New to karts and have some questions

[pghp8ntballer]

Hello everyone, we just picked up a 2012 Hammerhead Mudhead last week (and 2 Coolster 150cc utility quads) for a song. The kart is in good shape and we had it running quick. The quads are another story, but that’s not why I’m here, lol.

So we had it out running hard yesterday for the first time. It performs great but has one big drawback; ground clearance! We live in southwest Pennsylvania, so we have to contend with hills, ruts, bogs, downed trees, rocks... you know, all the fun stuff

The main issue is the darn chain guard being an inch off the ground...

Has anyone tried putting larger tires on the stock wheels?
What about larger wheels and tires?
Mods like atv hubs on the stock axles?
What’s sizes can I go with without sacrificing too much power?
I know rubbing will big potential in the front.

Also the chain guard is now bent and looks like it is contacting the chain.
Anyone tried to bend it back? A few blows with a 32 oz hammer didn't do anything...

Thanks everyone!

Oh a how about a pic of the buggy?
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[pghp8ntballer]

Also, uh I think I’m a little hard when driving this with the kids. I managed to shred a brand new CVT belt in about 4 hours of hard riding.
I’m not sure what would hard riding is considered for a kart like this though. It would be light riding on an ATV for me, but it felt pretty rough on the kart...

[metalstudman1]

Welcome- Nice Hammerhead!!
I'm guessing you shredded the Hammerhead belt? To eliminate rust/debris as a suspect, you need to confirm that the surfaces that the belt makes contact with are clean/smooth.
Take a pic of the ATV's for us to see what clearance issues you're having-so we can provide opinions about modifications to fix them. Yes you can straighten the chain guard and yes most of us have had to straighten one or two when bent! Putting larger/taller tires shouldn't be a big issue, the change will require more torque to get rolling. Check the turning clearance with the tires you have now to determine how much taller you can have without adding spacers.Check for height clearances in the rear also.

[pghp8ntballer]

The stock tire size in the front already rubs at full lock full left but not full right? I don’t see any steering stops
I think I’m going to size up rears only right now since the front are still decent and already rub. In the back, I will probably stick with the the same width but go with a taller tire.

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I YouTubed it up this weekend to learn about the CVT system. This led me to tear the pulleys all down and used a Scotch-brite roloc disc and wire brush to clean up the rust and buildup all over the parts. I can’t get rid of the rust pitting, but there is not more metal that is above flush on the pulley faces. There is obvious wear on the buttons and ramps for them so I cleaned up the ramps as much as I felt comfortable with and swapped the buttons. Then I adjusted the spring to the 3rd setting (for more tension, am I right?).
Tried it out today and it seems to work fine, but I didn’t thrash it like I did the past 2 days. After about an 45 minutes of driving, there weren’t any signs of belt material under the cover.
Judging by what belt was on it when we got it, ya I think it was the original belt. I ordered two new ones from hammerhead performance and that was the new one I shredded. It looked identical to the original belt. I just ordered a 10 pack from eBay because I expect this to be a recurring thing.

Can anyone point me to something that explains all the differences in tuning a 30 series CVT?

Thanks for the help!

[SYCARMS]

You do know those belts are directional. Looking at the sheaves one will be straight where the other will have about a 20 deg. pitch. The belt will be the same and if put on backwards it will not last long.

[metalstudman1]

Been awhile since using one of those cvt systems- I don't recall any real tuning tips for them other than the spring adjustment (lower engine speed for contact with the tighter spring setting) making sure the springs are solid/tight(not stretched out),clean pulleys (already done), the buttons being fresh as you've already done too. Make sure the weights aren't wore out where they make contact with the pulley(excessive cupping). Of course making sure the belt is turned correctly as Tom stated. Any blueing on the pulley indicates excessive slippage, from too steep of a slope or too much weight in the buggy. Once there's blueing/glazing it hardens the pulley and the belt will slip very easy from that point on-replacement is the only long term cure.Make sure the spacer on the shaft between the pulleys is smooth and lightly lubricated on the motor shaft only. Since you've already tore it down you have a good idea of what to look for. Good luck

[pghp8ntballer]

Thanks guys.

Yes the belt is installed correctly. I’ve learned a lot over the past 2 weeks from researching stuff. I haven’t heard about lightly lubing the spacer. I assume you mean the brass one at the driver pulley assembly? What type of lube do you recommend? I have a can of comet dry lube on the way so I can lube the inner weight contact area of the driver pulley.

Trying to get a refund or replacement of the 10 pack of belts... they were mislabeled and a lot longer (like 6+ inches) than the stock belt. But I did order a comet replacement belt. Not sure how much it matters but the oem belt measures 28” exactly where the comet belt should be 28 21/64” or something like that. I know it’s only about ¼ inch, but it’s bugging me and I need to know how it will work out.

[metalstudman1]

Yes on the spacer. The lube should be on the inside of the spacer on the engine shaft and the comet lube is what I used.I lubed mine because it was always too hot to touch and I figured it couldn't hurt as it spins independently of the shaft.
The belt length difference probably won't make any real difference unless the longer one exceeds the top of the pulley by more than half the belt thickness, it'll want to wonder away if any taller on the pulleys!