Karting update
simdel1
06-16-2004, 09:29 AM
EDIT: PICTURES ADDED A FEW POSTS DOWN
Karting update
After 9 months of wilderness I have finally started getting back into my racing. Two weeks ago today I went testing for the first time since October last year and Wednesday last week I collected a brand new specification engine from the manufacturer. If anyone is interested I’m going to talk in more depth about these momentous (to me anyway) occasions. Pictures of the new engine and some of the damage from the test session will follow as soon as I get home and sort out the digital camera.
Testing
Back in the saddle and its rough. I used tyres from last year which, while not particularly worn, had gone through the much maligned winter hardening process where the cold temperatures actually permanently harden the rubber. The engine was also not fully fit. The carburettor was not quite right (I think it needed a rebuild, but I didn’t have time to do it completely) and the exhaust length, which determines the torque/power curve in 2 stroke engines, was way too short for the track. The set up was pathetic too as were the skills of the driver.
First session was not timed as I was simply trying to re-acclimatise myself to racing speeds and work the tyres hard to rub off what crap I could. Second session was timed, but my laps were quite slow and the kart was suffering from chronic oversteer. I tried subsequently lower tyre pressures for each of the next 3 sessions to try and sort the balance, but it was clear that only a chassis set up change would help. Not to mention the fact that I felt that I was not getting on top of the kart enough to relearn the skills I used to have. Most of the sessions before lunch were completed without incident. However in the third I some how managed to spin in avoidance while coming up to lap a novice when he braked harder than I expected. At some point my dad had not quite tightened up the nuts on the left rear wheel and it nearly broke free during one of the sessions. I noticed a slight vibration from the rear after a few laps which got progressively worse. On the lap I decided to come in I was concentrating so hard on identifying the vibration that I managed to spin. Oh, and the right rear hub was doing its now traditional shifting during a session thing. It was sorted by brake cleaner and some muscle on the bolts.
Over the lunch break my dad went off to hunt down a petrol station to get more fuel as we grossly underestimated the amount of running we would be doing. While he was gone I whipped the rear wheels off and attempted to sort the oversteer by narrowing the rear track quite dramatically. As I discovered in later sessions I had over done this slightly and now had the complete opposite; overgrip. This was causing the kart to bounce through fast turns and bog down slightly in slower turns. At least I could drive hard, so I left it as it was. The second from last session of the day was the best as I felt I was almost on it and managed to string a handful of decent laps together, the best of which was less than half a second off my fastest from last year which isn’t bad considering the kart was far from perfect. The final session of the day was cut short after only a few laps as one driver had the steering column break free making him drive straight on and off the track into a strategically placed pile off wood chippings. He was ok, but the crash was quite dramatic as I saw the whole thing unfold from just a few kart lengths back. In the end it was a very productive day and a hell of a lot of fun. I completed over 100 laps and had the bruises to prove it. Once we got the kart home we noticed that various parts of the kart that contribute to the structural rigidity were loose and that the seat had broken completely away from its right upper mount. At some point (despite not hitting anything) the rear bumper decided to crack and snap. This is probably actually caused by a crash that I had back in the summer of 2002 where the rear bumper was severely mangled. It was straightened using a vice and my dads entire body weight. Obviously this started a bit of a fatigue fracture which, constantly heated by the exhaust outlet, eventually grew big enough to just break.
This was probably the last time I will drive my kart with the 100cc specification engine, but it was immense fun to be back behind the wheel.
New engine
My dad bunked the afternoon off work so we could go and collect the brand new engine. The hour long drive took us to the engines factory, a small industrial unit in a town called Sandy in Bedfordshire. The staff were very helpful, and answered any of the questions we had. We paid our money and were able to take all the components within a mater of minutes. It was never meant to happen quite like this though. We originally sent one of my old 100cc spec engines to Tal-ko (the manufacturer) so that it could be converted to the new 115cc spec as now allowed by the 2004 rules. The engine was also to have an automatic centrifugal clutch fitted. However, within 1 hour of the factory receiving the engine, they identified various things that were wrong with it. The crank had apparently bent and the crankshaft was subsequently worn. The cost to replace these parts took the cost of the conversion to within £150 of the cost of a brand new engine complete with clutch.
Upon collection we realised that the decision to buy a new engine was a very good one. There were various parts included with the new engine that we never realised were covered by the price. We got a brand new exhaust (worth 250rmp more down the straight apparently), a new carburettor, the kit to fit the exhaust, sparkplug and even a small bottle of engine oil.
We decided to get an engine with a clutch as my dad was killing himself push starting me and I was getting pissed off with spinning and not been able to push start the kart myself (im quite light and not very strong so I have lots of ballast on the kart without the strength to push it fast enough to fire). So now we have an external electric starter that slots through the side of the kart onto the crankshaft and fires the engine with the push of a button. It should automatically disengage below about 4000rpm, so when I spin I can keep the engine running. Nice.
One note for concern though is that the engine that I ran on the test session, which was a different one to the engine I sent to the factory, could also be a bit crapped. I always thought that the engine I sent to Tal-ko was the better of the two as it was more free revving and felt a little more torquey which makes me think that maybe the other engine is even more screwed. This wont be a problem for my races as I will no longer be running 100cc, but I plan to sell the engine to a class that still runs the 100cc spec engines and if its broken, it makes selling it that much more difficult.
The next test session I do will be interesting to say the least. For the first time ever I will have an engine that is in tip top shape with extra power from the new exhaust and the extra capacity. I will also have to get used to the clutch as it will require some setting up before it will work as it should.
Karting update
After 9 months of wilderness I have finally started getting back into my racing. Two weeks ago today I went testing for the first time since October last year and Wednesday last week I collected a brand new specification engine from the manufacturer. If anyone is interested I’m going to talk in more depth about these momentous (to me anyway) occasions. Pictures of the new engine and some of the damage from the test session will follow as soon as I get home and sort out the digital camera.
Testing
Back in the saddle and its rough. I used tyres from last year which, while not particularly worn, had gone through the much maligned winter hardening process where the cold temperatures actually permanently harden the rubber. The engine was also not fully fit. The carburettor was not quite right (I think it needed a rebuild, but I didn’t have time to do it completely) and the exhaust length, which determines the torque/power curve in 2 stroke engines, was way too short for the track. The set up was pathetic too as were the skills of the driver.
First session was not timed as I was simply trying to re-acclimatise myself to racing speeds and work the tyres hard to rub off what crap I could. Second session was timed, but my laps were quite slow and the kart was suffering from chronic oversteer. I tried subsequently lower tyre pressures for each of the next 3 sessions to try and sort the balance, but it was clear that only a chassis set up change would help. Not to mention the fact that I felt that I was not getting on top of the kart enough to relearn the skills I used to have. Most of the sessions before lunch were completed without incident. However in the third I some how managed to spin in avoidance while coming up to lap a novice when he braked harder than I expected. At some point my dad had not quite tightened up the nuts on the left rear wheel and it nearly broke free during one of the sessions. I noticed a slight vibration from the rear after a few laps which got progressively worse. On the lap I decided to come in I was concentrating so hard on identifying the vibration that I managed to spin. Oh, and the right rear hub was doing its now traditional shifting during a session thing. It was sorted by brake cleaner and some muscle on the bolts.
Over the lunch break my dad went off to hunt down a petrol station to get more fuel as we grossly underestimated the amount of running we would be doing. While he was gone I whipped the rear wheels off and attempted to sort the oversteer by narrowing the rear track quite dramatically. As I discovered in later sessions I had over done this slightly and now had the complete opposite; overgrip. This was causing the kart to bounce through fast turns and bog down slightly in slower turns. At least I could drive hard, so I left it as it was. The second from last session of the day was the best as I felt I was almost on it and managed to string a handful of decent laps together, the best of which was less than half a second off my fastest from last year which isn’t bad considering the kart was far from perfect. The final session of the day was cut short after only a few laps as one driver had the steering column break free making him drive straight on and off the track into a strategically placed pile off wood chippings. He was ok, but the crash was quite dramatic as I saw the whole thing unfold from just a few kart lengths back. In the end it was a very productive day and a hell of a lot of fun. I completed over 100 laps and had the bruises to prove it. Once we got the kart home we noticed that various parts of the kart that contribute to the structural rigidity were loose and that the seat had broken completely away from its right upper mount. At some point (despite not hitting anything) the rear bumper decided to crack and snap. This is probably actually caused by a crash that I had back in the summer of 2002 where the rear bumper was severely mangled. It was straightened using a vice and my dads entire body weight. Obviously this started a bit of a fatigue fracture which, constantly heated by the exhaust outlet, eventually grew big enough to just break.
This was probably the last time I will drive my kart with the 100cc specification engine, but it was immense fun to be back behind the wheel.
New engine
My dad bunked the afternoon off work so we could go and collect the brand new engine. The hour long drive took us to the engines factory, a small industrial unit in a town called Sandy in Bedfordshire. The staff were very helpful, and answered any of the questions we had. We paid our money and were able to take all the components within a mater of minutes. It was never meant to happen quite like this though. We originally sent one of my old 100cc spec engines to Tal-ko (the manufacturer) so that it could be converted to the new 115cc spec as now allowed by the 2004 rules. The engine was also to have an automatic centrifugal clutch fitted. However, within 1 hour of the factory receiving the engine, they identified various things that were wrong with it. The crank had apparently bent and the crankshaft was subsequently worn. The cost to replace these parts took the cost of the conversion to within £150 of the cost of a brand new engine complete with clutch.
Upon collection we realised that the decision to buy a new engine was a very good one. There were various parts included with the new engine that we never realised were covered by the price. We got a brand new exhaust (worth 250rmp more down the straight apparently), a new carburettor, the kit to fit the exhaust, sparkplug and even a small bottle of engine oil.
We decided to get an engine with a clutch as my dad was killing himself push starting me and I was getting pissed off with spinning and not been able to push start the kart myself (im quite light and not very strong so I have lots of ballast on the kart without the strength to push it fast enough to fire). So now we have an external electric starter that slots through the side of the kart onto the crankshaft and fires the engine with the push of a button. It should automatically disengage below about 4000rpm, so when I spin I can keep the engine running. Nice.
One note for concern though is that the engine that I ran on the test session, which was a different one to the engine I sent to the factory, could also be a bit crapped. I always thought that the engine I sent to Tal-ko was the better of the two as it was more free revving and felt a little more torquey which makes me think that maybe the other engine is even more screwed. This wont be a problem for my races as I will no longer be running 100cc, but I plan to sell the engine to a class that still runs the 100cc spec engines and if its broken, it makes selling it that much more difficult.
The next test session I do will be interesting to say the least. For the first time ever I will have an engine that is in tip top shape with extra power from the new exhaust and the extra capacity. I will also have to get used to the clutch as it will require some setting up before it will work as it should.
ales
06-17-2004, 12:49 AM
Good to see you back behind the wheel, Simon, and having fun too. When's your next race meeting?
simdel1
06-18-2004, 12:04 PM
27th of this month. hopefully :)
i will be testing on the saturday before too. :biggrin:
i will be testing on the saturday before too. :biggrin:
simdel1
06-22-2004, 10:09 AM
well i dont know if anyone cares, but heres a bunch of photo's that illustrate the text.
first, the damage from the wed test day. as you can see the rear bumper bar has cracked. the out let of the exhaust would normally be just above this. The black stuff is exhaust fumes and/or brake dust.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087914396.jpg
now onto the engine. This is how i recieved the old engine. in bits and partly in baggies. at least i finally know what the dellicate internals of my engine look like now.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087914474.jpg
here i've got two shots that are almost perfectly in scale to show the difference between the old engines bore, and the new 115cc bore. the new engine is on the left, and the old one on the right (missing piston). as you can see, theres not too much difference, but it will supposedly give me more low down torque.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087914676.jpg
heres the new engine mounted to the frame. i removed the side pod to make it easyer to fit.
you can also see the shiny new exhaust...
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087914831.jpg
to show the contrast between the new kit and the old kit here is an old photo i took a while ago. i had actually cleaned the exhaust in this pic...it was much worse before.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087914911.jpg
this thing circled is the clutch. its amazingly small.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087915072.jpg
the electric starter for this kart must be slotted through the side pod so that it can turn the crank shaft as the kart has no onboard starter. this is the hole i cut out to allow the starter to slot through.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087915237.jpg
and finally, a shot of what im now calling the 'dead engine shelf'
in the middle is the old engine in bits, to the right of it is the engine that i ran on the wed test day. On the left are two exhausts...both of which are pretty much useless.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087915522.jpg
im open to any questions anyone might have :)
first, the damage from the wed test day. as you can see the rear bumper bar has cracked. the out let of the exhaust would normally be just above this. The black stuff is exhaust fumes and/or brake dust.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087914396.jpg
now onto the engine. This is how i recieved the old engine. in bits and partly in baggies. at least i finally know what the dellicate internals of my engine look like now.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087914474.jpg
here i've got two shots that are almost perfectly in scale to show the difference between the old engines bore, and the new 115cc bore. the new engine is on the left, and the old one on the right (missing piston). as you can see, theres not too much difference, but it will supposedly give me more low down torque.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087914676.jpg
heres the new engine mounted to the frame. i removed the side pod to make it easyer to fit.
you can also see the shiny new exhaust...
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087914831.jpg
to show the contrast between the new kit and the old kit here is an old photo i took a while ago. i had actually cleaned the exhaust in this pic...it was much worse before.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087914911.jpg
this thing circled is the clutch. its amazingly small.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087915072.jpg
the electric starter for this kart must be slotted through the side pod so that it can turn the crank shaft as the kart has no onboard starter. this is the hole i cut out to allow the starter to slot through.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087915237.jpg
and finally, a shot of what im now calling the 'dead engine shelf'
in the middle is the old engine in bits, to the right of it is the engine that i ran on the wed test day. On the left are two exhausts...both of which are pretty much useless.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-16-1087915522.jpg
im open to any questions anyone might have :)
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