine shoved to the back. ATV engines don't have the limitations of length as much as height because the rider is sitting on top of the engine/transmission/ airbox/carburetor

Electric start and automatic would be nice, but those features take up even more space. The main space taker on an automatic (CVT) quad is the belt length and pulley diameters.

Probably one of the best bets if you're looking at a dune buggy type thing is a small street bike engine. The final drive can be a chain sprocket and the inputs to the engine are fairly basic, a clutch actuation of some sort, throttle input, and a gear shift. The advantage to a motorcycle engine is that they're fairly short

 

[yamaha28]

I didn't think that the automatic tranny would be to big for it but looking again I can see, it's a little beefy haha. Street bike motor is a good idea, I imagine that they run a little costly though.

 

[EvilElvis]

I didn't think that the automatic tranny would be to big for it but looking again I can see, it's a little beefy haha. Street bike motor is a good idea, I imagine that they run a little costly though.

like I said the china motors are cheap as hell if you were just having some fun

 

[myusername]

slap a 125 dirt bike engine on there and have a ghetto shifter kart

 

[EvilElvis]

NEW Zongshen BLACK ENGINE 250cc 4 STROKE 5 SPEEDS DIRT BIKE CRF MOTOCROSS | eBay

 

[yamaha28]

That's sounds like a good place to start. Cheap and just to have fun with. I am trying to find a place to buy one, so I can find the price. I can't tell if I am too stupid to see it or it's hiding! haha


Whoops posted to soon.

 

[EvilElvis]

right here >>>>> NEW Zongshen BLACK ENGINE 250cc 4 STROKE 5 SPEEDS DIRT BIKE CRF MOTOCROSS | eBay

 

[yamaha28]

yep, sorry man. I didn't refresh the page before I posted. Thanks for the help!

 

[Paulie B]

Any old lawn mower at least 5hp or better yet lawn tractor motor on a centrifugal clutch set-up.

 

[Whitty21]

an old 2 stroke dirt bike engine makes a nice shifter cart, 80cc's would be fun, but i have also seen a yz250cc shifter cart of death

 

[Xero]

Well a (chinese) quadzilla 320cvt would be pretty sweet in a cart quadzilla said their the most powder sports auto available in the uk, i have one.. they are pretty good for chinese, however like said above, cvt (auto) means big engine :/

 

[blasterdemon7]

This is what I would use.lol.

 

[mmajay]

Any old lawn mower at least 5hp or better yet lawn tractor motor on a centrifugal clutch set-up.

X2 on Paulies idea. Its the most practical method for kart set ups. Last one i did i used a honda 13 hp horizontal shaft electric start motor with a comet sno mo clutch. Soon after i built it i flipped the crazy fast thing over and sold it. I had plenty of room for the battery for the electric start and it was a fairly simple build compared to trying to fit a motorcycle or quad motor.

 

[96MXBlaster]

These motors are a little bit more spendy but i would take a Skidoo Fourmla 583 motor with twin carbs. jet it right and exhaust. I got a 99 skidoo MXZ 583 and dude she lifts right up. i have seen go carts with snowmobile motors and they work slick really. AND the fourmla motors have electric start and you can add reverse and they have automatic tranny. thats just my two cents but thats what i would do. I got an mxz 500 motor just needs inner crank seals if you want to buy it.

 

[YZ Otis]

Check these folks out. I'm kinda partial to their stuff ... a cr500 tucked under your arm pit is kinda fun or ya can go with a 5hp Briggs. Maybe you could get some ideas but we only turn left .

QRC Karts: Outlaw Sprint Karts, Winged Dirt Sprint Karts

 

[Braaaptor]

X2 on Paulies idea. Its the most practical method for kart set ups. Last one i did i used a honda 13 hp horizontal shaft electric start motor with a comet sno mo clutch. Soon after i built it i flipped the crazy fast thing over and sold it. I had plenty of room for the battery for the electric start and it was a fairly simple build compared to trying to fit a motorcycle or quad motor.

I agree with mmajay. This is the way I would go for a Kart project.

I fix these small engines for a living will I'll say from firsthand experience that they are plenty powerful for a go-kart.

You don't need a 600cc streetbike engine behind you.

Get a good used Honda, Honda clone (cheaper), Kawasaki, or Briggs and Stratton engine for the project. Avoid Tecumseh engines. They are known for throwing rods, even in 100% stock configuration.

Most of the Kohler and Onan engines out there are too heavy to work well on a Kart.

That said, if you can score a good deal on a Kohler Command V-twin or a Briggs and Stratton Vanguard V-twin, it will make that gokart come alive.

You can get almost any of these engines, in good running shape, for around $ 200.00 with some looking around.

Most of these engines are offered with electic start right from the factory.

Also, they have ducted cooling systems. Which means you can shoehorn the engine into a Kart frame and let it run for hours without even moving the vehicle. It won't overheat. The flywheel fan keeps things cool. Try that on a dirtbike/streetbike engine and see what happens!

Like mmajay suggested, grab a Comet CV drive off a snowmobile and stick it on the engine. They will bolt right up.

My .02. Good luck whichever way you go!

 

[sicivicdude]

You don't need a 600cc streetbike engine behind you.

I wasn't talking about putting a GSXR1000 engine on a home made go-kart. I meant like a CM450 or perhaps a KZ305 small street bike engine. More than 12 hp, cheap if you get one without a title, and fairly compact.

If you're just trying to make a "yard kart", it's hard to beat the old stand-by B&S 5 hp and maxtork #35 chain drive centrifugal clutch. Easy to assemble, stone simple, and REALLY reliable.

If you want to "step up" from there, the comet CVT clutches are hard to beat but also take more room...

The scooter engine idea isn't terrible but they're usually fairly small displacement AND you'd have to make the rear suspension out of the scooter engine part. Be kinda tough to machine a go-kart axle to slide through the shaft that comes out of a scooter lower end.... especially when they're not usually hollow all the way through.

An older 3/4 wheeler engine (TRX/bear tracker/moto 4/LT250F) with an autoclutch gearbox would be pretty nice. Most of the 150-250cc engines put out ~15 hp and already have a gearbox and chain drive output built in. Dirtbike engines would be nice except the all have manual clutches and that would require a long cable.

 

[yamaha28]

wow! Lot's of good suggestions. I am going to do some looking around for a good motor, probably a 5hp or more motor.