Go Kart Vertical Engine Drive: Lawn Mower Engine To Go Kart

Vertical Engines seem impossible to use on a go kart. The Go Kart Guru reviews some of the ways that vertical engines have been proposed to be used on go karts. Visit http://gokartguru.com/go_kart_building_202.php for more details.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• belt drives
• twisted belt drive
• vertical engine drive
• go kart drives
• go kart clutch
• go kart chain
• go kart plans

[gamblighini]

Not sure what a Whipa Sinpa engine horsepower is, but as a rule of thumb a go kart that weighs around 300 pounds with a a person in it should have at least 5 hp for decent performance. Anything less and the go kart will only go 10 to 15 mph for top speed and perhaps be able to climb hills. In out go kart building 203 course we show how to make ANY go kart climb hills, it even includes a program that tells you if the go kart smoked the clutch or not.

[thebeetalls]

What about using a worm gear?

[gamblighini]

@thebeetalls See the article entitled Vertical Engine Using Using a Worm Gear Drive on a Go Cart, What is The Prognosis? Found on the Go Kart Guru Blog

[gamblighini]

That is a one in a million shot. Most of your larger motors, which most people have access too, are not as simple as those Briggs motors. Yes that was an ingenious conversion, but it lacks the governor and the internal lubrication is questionable as well. I did not say flipping the motor is impossible, I just said it might be tricky and it requires attention to the lubrication, PVC systems and governor system and most especially the carb set up.

[gamblighini]

A two cycle washing machine engine...sure. Any vertical engine will work, just a matter of getting it set up. Smoking clutches is the biggest headache, getting the drive train set up properly is 50 percent of it. See the 203 book on climbing hills, that will set you straight on getting any engine to work.

[wheetley97]

WHat about putting a lawn mower transmission in it? Would it slow it down A lot?

[gamblighini]

@wheetley97 Lawnmower transmissions work, they just require either a centrifugal clutch on the engine, or a belt drive engagment,such as a tightening belt drive. Transmissions tend to be awkward to deal with, in that they typically need overdrives (so they go faster) and are not wide enough posing stability issues.

[MrCheveydude]

crown wheel and pinion gear system just type crown wheel and pinion in Google images to see what it is.

[pootpootdingding98]

hey do you reckon you would be able to use a whipa sinpa/edge trimmer engine for a go kart/ would it have enough power to power a simple flat

go kart

[GodsLittlegizmoguy96]

Look, it isn't expensive to flip an engine. Just look up on here, "How to convert a vertical shaft engine to horizontal." the one dude did it for free just with some junk metal laying around and of course an electric drill and he ran it for 10 minutes without any problems.

[69techlover]

I have a walk behind pushmower transmission, i was going to lock the diff, and put a belt drive from the motor and either put the wheels on that or put sprockets and use that to drive the wheels. Which would you say would be sturdier??