Any experience with HF small engines?

Anyone used the Harbor Freight engines? I bought a cheap go kart for my son a while back and am trying to get it going for him. The centrifugal clutch came apart, I can pull the drum right off the pads. Not sure what exactly held that drum in place, but a replacement clutch isn't expensive.

Also having issues getting the engine to run properly. I'm beginning to think I should just start from scratch. HF sells a 7hp motor for $119. The engine is just held in by 4 bolts, so it should only take me 10 minutes to swap it out. Reconnect the throttle cable, put the new clutch on and call it a day. Anyone used the HF engines before? Do they run OK?

I'd want to fix the old engine as it's probably better than the HF. I recently cracked open my first carb. Cleaned it up without buying a carb rebuild kit. I went through almost a whole can of carb cleaner but my new-to-me riding mower can actually get enough gas now to drive around and turn the blades!

I need to do the same to the snow blower now that I know that it isn't that bad to clean up a carb.

Dirty, gummed up carburetors are the most prevalent cause of running problems.

There's a new class at many kart tracks lovingly referred to as the Chonda class using Harbor Freight motors with specific rules, kits and a $300 claim rule to keep them cheap.

You can find some info from my local track, with links to the parts company to convert them over.

http://www.racekarts.com/GCKI-News/chonda-how-to.html

-Rob

Thanks. Still not sure exactly what I'm going to do with it, trying to figure out the best option.

Anyone know what holds the drum of the clutch on? Is it some type of snap ring? When it fell apart, I didn't see any pieces on the ground, but my son was driving it in the grass, so it could have gone anywhere.

A couple seconds of google image search produced this:

If you have a part number or manufacturer you could probably find the one specific to your situation.

I put one in a $50 craigslist found kart add a good tuned pipe, carb spacer/filter mount, and, a fuel pump and it hauls my 250lb self around quickly enough to be interesting. Obviously pull the governor

the harbor freight motors run great. I think they only carry the "predator" motors now, they are very similar to what they had a few years ago. and I think both are just mostly clones of honda motors. sometimes you have to do some fiddling around with extra springs and such so the throttle will snap back to the closed position. I think the motors they currently sell are more suited for your use (karts, bikes), the old ones like I have did not have any springs on the throttle lever, you had to add springs so you didnt get stuck at wot, lol....

poke around on oldminibikes.com forum, a E36 M3load of people use these motors on minibikes and karts and know how to get them set up.

i just fired up my motor on the 2nd pull after it sitting in the garage all winter.

The story is Honda was building their engines in china, abandoned the plant for whatever reason, and they kept making engines just painting them different colors. I believe there was a lawsuit so a few external features have changed, but its effectively a license built Honda on an expired license.

The Predators may be Techumseh (sp)

There is a coupon out for the 6.5HP for 99.99 if you can find one.

I've got a couple of them. One on the kids gokart and one on the golf cart. They both run great, but I did have a problem with the one in the golf cart. One of the bolts that held the low oil sender in the crankcase backed out. It got caught between the big end of the rod and the cam shaft. The sudden stop bent the cam. Naturally I pulled the cam, straightened it with a 4 pound sledge and put it back together. That was a couple of years ago and it still runs great. For the money, they are hard to beat.

the previous HF motor was badged as a "greyhound" and manufactured by lifan. the current predator motor is also made by lifan.

there is a post on this page detailing why the new motor was introduced http://www.oldminibikes.com/forum/honda-clone-predator-engines/49218-predator-vs-greyhound-5.html

also if you skip back to the first page theres a teardown of the predator motor