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Paul Hutt
Joined: 26 Sep 2009 Posts: 388 Location: United States, Washington, Olympia
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Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:11 pm Post subject: Do I need a MYCHRON 4 |
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Brand new to karting and the kart I bought came with a MYCHRON 4. I really wonder if I need it.
If it is really not important, I could sell it and buy something that I really need - like driving lessons,  |
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Bernie Lacotta
Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Posts: 168
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Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 6:24 am Post subject: Re: Do I need a MYCHRON 4 |
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| Paul Hutt wrote: | Brand new to karting and the kart I bought came with a MYCHRON 4. I really wonder if I need it.
If it is really not important, I could sell it and buy something that I really need - like driving lessons,  |
You'll need it. Lap times RPM , temps , valuable info for set up and tunong. _________________ I breathe ,therefore,I race |
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John Matthews
Joined: 04 Dec 2004 Posts: 1990 Location: United States, Michigan, Williamsburg
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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:16 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Paul,
Welcome to karting.
Yes you do need the Mychron or some way to check your max temp and rpm. Otherwise you'll spend more money than you want on engine rebuilds. They're also great for improving your driving since you get instant feedback on lap times. I used to sell the Hot Lap in car timers back in the 90's and I can assure you that next to a good driving coach a lap timer is one of the best investments you can make.
One tip I give everyone starting out. If you can't afford one of those fancy driving schools just volunteer to work corner flags at your local track one race weekend. Ask to be put on the corner you have the most trouble with and watch what the fast guys do. You'll be amazed how much you can learn this way and it's absolutely free (they might even buy you lunch )
Cheers, _________________ John Matthews
Heartbeat Power, LLC. |
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Paul Hutt
Joined: 26 Sep 2009 Posts: 388 Location: United States, Washington, Olympia
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 8:44 am Post subject: |
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From the two responses it seems that the rpms and temps are the key indicators. Are you monitoring the rpms and temps when you are on the track or is the rpm gauge used for tuning and the temp gauge used immediately after making runs or while biing tuned?
In the short time I drove my car on the track I very rarely took my eyes of the road. Being so new to everything I rarely looked in my mirrors. On occassion I looked at the oil temp gauge. I just listened to the engine instead of looking at tach.
If the rpms and temps need to be monitored while on the track, I suspect I will have to resist pushing the kart so I can develop the habit of monitoring the gauges. ????????
Thanks for the input |
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ron christian
Joined: 09 Mar 2009 Posts: 293
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 9:32 am Post subject: |
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Hi Paul.. if you get a beacon ( $50) then everytime you pass it you can glance at it and see if the driving changes you are making are faster..
If you are running a 4 stroke then it will give you your head temps so you can adjust for richer/leaner etc to get the best performance for that particular day
If you already have it then diffenately use it |
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John Matthews
Joined: 04 Dec 2004 Posts: 1990 Location: United States, Michigan, Williamsburg
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Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 8:35 am Post subject: |
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| Paul Hutt wrote: | From the two responses it seems that the rpms and temps are the key indicators. Are you monitoring the rpms and temps when you are on the track or is the rpm gauge used for tuning and the temp gauge used immediately after making runs or while biing tuned?
In the short time I drove my car on the track I very rarely took my eyes of the road. Being so new to everything I rarely looked in my mirrors. On occassion I looked at the oil temp gauge. I just listened to the engine instead of looking at tach.
If the rpms and temps need to be monitored while on the track, I suspect I will have to resist pushing the kart so I can develop the habit of monitoring the gauges. ????????
Thanks for the input |
No, it's not usually necessary to watch the temp while you drive, you can review your max temp and revs after each session. What you really want to know is the max temp achieved during a track session so you can adjust your jetting if needed. For an Animal on methanol you should shoot for about 360 F. You can usually change it enough by moving the needle in the slide but if you kart was already set-up for the track you're running on it shouldn't be an issue. Just make sure you're not going over about 425 F on a regular basis.
RPM is used for getting your gearing right. Once again if your kart was already set-up for your track you probably don't need to worry about it just yet. Most folks try for about 7200 RPM at the end of the longest straight.
Good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions!!!!
Cheers, _________________ John Matthews
Heartbeat Power, LLC. |
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