While strolling through Costco today
- Thread starter CaliJeff
- Start date
Nutwagon,
I don't know what kind of throttle linkage these clone engines come with, and I never mess with them, so I've never converted one to twist throttle.
They aren't popular here in Miami...we don't have any kind of minibike culture here at all...it's all really serious kart racing...indoor and outdoor...lot's of high-dollar shifter karts and heavily modified 4-strokers...mostly American engine-based, but some Japanese made stuff.
We have about $6000-$8000 tied up in each of these karts, so nobody wants to 'experiment' with the performance or reliability of a Chinese engine.
Plus, even though everyone really does it, the last thing you want to do is give the appearance that you're 'goin' racin' on the cheap'...
Regardless of whether or not it's warranted, the guys who show up with the biggest dollar amount of toys get the reputation for being the 'serious' racers, and if anyone sees something on your karts that didn't cost as much as it possibly could, you get tagged as a wannabe...
I think it sucks, because kart racing is so much fun for kids, but the adults have to throw some ego into the mix and give it a negative side too. It's almost like 'if you're not spending as much as possible, don't even bother'.
So, I've posted before that I don't like these clone engines, and I'll probably never own one, but I have to make sure I don't hack on anybody else for running one...
If they work well for $100, you can't beat that...it's just that I'd hate to think some guy at B&S was getting laid off while some guy at Jhiang Dong was getting 37 cents and hour versus his standard rate of 25 cents an hour because he was on overtime, making stolen-design engines for the Capitalist Yankee Dogs.
I don't know what kind of throttle linkage these clone engines come with, and I never mess with them, so I've never converted one to twist throttle.
They aren't popular here in Miami...we don't have any kind of minibike culture here at all...it's all really serious kart racing...indoor and outdoor...lot's of high-dollar shifter karts and heavily modified 4-strokers...mostly American engine-based, but some Japanese made stuff.
We have about $6000-$8000 tied up in each of these karts, so nobody wants to 'experiment' with the performance or reliability of a Chinese engine.
Plus, even though everyone really does it, the last thing you want to do is give the appearance that you're 'goin' racin' on the cheap'...
Regardless of whether or not it's warranted, the guys who show up with the biggest dollar amount of toys get the reputation for being the 'serious' racers, and if anyone sees something on your karts that didn't cost as much as it possibly could, you get tagged as a wannabe...
I think it sucks, because kart racing is so much fun for kids, but the adults have to throw some ego into the mix and give it a negative side too. It's almost like 'if you're not spending as much as possible, don't even bother'.
So, I've posted before that I don't like these clone engines, and I'll probably never own one, but I have to make sure I don't hack on anybody else for running one...
If they work well for $100, you can't beat that...it's just that I'd hate to think some guy at B&S was getting laid off while some guy at Jhiang Dong was getting 37 cents and hour versus his standard rate of 25 cents an hour because he was on overtime, making stolen-design engines for the Capitalist Yankee Dogs.
I'm just spoiled...
I've spent decades working in a profession that pays well, so lately I don't have to think much about cost or budget...
But I have to remember back when the bills were bigger than the balance in the checkbook, and saving a few dollars could mean the difference between having a minibike with a Chinese engine or not having a minibike at all...
Hello, my little Chinese friend...let's go for a ride...
I've spent decades working in a profession that pays well, so lately I don't have to think much about cost or budget...
But I have to remember back when the bills were bigger than the balance in the checkbook, and saving a few dollars could mean the difference between having a minibike with a Chinese engine or not having a minibike at all...
Hello, my little Chinese friend...let's go for a ride...
For pumping fuel.......:001_tongue:
The heavier breathing engines can sometimes need more fuel than gravity feed alone can provide. This is especially true for methanol burners because they use more than twice the fuel volume of a gas engine. The pump also allows you to put the fuel tank wherever you want, even if it's lower than the carb.
Regarding Chinese engines, I would be really reluctant to get one. The increasing influx of cheap Chinese junk of all kinds is making me more prone to buy anything but.
Someone on another site was telling people that Mitsubishi builds the Briggs Intek engines and that the Mitsu engines are just like the Inteks. Depending on where Mitsu has their engines built, that could mean that the Inteks are built in the same place....possibly China.
HOWEVER, I really doubt Mitsu builds anything for B&S and the Mitsubishi engines are definitely a different design.
The heavier breathing engines can sometimes need more fuel than gravity feed alone can provide. This is especially true for methanol burners because they use more than twice the fuel volume of a gas engine. The pump also allows you to put the fuel tank wherever you want, even if it's lower than the carb.
Regarding Chinese engines, I would be really reluctant to get one. The increasing influx of cheap Chinese junk of all kinds is making me more prone to buy anything but.
Someone on another site was telling people that Mitsubishi builds the Briggs Intek engines and that the Mitsu engines are just like the Inteks. Depending on where Mitsu has their engines built, that could mean that the Inteks are built in the same place....possibly China.
HOWEVER, I really doubt Mitsu builds anything for B&S and the Mitsubishi engines are definitely a different design.
your totally right on about high dollar egos, it ruined muscle cars for me. I found hot rods as an alternative, building with what you got or find parts in the junk yards or barns or making parts out of junk, ect. I didnt really need this engine but it was such a deal I couldnt pass on it. on the plus side I have an ol reliable briggs flat head laying around waiting for my next bike. Reason I get a kick out of your project yellowhand is because you used your skills and what you had, not your wallet. theres alot of cool stuff like that on this site I love that stuff! Now I got a question about this engine. I bolted mine to a piece of wood and it is pretty close to level maybe not dead on, but when I fired it up for the first time it runs with the choke on but as soon as I open up the choke it dies instantly, do I need to warm it up for a while or is that low oil level sensor? It has enough oil, Its a little higher than the middle of the dip stick. any ideas?
Geez...it won't work right out of the box ?
And I bet the carb isn't adjustable, is it?
The engine stalling as the choke is opened could be a mixture problem...usually if the engine will only run with the choke partially closed it's because the mixture is too lean...you're manually reducing the amount of air coming in to be mixed with an inadequate amount of fuel, so the engine won't rev, and stalls when you try to do so, because now it wants more of both air and fuel, and can't get enough of either.
But, if it stalls out when the choke is left on after it runs for awhile, this means it's now too rich, so somewhere along the line it may have reached the operating temperature it needs to run well with the choke off. If you warm it up for a couple minutes with the choke on, or partially on, and it still won't run well when the choke is taken off, then it's a serious problem because your non-adjustable carb isn't preset correctly.
I tested that B&S I bought new for the Yellowjacket by running it clamped to the bench because I don't mind chasing down carb problems on used engines, but I don't think anyone should have do that for a new engine...I'd take it back, because if you disassemble the carb to check the parts inside, you've probably violated the warranty, and if you find something defective, you won't be able to return it if they find out you've taken it apart.
I personally don't like those low-oil sensors...I think the chance of them failing or drawing current away from my ignition is a lot greater than the chance of me forgetting to check my oil for such a long period of time that it damages the engine.
I usually hook a multimeter to all the kill switches I use to check for resistance in the open position also.
And I bet the carb isn't adjustable, is it?
The engine stalling as the choke is opened could be a mixture problem...usually if the engine will only run with the choke partially closed it's because the mixture is too lean...you're manually reducing the amount of air coming in to be mixed with an inadequate amount of fuel, so the engine won't rev, and stalls when you try to do so, because now it wants more of both air and fuel, and can't get enough of either.
But, if it stalls out when the choke is left on after it runs for awhile, this means it's now too rich, so somewhere along the line it may have reached the operating temperature it needs to run well with the choke off. If you warm it up for a couple minutes with the choke on, or partially on, and it still won't run well when the choke is taken off, then it's a serious problem because your non-adjustable carb isn't preset correctly.
I tested that B&S I bought new for the Yellowjacket by running it clamped to the bench because I don't mind chasing down carb problems on used engines, but I don't think anyone should have do that for a new engine...I'd take it back, because if you disassemble the carb to check the parts inside, you've probably violated the warranty, and if you find something defective, you won't be able to return it if they find out you've taken it apart.
I personally don't like those low-oil sensors...I think the chance of them failing or drawing current away from my ignition is a lot greater than the chance of me forgetting to check my oil for such a long period of time that it damages the engine.
I usually hook a multimeter to all the kill switches I use to check for resistance in the open position also.
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If you want to risk voiding the warranty, you could pull the float bowl off and see if there is manufacturing crud in there. If you're careful, I doubt anyone would know you removed it.
That was a common complaint a while back with Barry Grant Demon carburetors. Some wouldn't hold a tune and some just worked poorly. The carbs were fine, but there were metal chips inside from the machining processes. No one bothered to clean the parts before assembly(at least not very well). :rolleyes5:
That was a common complaint a while back with Barry Grant Demon carburetors. Some wouldn't hold a tune and some just worked poorly. The carbs were fine, but there were metal chips inside from the machining processes. No one bothered to clean the parts before assembly(at least not very well). :rolleyes5:
They are talking about the briggs VANGUARD motor. It's made strong like the real honda. What they have done is made there own copy cat of the Honda motor. It has a slightly different bore, and stroke. But the quality is just as good as the real GX hondas. My buddy Dobie minibike is a 13hp Vanguard motor.
I wouldn't be surprised if Briggs has a shared-production agreement with Mitsubishi...
Cushman had one...
During the early 80's, sales levels of some Truckster models were dropping because we weren't offering an automatic transmission option, and many customers wanted one, especially government fleets like the City of New York Parking Enforcement Department...the meter maids didn't like the three speed manual transmission in the heavy stop-and-go traffic of downtown areas...
Cushman did the cost survey for tooling up to make an automatic transmission, but Mitsubishi got the nod to supply an engine/transmission package that they were already producing because it was very similar to what we wanted, and cheaper to buy than to produce given the stranglehold the Allied Industrial Workers Union had on Cushman management at the time.
It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that Briggs was looking to reduce the amount of new products being manufactured in their US-based facilities, and had Mitsubishi manufacturing some engine models for them (possibly in China) to market under the Briggs name.
Cushman had one...
During the early 80's, sales levels of some Truckster models were dropping because we weren't offering an automatic transmission option, and many customers wanted one, especially government fleets like the City of New York Parking Enforcement Department...the meter maids didn't like the three speed manual transmission in the heavy stop-and-go traffic of downtown areas...
Cushman did the cost survey for tooling up to make an automatic transmission, but Mitsubishi got the nod to supply an engine/transmission package that they were already producing because it was very similar to what we wanted, and cheaper to buy than to produce given the stranglehold the Allied Industrial Workers Union had on Cushman management at the time.
It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that Briggs was looking to reduce the amount of new products being manufactured in their US-based facilities, and had Mitsubishi manufacturing some engine models for them (possibly in China) to market under the Briggs name.
