Importance of Go Kart Maintenance

Any go kart represents an investment, and, like any other machine, an ounce of prevention, in the form of good maintenance, will go a long way in deferring larger costs in the future. While there are some obvious maintenance efforts, some important ones are not so well observed. In this article we found, you'll discover a great deal of detail on how to keep your go kart in top shape for years to come. There's much here to keep in mind.

Go Kart Maintenance - The All Important Up Keep, Pennies Today, Saves Dollars Tomorrow

When first buying a go kart, consideration for how often the go kart will be torn down and looked at, is usually not in the cards for most go karters. Because of this, many suffer broken down go karts that sit idle most of the year...

What To Look For...

The go kart should be torn down completely and examined for cracks and wearing parts. All joints should be examined for premature wear, and all high stress areas, like the steering knuckles and the seat areas should be examined for cracks and pealed paint.

To keep the go kart from rusting away, the paint job should be updated about once every two years. Usually the paint will chip off where rocks and brush hit the frame-work. Application of rust resistant paint is encouraged.

Obviously, change the oil at the end of every season. Use of a reputable engine oil is recommended. I personally use a treatment, that introduces a blend of soft metals into the engine. This particular treatment is amazing because of its ability to actually prevent wear. Piston rings and cylinder walls definitely benefit from this treatment. And what's even nicer is it does not hurt the environment (ie where as lead does)

Also, before storage, drain the gas tank, and the carburetor. To dry out the carb, you can either take it apart, or run it completely dry. The safest, is to pull off the carb bowl (if it has one) and let the gas dry out. If you do not do this, then you will end up with dried out crusty gasoline in your carb, that will not come off.

Sometimes we get overzealous with the power washer and over clean the go kart. It is very easy to drive all the good lubricants from the joints, especially in bearings and chain links. Be sure to soak the chain and grease the bearings after a power washing.

A good maintenance program will save you hundreds of dollars in the long run if you are consistent with it.

My rule of thumb is: Every 10 rides = a thorough going over

- Chain check

- Clutch check

- Bearing check

- Steering check

- Oil check

- Brake check

- Engine gasket

- Engine head bolt check

The Go Kart Guru is a Go Karting Design, Fabrication and Performance specialist.

His main aim is to help you to be able to make a home made Go Kart and make one that looks and sounds like a sports car for $200.

Visit http://www.GoKartGuru.com for more details and see how you can make your own homemade go cart.

And for those with Vertical Lawnmower Engines, there is a special section just for you! Don't throw away that vertical engine just yet!

Tags: go kart care, go kart frame, go kart maintenance, go kart repair, go kart tips, go karting cost, Go Karts, go-karting