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Understand the basics of go karts engines before giving power to your mechanical monster

The possibilities of selecting one of many types of go karts engines can be a daunting but fun task. At the most basic level, go kart engines fall into one of two categories: two stroke or four stroke engines. Depending on your go kart riding purposes, you might prefer one type over the other. A two-stroke or 2-cycle engine means that for every two cycles that the crankshaft completes, one is for power. On the other hand for a four-stroke engine, four turns of the crankshaft are needed to produce one for power. A two-stroke engine makes karting much more effective because you’re essentially getting more power for every stroke, in other words doubling the power when compared to a 4-cycle mechanism. However, four-stroke engines can be a better choice if you’re looking for gas mileage and maximum durability.

Another disadvantage of two stroke gokart engines is that they don’t have a separate engine and piston lubricating system. They use a special kind of fuel that’s combined with oil to lube the inner components of the engine which can turn out to be a problem in the exhaust phase. Four-stroke engines do not have this problem because they have a separately engineered system that takes care of lubing their interior parts. However, this can result in having to do more maintenance on the vehicle, keeping oil and fluid levels in constant check. Basically speaking, two-stroke engines are faster, more robust and more maintenance free than their four-stroke counterparts which in turn can turn out to be more durable and give you more mileage for the same quantity of gas burned.

Adapt any small engine to run your kart

One of the great things about customizing your own go kart is that you can choose from a wide variety of engines that can be adapted to your vehicle. Any small motor can be used to power your kart including: lawnmower, motorbike, chainsaw, generator, moped and even car engines. There are also engines specifically built for go karts but they turn out to be pretty similar if not identical to small general purpose engines. The most famous brands of engines are Briggs & Stratton, Honda, Tecumseh, Yamaha and Kohler. The Yamaha TK-100 has become the standard engine for the two-stroke and air-cooled gokart racing scene.

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