Land Of The Sun! Phoenix ,Az

[kobraman]

I have found this site a great information site...And so far everyone seems very friendly...Glad to be here!
Ohhhhh by the way Im a newbe to these Little buggy's

[xlint89]

Welcome.

[bear]

Glad to have you here Kobraman, and dont worry about being a newb, we are all still learning!!! lol

[SLESTAK75]

Welcome to the site Kobra. What kind of terrain are you riding on??

[kobraman]

WEll Terrain could be flat Desert to Mountains. We have some awsome quad trails that are plenty big enough for buggys...why you asking?...you have some thoughts for me?

[SLESTAK75]

No ideas just curious. There are lots of ideas here for getting the most out of these little buggies.

[bear]

Well as you know. different terrains call for different setups, so if you're running in the dessert most of the time in loose sand, you're probably gonna want a set up with more low end torque, rather than topend speed. Now if you're running on flat hard packed dessert soil you might want a setup that'll make that buggy fly!!! 6 of one, half dozen of another!

[kobraman]

Yep mostly hard packed ground...maybe very few hills but there could be some very small ones. I would like to set her up for both worlds...Tell me what might be the best setup for this....Thanks

[bear]

Well I'll tell ya now, I'm not the one to help you with that, as my buggy's are mostly stock in the cvt area, but I'm confident one of our more experienced members on this forum can get you the advice that you need to set that bad boy up like you want. I know Rarerat, and Johnny5 both do alot of dessert running, hopefully one of them will chime in with some good advice! Or one of our other buggy brothers.

[SLESTAK75]

Tell us a bit about your buggy. Is it bone stock or have you done anything to it? Brand, model, engine size, gear ratio .....

[SYCARMS]

DITTO: As SLESTAK75 asked

[kobraman]

Hey guys....thanks for asking...Its a Kinroad Sahara 150. As far as the gear ratio not sure?Its pretty much stock ecept for makeing it breathe better. I just picked this Buggy up about two weeks ago. Got it from a guy here that was moving and had to get rid of it fast. Lucky me....lol I knew when i test drove it, some repairs were going to have to be done to get it where i want it...Not looking to race or go strait up a mountain with it, Just something to be dependable and have some fun. So i posted what was the main problem that was happening...Oil Breather throwing oil! So its in the garage tore down waiting on parts...complete new top end. Had lots of blow by...I hope if i run into any snags you guys are there to lend a ear and give me some thoughts...Thanks for asking.

[kobraman]

Ill post some pictures soon...So you can see what kind of weapon im driving here....

[SLESTAK75]

So are you going stock on the top end?

[kobraman]

Pretty much going to be stock...see if i like this thing Trailbender, But after i get some more time under my belt going to probley do a big bore thing...differnt cam, differnt carb. mess with the virator and clutch. and who knows what else.....lol

[SLESTAK75]

I was thinking if you were going to get a bore anyway why not go for the 58.5mm bore. Slightly larger but no machine work needs done to the engine block. If your paying for it anyway. Believe it or not, with the 150 there is no need to get a larger carb. You can actually lose performance. A cam can make a big difference also opening up your exhaust and intake. There is also a lot to be gained in the CVT.

[kobraman]

Tell me what i can do to the CVT to make things better...i would want a mix of speed and climbing....

[SYCARMS]

If your mostly driving hard pack trails and not much sand then I suggest when doing the top end do the 58.5 or 59mm bore, its a drop in. Also an A-12 cam with 12gm rollers and yellow torque spring. Naturally you will want to scrap the air box for a UNI or K&N air filter. If you have the older model with a 1/2 id tail stub you will want to open that up to a 1 1/4" then if you are at or slightly above sea level a 128-130 main jet.

[kobraman]

Thanks for the advice...What do you think i need to get my machine up to 35 to 40 mph? If i was to do most of the things you posted think that would do it?

[bear]

Oh yea!, see now you're hooked!!! lol

[SLESTAK75]

You can easily get those speeds if your buggy isn't geared too low. I am getting over 40mph on mine now. Haven't tested With Garmin yet bit I'm thinking at least 45.

[SYCARMS]

The problem with these stock CVT engines is you can gear it and tune the cvt for low end or top end, but you will be robbing Peter to pay Paul. The only other way to get more low end and top end is to build the motor. The more air and fuel you pack into the cylinder and efficiently burn the more power you will produce which increases power at both ends.

[SLESTAK75]

SYC is absolutely right. If you want speed and low end pull the only way to get that is gear for the speed you want (which will cause you to lose low end pull ) then build your engine for more power ( which will give you back your bottom end). There are some things that can be done in the CVT, but the only thing this really accomplishes is more efficiently using the power you have. A lot of power can be robbed by the CVT if not well tuned. Each one is different and must be tuned to transfer the most power on to the rear end. You can get oversized variator that is capable of reaching slightly higher top end, and there are torque pullies that can do the same. Lighter weights in the variator can allow the RPM's to get higher before the gear change happens helping on the bottom end, but if you go too light it may not allow the variator to fully open so you will lose top end. There are alot of variables to consider and there is no perfect combination that works in every situation. Many like the 1500 rpm torque spring and 10-12 gram weights. I have 11 gram weights in mine and I'm considering 10s or even 9s because I want my RPMs a bit higher than they are when the shift starts. Hope that helps a bit.

[SLESTAK75]

Just want to clarify. The gears that come stock in these things is usually plenty for speed. Odds are you will not need to change gearing for what you are wanting unless it's geared really low ( like 30mph with the engine screaming ) .

[kobraman]

You talk about shifting to get those speeds....Im not sure what that means....Sorry still learning...I think from what you guys have told me, well this can be a very confusing to get where you want to be. What i mean is lighter weights, Differnt virators, clutchs differnt, gears, How do i know what gears i have? The engine part can be easy! i totaly under stand Air Flow, And exhust. Buliding the engine can be fun, and you learn more...But its the other Idems we have talked about that not that strait forward.. I sure thank you all for helping me through this learning process...Thanks.... K-man

[bear]

Best way to find out what gearing you have without tearing the engine apart is to get the serial number off the enginge and check it with the model specs from the mfgr. that is as long as no one else has tore into the engine yet!

[SYCARMS]

The cvt has one variable ratio as compared to say a 4 spd which will have 4 seperate ratio's in sink with one another. The cvt is controlled by rpm of the engine where as the 4 spd is controlled by the operator. The 4 spd will give you a much broader range as compared to the cvt since the cvt is limited by the size of the pulleys. All any transmission does is to controll the events of engine power. Look at the basic auto transmission in your car. When you take off from a light it starts out in low then when the engine rpm reaches the power curve threashold it shifts into a higher gear and your rpm's drop . If you would start out in low manually you will start with plenty of power but soon realise although the rpm's are higher you are not going any faster due to operating above the natural power range. The cvt is a great auto trans best designed for buggies for the younger kids with small displacements while keeping prices reasonable, but they are limited in their nature as compared to a 4 spd. The cvt in your buggy is designed for efficient all around driving but since you cannot shift into a lower gear ratio you tune it for your desired habits with lighter rollers. This will move the power curve lower allowing you to climb steeper grades but when you reach the threashold of the powercurve you have no other gear to shift to so you will loose top end. The only way to broaden the range of the cvt to increase both bottom end and top end is to build the motor to produce more power. Hope this give you a better understanding.

[kobraman]

Ok went with the 59mm top end. went togather fine. No more Oil coming out the Oil Breather...Yeah!!!! But the exhaust has black smoke still coming out of it?. And it seems i cant get a reliable idle gos up and down.. I have checked all hoses and intake for leaks nothing there. I think that auto choke could be the problem. dont know if i would just replace the auto choke. It would be more cost but i think replaceing the whole carb might be a better way to go. whatcha think? Or any ideas? im scraching my head because this carb has been tore down and is clean , no crap in it anywhere. My main jet has the number 12 on it and thats all...whats that mean? Lost in buggy land....lol oh by the way changed the cam out to. A 12 CAM. by the way itwas puffuing the black smoke before the rebuild.

[SLESTAK75]

To add to what SYCARMS said. The front pulley is i 2 halves, a stationary and a sliding. The sliding half has ramps in the backside with weights in them. As the rpms increase the weights are thrown outward by the centrifugal force and they ride up the ramps. This pushes the two halves together and causes the belt to ride up the pulley ramps increasing the gear ratio. Heavier weights start moving at lower rpms and lighter at higher. So the weight of your rollers determines the rpm at which your shift starts and also the rpm held by the engine during the shift. The rear pulley is controlled by a spring. More tension= slower shift/ less tension= faster shift. There is a balance to be had and the weight you choose is determined by your own preference. On average most choose the 1500 rpm contra spring and 10 to 12 gram weights. There are roller weights and slider weights ( different shape-same function ) I feel that the slider weights are more effective than the rollers. On the black smoke, if the auto choke is bad then replacing it should fix the problem. Check the wiring and make sure there is voltage going to it. If there is then plug it up ( make sure its cold ) and measure the needle, start it and let it run for 8 mins or so and measure the needle again, it should be longer now. If not it isn't working. I posted a video that lets you see the CVT in action to help clarify.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...,d.dmQ&cad=rja

[xlint89]

The only thing I would like to add is the clutch on the driven pulley wasn't mentioned.

You see the piece with the 6 holes in the video? That's the clutch "bell". Inside of it is a centrifugal clutch that can be tuned by using different strength springs.

So, as the engine sits idle, the clutch is NOT engaged and the kart is in "neutral" if you will. Once the engine RPM raises and engages the clutch, it expands it's arms (just like brake shoes on a car) and the clutch bell will start to spin.

As the clutch bell spins, it turns your internal gears, which turns your drive sprocket, turning the drive chain, and finally your axle sprocket which turns your tires.

Different strength clutch springs will affect how hard the clutch engages. If you install 2000 RPM (red) clutch springs, the kart will launch really hard as it requires higher engine RPM to engage the clutch. Stock clutch springs will be "weaker" and allow the kart to take off at a lower RPM and engaging sooner, thus making a smooth start.

So as you can see there are MANY variables that can be altered in order to fit your personal preference.

Variator rollers/sliders

Contra clutch spring (big spring)

clutch springs

internal gears

Drive sprocket (not very common to be changed, but COULD be)

Axle sprocket

All of these can be adjusted, but the easiest and most common mods are the variator weights/sliders, (10g -12g is normal as noted above) and the Contra clutch spring (big spring) usually using the 1500 RPM (yellow) or the 2000 RPM (red)

[zman007007]

welcome to our world. its funnnnnnnnnnnnnn lol

[kobraman]

Thanks guys...Im learning. Hey heres another problem. I have 5.5 volts where my auto choke plugs in. Shouldnt that be around 12 volts? And what feeds that wireing to the choke? Is there a resistor or something else to work that auto choke? by the way did you see where i asked what would the number 12 mean on my main jet? Thats the only number on it. Does that mean 120?

[xlint89]

There is a resistor installed between the auto choke/Fuel Enrichment Valve (FEV for short).

I cannot help you with the #12

[SLESTAK75]

There could be a number worn off of it. Mine was a 112 so the first 1 might not be noticeable. Or because the number represents ( I think) 1 point Something in mm. The manufacturer may just leave off the final zero makingit ( possibly) a 120.

[SYCARMS]

It is acatually a .112mm.

[zman007007]

kobraman your avatar is quite diff. and disturbing lol and I have seen it somewhere before. are you also a member of a tractor site that I might be a part of also?

[SLESTAK75]

Showing my nerdiness and perhaps Mr Kobra's as well but his avatar is doctor Phlox who served under Captain Archer on the very first starship Enterprise.........You know...............When humankind took their fledgling steps into warp travel. I have actually been theorizing some sort of warp drive for my buggy.

[bear]

Did you say warp drive or warped driver!? lol

[SLESTAK75]

No need to "theorize" about the warped driver bear. Sheesh. I thought you knew.

[bear]

Ok,ok so I meant hyper warped driver! there issue ammended! lol

[kobraman]

Hahaha Yeah im warped...Still trying to get the buggy to transfer to warp drive though...

[kobraman]

Hey Tom you have been great with your help you have offered during my question faze...lol But i have another. Im going to take a video of my buggy today and need you to watch it and tell me what you think might be wrong. Its poping through the carburetor and wont get up in rpms. The Carb is clean for sure and i have tried every adjustment...Didnt change main jet though. I think its eletrical? Please see what you think...Ill post the video today after i go and start it up again....Thanks

[bear]

I was really directing that towards "ole slestak" kman, but I'm sure we all fit the mold!!! lol

[kobraman]

OK hope you can help me with this..I get this poping in the carb and it sounds like i have lots of throtle left but when its excelerating it gets worse...Heres the link. http://youtu.be/2lefApKoWLk

Thanks for your help

[kobraman]

Said i would post some pictures of the buggy too...so here they are

[SYCARMS]

OK I see 2 potential problems, well 3 right off the bat. You said you have a 59mm kit with an A-12 cam. Due to your mods the engine requires more air and fuel and also needs to exhaust more burned fuel. 1). You will need to rejet the carb to give it more fuel, if your close to sea level and being in Arizona with low moisture you will want somewhere around a 125 jet. 2). the exhaust needs to be opened up as well but not gutted. The 3rd problem I see is the location of your air filter and the length of duct. If running sand the tire will be kicking debris up into the filter so you'll be cleaning often. You also will have restriction with that long duct with the bends. You will be better off making yourself a redneck intake and mounting the filter closer to the carb. A bunch less restriction. If you give me a call 662-301-1563 I can walk you through the processes of opening the exhaust, redneck intake and jetting. I can explain in much less time then it takes my old ars to type.

[kobraman]

OK great ...so you dont think its the CDI or Coil? okie dokie ill give you a buzz and figure out the reneck exhaust...and ill fix that Intake...hope that fixes my problem..ill see if i can find a bigger jet somewhere here too.....Thanks again...without you guys i would still be scraching my head.

[kobraman]

Hey Tom here the new look to the intake...whatcha think..this work ok? Tried to call you...Ill try again tomarrow if thats ok?

Heres the before and after...Oh one other thing before i forget...I was going to get a new CDI not sure if this is a Ac or DC CDI? I know i can turn on the lights with the key on and they come on without the buggy running. But the size of the CDI is small like a AC , it doesnt have any detail to what it is on it?

[SYCARMS]

Sorry I missed your call I'll be at the shop until 2:00PM which is 1m your time. If I don't pick up just leave a message since it will blink when I get to the phone and I'll call you right back. If it just rings and no machine picks up after 6 rings then I'm on the phone and will call right back when I complete that call.

[bear]

Kman you need to get those bends out of that intake, and make it as short and straight as possible, or you're defeating the flow purpose.

[kobraman]

Yeah after talking to Tom im working on it....Your right not a good idea...headed to Home Depot in a bit for some parts..Ill post a new picture soon let you see the newer intake...Thanks bear

[kobraman]

Tom have a differnt Buggy today...Once i cut out the exhaust and worked on intake....
( thats another story) But without changeing the main jet, its running much much better. Heres the deal though. Exhaust was easy! But the intake is a problem. There isnt much room between the carb entrance and a cross member that sets kinda low in front of the carb entrance. meaning i cant use a one and a half inch peice of pipe there. Im going to have to use some kind or rubber hose there because it has to squish down to go under that cross member. Im sending a few pictures so you can see there is not much room between that cross member and the carb. Sooooooooo I took the intake rubber that came with the buggy and modded it a little, and hooked my filter to it. Ill try it tomarrow see how it gos. as far as the exhaust you can see in the picture it is not one half inch any more, its one and a half inchs now. But with the intake filter off and the exhaust fixed it doesnt pop any more and i can wind her up to high RPMs. So far no main jet change, everythings kinda working right. So if i get the in take on tomarrow without any issues, all i have to do is tune her in to idle nice. Nice talking to you today. I might have to give you a buzz if i have any issues with setting the Idle....Thanks again

[SYCARMS]

The exhaust looks excellant. If you recall the redneck intake required 2 pieces, 8" strait peatrap pipe and a rubber coupling. The coupling goes over the carb then the trap pipe slides inside other end of coupler then filter on end of pipe. The coupler has the flex to fit under the bar. What you have done will work as erll, just keep an eye on the duct you are using for they are known to crack. Also make sure you secure the redneck int. to the old airbox bracket using tiewraps. If not you will come home from a ride and wonder where your filter went.

[bear]

Yep, thats the same way I plan on running my intake Kman using the existing factory hose, and some left over velocity stacks from my z1f, zoom zoom!!!

[kobraman]

Any ideas where i can get a piece of rubber about 5 or 6 inches long to fit that carb intake without buying 20 feet of something....lol

[SYCARMS]

Plumbing department @ Lowes or Home Depot. Out here by me they are hanging right on the shelve the drain trap pile is on. It will come with 2 clamps in packaging. It will be 1 1/2" diameter and need one end to be trimmed due to a lip inside of one end.
.

[bear]

Aint it funny, most people working on there "machines" would be running to auto stores or bike shops, we spend more time in "home improvement" stores! lol

[SYCARMS]

Well when you consider the time and sometimes money put into these buggies when the wife has had enough and moves your s%&t into the shop the best place to sleep is in your buggy. Stands to reason.

[SLESTAK75]

I used a 1 1/2" to 1 1/4" reducer coupling for mine id of the 1-1/4" side fit the carb and the pipe fit right up to the reduction getting rid of any lips on the inside. Also you are still going to want to change that jet. It will run but it is running lean and getting to hot in the cylinder. You will end up melting the piston. After you run 10 mins at full throttle, stop and inspect the plug. You want it to be tan in color or a tad darker. If it is white it is running lean and too hot. Glad you're getting her running good.

[kobraman]

Yeah im getting her back in top shape. Wish i lived closer to Tom I would be his best customer....lol You know without you guys help i might have just thrown in the towel and said ill stick with ATVs, But this has been a learning curve that i have enjoyed. And the great part is im making new friends at the same time.. Priceless...lol Im learning, Thanks Tom! thanks Bear! Thanks Sleastak75! And any body else that offered advice. I will post some more pictures soon, maybe a video too. I will be headed back to eather Lowes, Or Home Depot and find those parts for the Intake soon...
Oh by the way found out my jet is a 112 so guess ill figure that one out too....Hey Sleastak75 could you post some pictures of your intake that you made?

[kobraman]

Well i did replace my main jet from a 112 to a 122.5 and seems to be just fine. We will see how it goes when i take her up to the white Mountains here.

[SYCARMS]

Glad to hear it's worked so far.

[SLESTAK75]

Didn't see your request for pics. I will try to get those up later.

[SLESTAK75]

So after several days here are the pics you requested Kobra.

[SLESTAK75]

Try looking at them when they are right side up.

[bear]

No problem, I just turned my laptop upside down! Just figured it was you, being you!!! lol

[SLESTAK75]

If it was me being me I would have broken them into puzzle pieces and made you put them together before you could look at them.

[SLESTAK75]

I plan on roughing up the surface of that PVC and painting it silver. Any tips on a good paint for PVC??

[kobraman]

After standing on my head looking at your pictures im just now getting the blood back to my lower body....lol JK! Looks great...So Lowes is the place to get these parts?. I went to Home Depo and it was like trying to pull teeth getting help to find these parts, cause they were not in the area you would think they would be. I think Tom told me to go to Lowes too. Ok then looks like a trip to Lowes today, Thanks for the posting! Talk to you guys soon..

[SYCARMS]

Walmart has a plastic paint which works pretty well as compared to regular paint. What I do when I have it is use a plastic primmer used on plastic car bumpers. It's expensive though, so I experimented the last few times using the plastic pvc primmer used when plumbing with pvc and it seems to be working as well as the automotive primer but at a fraction of the cost. And try to get the clear primmer. Some is purple which still works but is more difficult to cover.

[SLESTAK75]

Sounds great Tom. That is what I will do. Almost think I have some primer around here somewhere.

@Kobra That's 1-1/2" PVC and a 1-1/2" to 1-1/4" reducer coupling (rubber) Should be in plumbing. I got mine at NorthWest Hardware.

[kobraman]

Hey Guys check out this youtube ....This is Crazy!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOFsw...layer_embedded

[SYCARMS]

Good one. Here is one of my buggy, I wish!!! http://youtu.be/GzXVLbs41Ew

[kobraman]

I think ill stick to my little cheap Gy6 buggy....lol I think you need a boat load of money to even keep one running...But there fun to watch...Oh by the way your buggy huh......lol

[SYCARMS]

You see you have to put the audio on a blutooth with some kick@ss headphones while your driving your buggy. Makes driving our buggies sooooo much more fun

[bear]

I've got a good friend that I've had since high school who does that extreme rock crawling stuff, and man does he put some jack into it! He started his own off road custom specialty center to off set the cost, but he does a pretty good business with it. There are alot of off road fanatics around here to keep his shop hopping all the time!!! lol