G1 Clone Build Thread

[danman]

Now that I have some pictures and have made some progress, I decided to start a build thread.
I got this cart as a Christmas present from my Dad, and it had been sitting for quite a while. Couldn't get it to run, so I got a 420cc predator electric start clone to drop in it.

So far, the clone is in and running, I fabbed a new front bumper, and have installed a Jakes 6" lift. Been working on it for about 3 weeks, and hope to have it "finished" (are they ever???) around February!

Let me figure out how to get pictures on here.....

Near future plans:
New boat style seats
New steering wheel
Body work and paint
frame strip down and paint
lights
WHEELS AND TIRES
2" more lift
upgrade clutches and springs
swap to g2 rearend for reverse
completely redo exhaust
Mikuni carb and jet
rear bumper

[danman]

Day I brought it home


Stripped down for pressure washing


Modified the motor mount a bit



Throttle is hooked up, and the NR Racing filter looks good!

Just a belt side view, gotta keep a little slack in the belt so it won't take off at idle


Just a view of the Jakes 6" lift and the bumper I built



Hopefully next week I can start on the body work while I save some nickels for wheels and tires.

Plans for this week are to completely break it back down, clean the frame and welds up and get the frame primered and painted. Weather man says we are getting up into the 60's at the end of the week!

[sho305]

Nice bumper, I want to make one of those too. A little paint and wheels/tires that thing will look completely different! Coming along nicely!

[danman]

Thanks Sho Couldn't have pulled it off as timely without your help
It definitely is a blast to drive. I'm looking into totally replacing the carb. This clone carb is a little sputtery, but that could be because of how the "T" is set up on the fuel line.

Any suggestions on a torque kit for the secondary drive clutch?

Also, will too much slack in the belt hurt my top speed? It has no problem cutting donuts and burning tires in the garage

[sho305]

Originally Posted by danman

Thanks Sho Couldn't have pulled it off as timely without your help
It definitely is a blast to drive. I'm looking into totally replacing the carb. This clone carb is a little sputtery, but that could be because of how the "T" is set up on the fuel line.

Any suggestions on a torque kit for the secondary drive clutch?

Also, will too much slack in the belt hurt my top speed? It has no problem cutting donuts and burning tires in the garage

Did you go richer on the main jet, you have to unless you use the stock clone airbox and muffler or very similar. If it runs out of fuel it will cut out after some throttle has been used to empty the bowl....not when you first step on it.

Most people don't use springs in secondaries with any larger engine, you can but should not be needed with way more power than stock. Engagement is a function of the primary if you want that you have to change or mod the primary for a hard takeoff. Secondary is more for back shifting and belt pressure (not slipping). Back shift is when rpm drops at low throttle given same ground speed. That is adjusted with the preload on stock spring, more wind and it will keep higher rpm all the time. It will not change top rpm shifting really, this is when its shifting not beyond full shift. I really like the cut sheave for takeoff power it revs faster and at lower speed, the kevlar belt does this some but assuming you have stock centers on clutches of course.

I set my belt with the tension cable the g9 has that pulls the mounts forward. When the engine torques it holds it. Too loose belt would give same top speed and bog on takeoff, too tight would take off harder but limit top speed. I adjusted it and made a run with a gps, starting the run on a short steep hill from a stop to gauge takeoff under load. Right in the center you can get same top speed and good takeoff rpm. Note stock clutch takes a few seconds to develop some rpm on a loaded takeoff, like dead stop on a hill like I did. I worked on it a lot because I pulled trailers with it and had problems with some steep little hills on trails.

[danman]

Wow, thanks Sho

Glad you know about all of that! I may have a lead on a g2 rearend, which will give me reverse back. Pretty excited about that

I THOUGHT my belt may be too loose, but this thing jumps right off the line. I saw your post where you held the brake for a few seconds at full throttle and how it pulled the front. I gave it a shot in the driveway, and it about threw me off I still have stock tires too.

So, this thing takes off great and has plenty of pull and torque with less than half throttle. I just felt like it should be closer to 25mph with stock tires. Surely 22" tires wont pull my top speed up that much will it??

Thanks for the info on the clutches btw. I now know I definitely dont need a torque kit!

[hookm]

Dan,I ran that filter from NR Racing,it's usless off road,I don't know what the answere is, I changed to a V-twin.It sucked dirt & water/mud right through it,may be you could mount it higher some how?

[danman]

Hookm, I was a little weary of that myself.
After only a few minutes of driving around, I took the filter off to see if the carb was still flooding a little. Well, not to my surprise there was dirt all over the carb adapter.

I was thinking about piping it up through the body behind the passenger seat, to get it away from under the cart.

Right now, the cart is completely stripped down to the frame and waiting to finish primer and paint

[sho305]

If you have 18" stock tires, yeah around a 8mph increase to 22s. Most carts do just over 20 stock no governor and around 30 with 22s. Checked a G9 with the governor still on and all the way in did 27gps with 22s. Though some 22s are taller than others or vary by air pressure. I ran mine 13-15psi and could get just over 30gps.

So you will have less torque with the larger tires too..but more speed. I was doing donuts all over with my cart on stock tires on dirt, with the 22s even the clone digs too hard. I've done a donut with the first clone I did on dry gravel, when I tried mine the front kept lifting and it would not turn. It will do it in sand, certainly the rear weight bias makes it hard to do.

If you skim my thread in clones I put a car airbox in and pvc to the front for clean air intake. Get a lot of dust here that helps a ton and the car filters are $7 each lol.

[danman]

I'll check it out