INSTITUTO POLITENICO NACIONAL

CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS CIENTIFICOS Y TECNOLOGICOS

No 7 CUAUHTEMOC


Proyecto Aula
Construccin de un go-kart

Unidad de Aprendizaje: Ingles VI


Integrantes:

Dvila Santiago Luis Mariano
Fuentes Santiago Bryan Alexis
Mateos Valle Rodolfo
Pez Frausto Cruz Fernando
Ruiz Brito Luis Fernando


Profesor: Mara Concepcin Lpez Romero


Grupo: 6IMC Semestre: 6


Fecha de entrega: 09/05/14



Planning Your Project Go-Kart
Part 1 of 3:
Draw up detailed plans for the go-kart you want to make. Go karts can be many
different sizes, shapes, and designs. These homemade vehicles are amenable to
any design elements you want to throw into it. The basic essentials are a chassis,
a simple engine, and a steering/braking system.
Get creative in your planning for the project and produce detailed diagrams to
make sure you get enough materials to complete the job. Look at other go-karts for
inspiration and learn from kart-makers who've been there before.
Alternatively, you can find schematics and plans online for many different types of
models, if you'd rather let someone else do the planning. Use a template and
modify it as you see fit.
2
Size the go-kart appropriately. The size of the go-kart should depend on the age
and size of the driver. For young drivers, about 30 inches (0.76 m) wide by 50
inches (1.3 m) long will work, while adults will want about 40 inches (1 m) wide by
72 inches (1.8 m) long.
It's important to plan the go-kart accurately, using specific measurements,
otherwise it'll be difficult to get the right materials and the right amount of them.
3
Gather your materials. If you're short on cash, visit a scrap yard and see if you can
pick up any low-cost parts. Or, you may be able to salvage parts from an old riding
lawnmower or a junk go kart found at a yard sale. Ask lawn mower repair services
for spare parts or junked out riding lawnmowers and used 4 cycle engines in the 10
to 15 horsepower range, with horizontal shaft and a drive clutch assembly. Here's
what you'll need:
For the chassis:
-30 feet (9.2 m) of 1-inch (2.5 cm) square tubing
-6 feet (1.8 m) of 0.75-inch (2 cm) round steel barstock
-6 feet (1.8 m) of 0.5-inch (1.5 cm) bar stock
-3/16-inch (0.5 cm) thick steel plate in a width and length slightly larger than your
engine
-Plywood or metal (for seat and floorboards)
-Seat
For engine:
-Engine (try an old lawnmower engine)
-Chain that fits the sprocket
-Bolts, washers
-Gas tank
For the drive train:
-Wheels
-Steering wheel
-Gear and handbrake
-Drive shaft
-Bearings
-Steering shaft
-Brake pedal
-Throttle/go pedal
4
Obtain a welder. If you've got no experience welding, you will have to hire a welder
for this project. The most essential part of the go-kart is a solid chassis that'll hold
you onto it while driving and house the engine. If you're going to weld it together
out of pieces of barstock, the welds should all be made with the proper heat, weld
depth/penetration and uniform weld-beads. Otherwise, the welds may be weak,
brittle, bubbly, cracked and/or only surface deep, making your go-kart a death trap.
If you don't have experience welding, don't start by putting together a go-kart. Start
with other smaller projects if you want to learn.


5
Consider buying a go-kart kit. If you're not interested in welding and designing your
own go-kart, purchase a no-weld kit that you can put together with simple tools,
featuring detailed instructions and schematics to make the job a snap.
Available widely for about $550 dollars, you can have the satisfaction of putting
together a go-kart yourself without the hassle of designing it and buying all the
materials separately.
Part 2 of 3: Building the Chassis and Steering Column
1
Cut the metal tubing. Cut your lengths of tubing to the appropriate lengths, given
your design or schematics.
For most designs, the front end will feature a camber angle, narrower than the rear,
which will allow the wheels room to turn, allowing the chassis to twist slightly. To do
this, mount a King Pin at the front corners where the wheels will be, to allow for
easy twist.
For an easy eye-guide, consider marking up the floor of the garage or the area
you're working with sidewalk chalk of the appropriate measurement, to keep you
from having to remeasure repeatedly. You could even draw out the whole design
on the ground and start laying it on top.
2
Weld the frame together according to your design. Use concrete blocks to keep the
frame elevated while you work, making sure all your connection points are solid
and the chassis is secure. It needs to be strong enough to hold your weight and the
weight of the engine, so it's not the time for a shoddy weld job. For more strength,
use gussets at all corners.
3
Assemble the front stub axles. Build your axle with a straight piece of 0.75-inch (2
cm) steel rod, and two bushings attached to your frame. Use washers and cotter
pins drilled through the axle to keep the assembly in position.
Install the front stubs that'll allow you to turn easily before messing with the
steering column and attach your King Pin, to the steering arm. You'll need to have
at least 110 degrees of angle on the front wheels, so plan accordingly.
4
Install your rear axle and wheel assembly. You'll likely need to assemble a axle
carrier with a bearing bracket for the rear axle, meaning that the axle itself can be
welded to the frame while also spinning freely and snugly.
Weld a steel plate onto the chassis, securing the pressure plate outside with high-
tensile bolts and lock nuts, to squeeze the bearing.
Rather than making your own, you can also purchase these assemblies,
sometimes called "Pillar Bearing Units."
5
Build your seat and floor boards out of plywood lumber or metal. You can try and
salvage an old go-kart seat or an appropriately-sized car seat from the junk yard to
save money, or just build a simple bucket with a cushion for support. Leave
enough room for the steering and other controls.
Part 3 of 3: Mounting the Engine and Steering Column
1
Install the engine mount. Weld a flat piece of 3/16-inch (0.5 cm) thick steel plate to
the rear frame to mount your engine. Place the engine on the plate, and mark the
holes for the mounting bolts so that the engine pulley lines up with the drive pulley
on your axle.
Attach the drive pulley on the axle prior to mounting the axle in the bushings. You
can either use a set screw to hold it in position, or weld it directly to the axle, but it
should be aligned with the pulley on your engine.
2
Assemble your steering linkage. Use the 0.5-inch (1.5 cm) steel rod for linkages,
and the 0.75-inch (2 cm) for your axles. To make the 90-degree bends in the 0.75-
inch rod, you may have to use a torch to heat the steel.
Provide adjustable links for aligning steering, because it is very important to have
the proper caster and camber: front-wheel vertical and steering tilt.
3
Install the wheels and brakes. Get some small racing wheels to give your kart the
optimum acceleration and control. Fix them onto the axles with hubs and start
working on the brakes, so the go-kart will be safe.
For the brakes, fix a disc onto the rear axle and a caliper assembly onto the
chassis for the most professional system possible. Often, you can acquire these
assemblies in relatively good shape from junked motorbikes. They're the
appropriate size and will be easy to work with.
Install a brake pedal to operate with your foot, regardless of what kind of
acceleration you have. Don't leave too much to do with your hands other than
steering.
4
Attach the throttle cable to the hand throttle. Depending upon your experience and
the kind of engine you're working with, you may be able to put together a foot
pedal, or you may just need to make it easy and throttle-up like you would a
lawnmower.
5
Double check your brakes and suspension system before test-driving. Even if
you're going at relatively slow speeds, it's important to make sure you're not going
to slip an axle on your first go-around. Double check your welds, your brakes, and
the engine's mounting. Then take 'er for a spin!
Tips
-Try to add the extras at the end, so you can do all the big, more important,
mechanical parts first.
-Get a go kart manual, as it will help and you can also get driving and tuning tips.
-The notes above reference the fact that it is assumed the builder will be using
"junk" parts from discarded mowers and other sources. It is likely that it would be
cheaper to buy a manufactured go cart than it would to buy certain pre-engineered
parts to build it.
-The costs for a simple kart can easily run to $60.00 - $70.00 USD, if not more.
You can get a good set of plans for around $40.00 USD, some plans are even less
than that. The cost of the plans is slightly under $80.00 USD. This is probably not a
bad idea unless you're a pro.
-The assembly does have an accelerator, which also can be added using a simple
throttle cable assembly from a discarded push mower, or a more sophisticated foot
operated gas pedal.
-Some people recommend buying a set of well-engineered and designed plans that
incorporate some of the tried and tested automotive principles: like Ackermann
steering, Castor, King pin inclination etc. You will be much more likely to finish and
enjoy your kart if you build it from good plans.
-This go cart assumes the use of a centrifugal clutch, but a modification can
incorporate a drive belt idler system and either a hand applied or foot controlled
gas pedal/clutch.
Warnings
-Test the go kart before going on the track, as the parts could detatch or fail.
-Because this is a simple project without high-tech engineering and design
considerations, it is not recommended that a high gear ratio or large engine is used
on this go kart. Speeds over 10-15 MPH can cause failure of insufficiently
engineered components.
-Wear protective gear when driving go carts: helmets, pads, etc.
-This is not a real car and should not under any circumstances be driven on the
road!






































Go-kart
Ignition system
Brake
Power steering
Chassis
Internal
combustion
engine
Fuel
Oxygen
Heat
Internal framewor
k
Pedal feel
Wheel
Tires
Rack bar steering

Glossary

Homemade vehicles : Vehculos caseros, generalmente son pequeos vehculos
elaborados en casa.

Breaking system : Sistema de frenado, este sistema es utilizado para reducir por
completo la velocidad de un vehculo.

Schematics: Esquemas o planos a seguir para la elaboracin de un Go-Kart.

Specific Measurements: Medidas especficas. Un Go-Kart tiene que ser elaborado
bajo estrictas y exactas mediciones.

Scrap Yard: depsito de chatarra, generalmente conocido como Deshuesadero

Lawn Mower repair Services: Traducido al espaol, quiere decir Servicios de
reparacin de Corta Csped, y es que en la mayora de los casos, los motores
utilizados en un Go-Kart, pertenecieron a una podadora.

Throttle pedal : Pedal de aceleracin, ser el encargado de dar la seal para que
el Go-Kart comience a avanzar, dependiendo de la posicin del pedal, ser el
movimiento del Go-Kart.

Welder : Soldador, ser la persona que se encargar de unir y fijar nuestro chasis.

Axle : Eje. Sobre un eje se colocan las ruedas, la direccin del Go-Kart y el
sistema de frenado; es un parte fundamental de un Go-Kart.

Test Driving: Prueba de manejo. Es de mucha importancia realizar una o varias
pruebas de manejo antes de dar por concluido el GoKart.

Manual Go-Kart: GoKart de transmisin manual. Este tipo de motor y
transmisiones son utilizados por pilotos de ms experiencia, ya que el motor
requiere de un cambio de velocidad para una mayor potencia, generalmente los
Go-Karts son tipo Automatcos.