Warning for clones - cover bolts

sho305

Just a warning about the side cover bolts, mine came loose! I read about this with the gokart guys but didn't figure I'd have an issue as they run the snot out of them high rpm and all.

I took the cover off and removed the governor parts way back then I got it, gasket was good, new, and dry, then torqued the bolts back in. So ran the cart hard the other day for at least two hours racing around spinning the tires and all, didn't notice anything when I parked it. Today its cold out but figure I can ride for a few minutes while the furnace warms up the shop. I hear this funny noise, kind of sounds like the guts of the muffler let loose and are rattling around in there. Or maybe a shroud is loose. I look and listen running it in neutral, mostly is at lower rpm and only when you step on the gas. Check the exhaust pipe coupling and welds, all good there.

Finally idling it and hear it some, spot oil on top of the block? Its leaking out the cover gasket on top. About half the upper bolts are not tight! Tighten them quick and it sounds fine. Had to have been compression leaking out I guess, anyway having the block fall in half is not good! Will have to keep an eye on them now. The racers put stud kits in them and get rid of the bolts. I'll have to check on kits for it or silicone the bolts maybe. Don't really want to loctite them. It may have trashed the gasket as well.

BGW

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simple man

Thanks for the tip! Yeah, I wouldn't Loctite them either. I'd just check them for looseness every now and then! I have found that any aluminum parts held together with fasteners must be torqued with great care and to the right specs. As the aluminum heats up it expands much more than the steel fasteners. This is one reason you may see fasteners that have a " hourglass " look to them. The smaller shank lets the fastener stretch and then contract to it's previous size. Not that you did this, but a lot of issues I'm familiar with in aluminum engines were caused by overtightening the fasteners! Oh, I have a leak, I'll just crank them down some more! Sometimes star washers will help, if the washers don't need to seal the fasteners head.

geoffw

We havent had an issue with red locktite yet, but studs do sound like the way to go!

I know the PPG guys (Powered Paragliding) safety wire them.

pachanga90

Use Blue Loc-Tite,They will be fine.It isn't really recommended to use the Red on Aluminum,since you need heat to break it,and it can pull the threads as well.A couple drops of Blue will work fine.Safety-Wire is required in most Aviation-Stuff,and alot of racing-stuff as well.

rokcrlr

My son and I raced clone for several years. I did all of our engine work on them. I never ever had side cover bolts come loose.I torqued to 15-20 ft pounds. I even had a juiced up 196cc that was putting out around 15hp and would vibrate your teeth out at idle,not even those would come loose.However I always retorqued the bolts after the first warm up to be sure. I don't know what the guys that have them coming loose are doing wrong, ,but I never had a problem with them.If you want to be safe ,use ONLY blue loc-tite. like above you'll pull the threads useing read,Red is permanate,blue is thread locker.I would say operater era was the reason for them coming loose.

geoffw

You are correct, I just checked what we are using and its Blue, not red.

sho305

I used a torque wrench when the engine was new on a bench (last July or before), and this is a 420cc not a 200. The kart/minibike/mower pulling guys have this issue with the 270/390/420cc just figured I would not since I don't run it hard as they do.