[Sean S]

I feel embarrassed replying back with this but here it goes. It turns out once I settle down and actually LOOK at the problem that is in front of me I might have figured this out earlier. Thinking back there were more issues that contributed to this which is the reason the starter wouldn’t turn. Anyways, I had the starter pulled off of the engine from when I was testing for voltage, continuity and grounds. I don’t know why it never occurred to me that I never hooked up a ground lead when trying to zap the start button…

Last night: I cut out sections of the friction tape on the underside of the frame so the mount would have a ground, tested 2 push boxes, 2 coils, took voltage reading and continuity tests from both. Sitting there I’m thinking that I have 2 bad power boxes, coils or stators I was ready to sell every piece of karting kit I own. Then I look at the starter and say “the starter sits on the case which is grounded… and you have no ground lead attached, idiot!”. Hooked up a ground lead and the starter spun right up!

There was a lot more that could have been wrong with this including the brush that fell off, the orange wire in the 4-pin connector that was deformed, push box ground that became uncrimped, and the friction tape under the engine mount.

Jim: #1 check the starter brushes. Mine would not even think about starting with that broken brush. #2 check the ground wire that runs from the push-box to the engine and also the male/female connections on the 3 and 4-pin connections. After scouring the internet for similar problems another person had an issue when taking left turns and braking. Pulled into the pits and one of the wires backed out of the connector.

Hope this helps out anyone else with an issue like this. Jim, please let us know what happens

[Sean S]

Thanks for the quick replies.

Tony: I actually re-connected and soldered the main ground going to the engine yesterday. I’m picking up a new ground terminal today since the old one is beat up and to eliminate any other power box ground issues. Saying that, I read this early this morning and got me thinking on the grounding issue. I put friction tape on the frame under the engine mount (same as last year) but the engine didn’t have a change to move and rip the tape yet to make contact with the frame… could that be part of the issue? If the power box is grounded to the engine and the engine isn’t making contact to the frame… there is no ground, correct? It really does sound like a grounding issue, but I ran the exact same setup last year and I did not have one problem.

Jim: I will test when I get home. When I pulled the starter apart I actually sanded the armature to the nice copper color to eliminate any build up or bad spots. I pulled the starter apart no joke about 10 from brushes and springs flying out to checking if I did something wrong which wasn’t the problem and I would test it immediately after. Even after I touched power to the starter and it spun I tried plugging right back in to the harness wire and still got nothing out of it.

[Sean S]

Thanks Gregg,

I called my local kart shop and told him what I was doing. He said “DO NOT USE GREASE”,  use Tri-Flow. He said that grease was too thick for kart bearings. I thought it was a bit odd that there was grease on the shield that came from the factory… I’m going to take that advise and try it out. Thanks for the help guys.

[Sean S]

Thanks Tony

I actually never put the nut back on. I put it on the spindle and even the end of my finger and tried to spin it freely, still getting the same 1/2 rotation out of it. Like my dad was telling me since its new grease that is packed all the way through the bearing, it might need to push the grease out of the way/off to the side first (maybe after driving for a few 1000 rotations) before it spins free. I didn’t want to drive 1.5 hours to the track to test this out, so I stopped on the first hub/bearing to ask before I went any further.

[Sean S]

I haven’t seen one of those used online and if there was it would be a ton for the oddly shaped box + shipping. I picked mine up from Comet a few years ago and was at my door in a few days (I was in a rush to get one also).

http://cometkartsales.com/Righetti-Plastic-Rear-Bumper-Black.html

take your pick on OEM Homologated or aftermarket hardware

http://cometkartsales.com/Rear-Bumper-Hardware/

Sean

[Sean S]

Interested. I sent multiple emails and PM’s

Please respond if you still have the items and would like to sell them.

 

[Sean S]

I’ve raced with them at MIS the past few years! They have quite the rig and group of racers that follow. I will for sure give them a call to see what it’s all about. I did rebuild the carb last year and for $30 will most likely do it again this year. Thanks for the help.

[Sean S]

Sounds like you need to charge the battery. I had the same problem along with the start button logic board being bad. When the battery is even a little be below full charge it doesn’t want to start…esp in cold weather.  Give it a charge and let me know

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