Chain adjustment

[Dieselpusher6262]

So I bought another gokart. Not sure of the manufacturer but the seller said it was a 110cc. Anyways it was a little rough but for $150 it seemed like a deal. Plus it has a brand new lifan engine on it. Well I took apart the rear end to paint it and upon putting it back together I ran into a problem. I can't seem to get the chain adjusted. I wish I had a picture but not at home right now. The adjuster moves the entire engine. I didn't pay attention to where the center pivot bracket was located, and there about 2" slot that can be used. So i was hoping someone could talk me threw how to install everything (iI know where it all goes just not the adjustments) and where to start with my adjustments.

[liduno]

Pictures might help people understand what you need help with.

[Dieselpusher6262]

Not the best picture but it' what iIhad on my phone. There a upside down t bolt that connects to a metal bar that has tabs on two sides. This tube fits between two pieces of the frame and have a 2" wide slot that they can slide in. What do I tighten down first? I tried leaving everything loose and the chain was either to loose where due to the engine angle the chain would run on the case if I moved the engine enough to get it tight. Or is I removed a link I couldn't get the on. I need a half link cconnector.

[Dieselpusher6262]

http://spider160.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/loose-chain/ here's a link showing the parts I am talking about.

[Dieselpusher6262]

Well my wife was lookin at it and found a model number gk-110. And some Chinese manufacturers name in front of that, but she could make out the spelling. I looked online and found a Titan gk-110 that looks the same, which also looks the same as the kandi and some other ones. I am guessing there are alot of the same gokarts out there but with different branding. I wont be home for a day or two to take pictures, but if some one out there knows about them please let me know. Thanks

[liduno]

The adjuster seems pretty straight forward, was the chain adjusted before you took it apart?

[x-bird]

the chain might be stretched beyond the range of adjustment.

[Dieselpusher6262]

The chain was pretty loose and starting to rub on the case. I was thinking the same thing about the chain being overly worn. So i am off to buy a new chain, and a half link just in case.

[liduno]

Take a link out first, might be all you need.

[Dieselpusher6262]

Tried that made it just ever to small. So close that some combinations of words that I wouldn't say around my daughter came out.

[liduno]

lol .

[Dieselpusher6262]

Ok i know its me but I am having the same problem with a new chain. I took a couple pictures. Where does the center black bar that slides up and down go when I am starting to adjust everything? In the middle, the bottom, top? Because if I try to leave it loose and adjust the top brass colored Bolt instead of tilting the engine it just moves that bar up or down on the slides. So where do I have the top bolt to begin with? Do I leave the pivot between the brass colored bolt and black bar loose or tight? Is the bottom bolt that connects to the engine let loose or tight? From what I have found online toaadjust the chain tension just the top bolt ttightene and eeverythin else isn't touched? Please help, getting so mad. Seriously considering just welding it in place and dealing with adjusting the chain later.

[liduno]

Ok that's a little better picture.

If it is like the one on my old hammerhead then there should be 2 nuts.

1 on top of the plate and 1 on the bottom. You have to thread both nuts up or down to loosen or tighten the chain.

On mine there was a spacer above the lower nut and a big washer below the top nut.

[Dieselpusher6262]

Yes i believe it's the same thing as i got. What i am lost on is where the metal bar in the middle should be positioned in the slide.

[liduno]

If it were me, I would set the vertical adjuster all the way down to allow for chain stretch.

That would kind of let you know where the crossbar would need to be.

[x-bird]

From the looks of it, the center bar is to stabilize the lower half of the motor and also provide a bit of safety to the lower mount by preventing it from torquing sideways and cracking where the bolt goes through. use the upper to set the chain tension, then just tighten the cross bar bolts in wherever they end up.

While this is "only" a 110 if you still are having issues with getting tension, stand behind the swingarm and look at the upper tube where the mount is located. if it's bowing downward at the mount, it's bent and has pulled the adjuster closer to the bottom a -- taking the adjustment out of range.

common problem with some 150 swingarms (been there, fixed that)


Just saw something --is the left side tab that your upper engine mount bolt goes through broken? It looks like there's nothing under the bolt head on the bottom half.

[Snaker]

Is the link plate between crossshaft and motor mount curved? It appears to be curved down in the photo. If so, check to see if it is making contact with the crosshaft and binding. May need to flip it so curve is up.

[Dieselpusher6262]

So I found a picture online and put all the bolts and adjustments to what they looked like in ttime picture. Chain is pretty close to where it should be, a little tight but I can adjust that later. Now my problem is the chain is hitting on the case of the motor. So to recap, adjusted everything so it resembles what it looked like new, and put a new chain on it. Any help would beggreatly appreciated

[x-bird]

wonder if someone put a bigger sprocket on it -- either one going too large could do that. if your axle and engine don't have front to back adjustment, then you need to add an idler pulley to push the chain back or go with a small sprocket. If you shorten the chain by 1 link, does the case hit the rear frame or do you run out of adjuster? doing that would tilt the engine maybe enough for the chain to clear the case (you might have to reset carb float)

[Dieselpusher6262]

Tired every possible combination of links, new chain, old chain, some new and some old chain and nothing works, but I do have a much better understanding of how to remove and assemble a chain. With a link out the engine is tilted up so high that I can barely get the chain on the sprocket, I have to remove the axle, assemble the chain, do a little magic dance, a lot of cusing and I can get it on and it's tight. With it that tight I can't move the engine. I am thinking a tensioner is what I have to make. Anyone have a picture or link to to one. Also is it me or is searching for anything gokart/mini buggy related about the most difficult thing in the world. 99% of the searches come back as seller, Chinese companies. Still don't know f gokart is spelled gokart or go kart. Then people that want my life to be a little more challenging spell it as go cart, mini cart, buggy car one person on Craigslist when I was looking for one thought it should be spelled quad cart. On top of searching by manufacturer name or model number doesn't always help because your exact problem may have a solution, by under a different manufacturer.

[liduno]

Man I wish I was there to see this in person. So difficult to diagnose over the internet.

The picture you posted in post #12 makes me think it could be done with a shorter chain. Even if you had to elongate the slot it would be easier than adding an idler pulley.

[Dieselpusher6262]

Can't really make the slot any longer. When I got the chain on with one less link the cross bar in the slot was bottomed out. So u would have to cut off those baskets and Reweld them ddown lower. Plus the engine ends up being at a pretty steep angle. May lead to having to adjust the floats, and I have the concern if when going up hulls and the motor is already angles up quite a bit, then add the incline of the hill at some point the oil isn't going g to go where I need it. Oh and angling the engine like that, I am pretty sure the carb is going to smash into the the gas tank above it. Only thing that may work is a half link. Which does any one know of a brick and motor store that sells them. Or my other idea was since I have a 38t sprocket, I could put a 39 or 40t on, and the bigger difference in diameter would use up some of that chain so I could angle the motor up some.

[liduno]

Is there a possibility the new motor isn't the same as the original motor?

[2SlickNick]

Originally Posted by liduno

Is there a possibility the new motor isn't the same as the original motor?

that is what I am thinking....., because even with a stretched chain I would think the single adjustment bolt at the rear would cure it.

[Dieselpusher6262]

Possibly, the few pictures I found online by searching the model number, the engines look identical. But since it's only a picture can't tell for sure. I believe i have a lifan motor is there some way to fell for sure along with the size? Also i guess I should post in a different section, but since I am already here. My axle has a slight bend in it. Nothing two bad, but a bent axle seem pretty common, so I was thinking maybe whenthe right deal ccomes up to replace it with an axle from something like a 450f quad, is there a better way? I actually would like to rebuild the back swingarm completely, but we shall see how much time I will have.

[x-bird]

what size is the chain, 40 series? I was able to get offset links for 50 series at my local ace hardware. something like mcmaster carr, grainger, fastenal should have a 49 series offset link.

I too was wondering if the new engine is configured differently from the original. if it's not, i'd put my money on a sprocket change having been made, or if it's possible--can't see in the pics --that the paired brackets around that cross bar are installed upside down or backwards.

[liduno]

I don't know how capable you are but it's starting to look like you may have to reconfigure the front mount.