[Kartbuilding] Lawn mower engine powered wooden go kart

[Stephen Burke]

Hi Adam,

I got 30mph in one of my wooden karts and that was with a 3.5hp lawnmower 
engine with the governor removed. You can go faster with a bigger engine, 
but you have to make sure your build quality is perfect. You would also 
need to use bearings for the rear axle (instead of the pipe bushings I 
outlined on the plans) if you want to go faster.
Also, the way the front axle is pivoted simply, it is not ideal for high 
speed. You can tighten up the front pivot bolt to help make the steering 
tighter (so bumps on the road don't cause the front wheels to pivot).

I hope this helps. Typically wooden karts are the first step to 
kartbuilding. You'll soon progress onto metal based karts.

Best of luck,
-steve



On Wed, 22 Jun 2011, Adam Tomlinson wrote:

> Just wondering what the top speed of the wooden engine powered kart is roughly (on flat ground)? I am looking to build this kart and would like to know before I start.
>
> Many Thanks
> Adam Tomlinson