malenurse13

A new belt fixed our weird lag issues. The kids ran the go kart all day yesterday, no problem. Then it started doing this... Any idea what would cause the clutch to grab so aggressively like that??

When the kids hit the gas, I can see the front clutch pulley trying to engage the belt. But all it does is burn up the belt. I have ordered some new belts on Amazon that will be here in a couple days. But what else could be going on that the belt is not properly engaging? There's no WD40 or any grease on it. Only difference is I tried riding it (290 lbs).

https://youtube.com/shorts/1JEi9hdW7Jo?si=5_RwP_DUkgytTYFF The brake sounds awful! But works WAY better than our American Landmaster TW450.

So the new motor is on the go kart! Fix-a-flat in the dry rotted tires. It ran great till I got on it... Now the kids can run full throttle and the belt never catches. It smelled like burnt rubber when I rode it (I weigh a good bit more than they do). I'm going to assume, with the condition of the tires and all other rubber parts, that the belt just needs to be replaced. But if you have any ideas of what else could cause a belt to go from traction to no traction in just a few minutes, please let me know... If we can get the kinks out and end up with a reliable go kart after this predator motor swap, we'll do the same thing with the side-by-side!

Well, I'm sorry I never saw your response, WB. We tried every alternative engine mounting technique I could think of, but nothing worked. So, after seeing a YouTube video with the same engine swap, we took the rear axle to our local mechanic who used his air hammer to help loosen up all those stubborn parts so we could move the belt closer to the motor and chain on the outside. It actually worked! If you compare this photo to the last one I posted, you can see the difference.

Ok, warming up to the engine swap on the landmaster. It's SPRING BLACK FRIDAY at Harbor Freight! We have a go kart that won't run so we bought the Predator 212 for $109! The problem is the predator 212 motor shaft is about 3/4" shorter than the old Tecumseh 6.5hp that came with the go kart. So if you look in the attached pic, when the motor is mounted where it's supposed to be, the clutch would line up with the chain rather than the rear pulley. I drilled new holes to mount the motor more to the left, but then the motor was sitting right on the chain. Any suggestions you have would be GREATLY appreciated! I need to learn what I can with this go kart so we can succeed with the engine swap on the Landmaster. 1. Is there something I can use to extend the shaft on the Predator 212? This would be the preferred option if something like this exists. 2. Is there some sort of riser that I can use to raise the motor (using new motor mount holes) where it's not sitting on the chain? 3. Only other option is remove the rear pulley, swap it with the rear sprocket so they chain is on the left and pulley would line up with the clutch on the shorter shaft. But then I would need to move the big sprocket to the left to match.

Can y'all tell where the sound is coming from? It's deafening! Way louder than in the YT video... Some points that may help figure it out: - I only put about 30 cc of Marvel Mystery oil in the spark plug hole. MM oil was sitting on top of the cylinder head for 3 days. Nothing came out when we turned the motor over without the spark plug in. - The motor was real hard to turn a week ago, now turns with ease. Could there be something broke inside the motor? - I'm attaching a photo of the oil I used. Same the previous owner said he used. 1.4 quarts filled it up. Dip stick says its the right amount. But even after oil change... the oil on the dip stick is black and nasty. Could there be something broke inside the motor? - The bolt and washers holding in the clutch were a little loose. I used an impact wrench to tighten. Thought that might help the sound. But it made no difference. - Could the MM oil be causing a stronger Than normal explosion in the cylinder? Could it have blown the valve adjustment out of whack?

Well, if it's not one thing... it's another. We used marvel mystery oil up top and changed the oil. Now, the motor spins with ease!! But now there's an incredibly LOUD metal clanging sound that may or may not be coming from the clutch?? Here's a YT clip with the sound...

I guess I'd need something with atleast 14hp...

Thank you WB. I feel like you're right. But this side-x-side has done this before. The key wouldnt turn it over and the pull cord broke a dozen tines. But for some reason, the process of installing a new starter and battery and adjusting the valves fixed it. And all that pressure went away. For the last 2-3 weeks, it has turned over with the key/pull-start effortlessly. But I guess it is possible that this is a new, unrelated issue. So I'm going to try an oil change and maybe even spray something in the spark plug hole just to see if that improves anything. BUT... if it doesn't... and it is time for a new motor... and we can't afford a Honda... has anyone on this forum already discussed the best, easiest to replace, most affordable option for a new motor on this model?

Looking up some info on Google, I keep running into info about a "Seized Motor." I checked the oil when we first got it running again. There was plenty in it. It was probably old oil, but it wasn't dry. Is it possible that I am getting close to a seized motor? Could an oil change help? Any advice on troubleshooting or repairs would be GREATLY appreciated!

Sorry, y'all... I've been away for a while. Our Landmaster side-x-side sat in our garage for over a year! We finally lifted the motor up enough to remove the shroud and installed a brand-new starter/solenoid combo that fit. It still wouldn't start. A mechanic friend said, adjust the valves. I did that (and put in a new battery) and FINALLY... the thing started on the first crank! So the kids have been running this thing for 2 weeks straight! Starting no problem. Then all of a sudden, it won't start with the starter. Bought a new battery, electric starter still won't start, but pull start works ok. So we use the pull start for about a week. Then it gets to where the pull starter won't budge! I tried rotating the crank shaft with a socket wrench, WAY too much pressure. I pulled the spark plug out. STILL way too much pressure to turn the crank shaft. I have never seen a motor that won't turn without the spark plug in it. So here's my question... What in the world could be causing all that pressure to where the motor won't even turn with the spark plug out?!

The last 2 times I put a new starter on the side by side... I installed a new solenoid first. That didn't fix the problem either time. Truth be told... I have never replaced the whole starter. The last 2 starters I bought were not the right size. So I just swapped out the bottom half of the starter and fastened it to the original bendix. I finally bought the right size starter/solenoid. So I plan on replacing all of it the right way. But that relay sounds like a great idea. The starter always has a hard time turning the motor.

My starter/solenoid is still on the UTV. I used a screw driver to connect both posts on the solenoid. But nothing moved. I didn't do anything with the "jumper wire". I assumed if the starter jump didn't move anything... the solenoid jump wouldn't do anything either? Am I right? I may put together all the old stuff to try a test with the old starter in a vice. Just to see what works and what doesn't...

Nothing happens when I connect both posts on the solenoid. Of course, there's fireworks when I accidentally connect the positive post with the starter casing. But it doesn't even click when I connect the 2 posts on the solenoid. So I don't think Taryl's wire rigging will help anything. Maybe I can put the old solenoid back on. I'm going to buy a new starter/solenoid combo soon. But at least the pull start is working without tearing up the rope anymore. That valve adjustment did some good.

Taryl's solenoid trick didn't work last time. That's why I went ahead and bought a new starter/solenoid combo. So maybe... my old solenoid still works! How would you test to see if my starting problem is the solenoid vs. starter??

Oh... I see. You're talking about IN the starter. I only inspected the wires and connections on the outside. Will do... By the way Taryl says "4 thousanths! No matter what the manual says!" 😀

I adjusted the valves yesterday. I don't know if I should have. I used the 0.004 feeler gauge and both valves seemed ok. But the manual said it's supposed to be set to 0.0039. So I tightened both valves a hair tighter and put 'er back together. I'm amazed how much difference 10,000ths of an inch could make. But it runs a tad smoother, no backfire, and the pull start works without the severe, shoulder dislocating kick back. Maybe that's all she needed. So I'll get another starter and maybe we can ride our UTV more than a week without any maintenance or repairs. I checked all the wires in and around the starter and they all look fine. Fuses are all OK. Any other ideas on what might have caused our starter to stop working so soon? Any other ideas on any other adjustments I need to make before installing a new starter??

And whenever I install a new starter... I'm just going to take off the 3 screws holding bottom half on... and swap that part out. No need to remove that whole shroud over the flywheel and all that. Is there some way to rebuild the old starter? Replace some magnets? Re-wind some copper wire?

After watching a few YouTube videos on valve adjustments... it looks like the sketchy way this UTV has been starting (not starting) has been screaming "VALVE ADJUSTMENT" ever since I bought it! Even when the starter seemed to be working fine, it would often turn the motor a little and stop. It's done that since we bought it. After 4 or 5 attempts would finally start. So I'm gonna get a feeler gauge, pull this cover off, adjust the valves and then I guess I'm still gonna need a new starter. But the pull-start should be a lot better after the valve adjustment. This should be a much easier job than installing a new starter. As long as the valve cover is as easy to remove as it looks in the photo below. I'll send an update soon...

All fuses are ok. I found at least 4 or 5 of 'em between the seat and the motor. I can tell there is power going to the starter. I can hear something--probably the solenoid clicking. But the starter won't turn at all. I got it working with the pull-start. As long as the rope doesn't break... pull-start works fine. If the rope breaks, I can tie a new knot and get a few more starts out of it... I'll see if a valve adjustment helps. Then install another starter. Thanks again!

Ok... really frustrated! Side by side has been starting fine since I got the new starter installed. So it's been like a week?? Today, the starter is doing nothing! No clanking sound. No bendix moving. No contact with the flywheel. Nothing! I went ahead and bought a whole new pull start cord. I have been gently turning the motor over with a socket wrench where the little hole is in the belt cover. I guess its the clutch I'm turning. But this allows me to get past the heaviest compression. Then the pull start works easily. Ran the UTV down the road for a few minutes. Turned it off. Starter still won't do anything. And the pull start cord ripped again. So here I am with a dead starter (one week of use) and a broken pull start cord. Same place I was in 4 months ago. What do y'all think is my problem. We never crank the starter more than 2-3sec at a time. Could a valve job fix this? When I use the socket wrench to turn the motor over, and I hit the worst of the compression it makes a sound like a goose or a duck. Or like the sound of a saxophone (or any reed type instrument) when you don't know how to play. Does this sound mean anything? Or is this normal? I'm assuming I need another starter. I just figured out that if I'm leaving the top half of the starter in there... I can pull out the 3 screws holding the starter together and just swap out the bottom half. (which is probably the dead part anyway). So I don't want to replace the starter till I figure out what's burning my old starters up. What do yall think?

I'm sorry. I didn't inspect it like I should have when I had it apart. But looking at the full res photo on my phone, I don't see a crack. Its just dirty! Plus, the flywheel resonates nicely when the starter hits it just right. I don't think a cracked flywheel would do that. (Or maybe it would... I don't know)

Thanks WB! I don't know if it matters. But my motor is actually the Kohler ECH440. Command Pro EFI. (fuel injected) I've got the service manual now and will save it to my phone for any future maintenance. It's funny you mention it... I tried pulling the spark plug the other day when the starter just would not turn the motor. Without the plug, there was NO resistance whatsoever. I don't know if that means I have some compression/decompression problem. Starter turned the motor without the spark plug as well. NO problem. As soon as I put the plug back in, the electric starter started the motor immediately. Makes me wonder if I have the right number of cranking amps on the battery? Or maybe there is some problem with decompression (valves). I think you're right... continuously breaking pull-start cords points to a compression/decompression problem. If the starter never gets into a bind WITHOUT the spark plug in there. Than compression must be what's keeping the motor from turning. Or maybe I blew it by ordering a starter for the CH440, rather than ECH440. I don't know. I've learned a lot but still have a lot to learn. Is there any chance all the dirt getting into the flywheel/starter area could be part of the problem? We have VERY sandy dirt in our area and this dirt gets EVERYWHERE! Could the drive shaft be getting dirty? Corroded? Restricted in anyway? Maybe I need a custom mod to keep the dirt away from the pull-start/flywheel/starter area...

All I know is it's a Kohler CH440. I'll have to find the model number when I get home tonight. Where do you find the model number on a Kohler?