anyone ever seen a rotary go cart???
 

Hey guys, for some reason I have developed the drive to try and build a rotary go cart.

Has anyone ever seen one??? I'm trying to find one if its been done before and get some drivetrain ideas. I'm having a hard time finding go cart parts that are strong enough lol. Most of them only hold up to about 15hp and I'm thinking a little closer to 10x that haha

STEPHEN

man drop a 20b in a go cart and set a new land speed record. lol :)

Mount the engine transversely on the rear of the chassis with direct drive to whatever size gear you want. Then just build a small tube frame to hold it and throw some decent brakes on there. That would be scary to say the least.
steve

Thats pretty much what I'm doing. However this is the problem

You have to have some type of clutch system if you want to stop the car since the engine is directly conected to the axle. If not then when your sitting still at 800rpms your tires are going to be spinning like mad.....unless you just shut the engine off when you go to stop but I dont want to do that, it really needs some form of clutch

STEPHEN

use a torque converter

Sounds like you're thinking of a 12A, but that's a lot of weight for a go-kart. It will likely stand straight up.

Mazdatrix had some small rotaries (~30hp) at one time. One of those would be perfect for a kart.

Well, I'm thinking of either a 12a or 13b n/a with carb set up. It'll be a little heavier than your standard go cart engine but even if it was 100lbs havier (which I dont think it will be) the extra 100hp will be pleanty to make up for it haha

STEPHEN

There is a company selling rotary powered go-karts. I will see if I can find the link.

This is what you need though :)
http://home.attbi.com/~bwaits/main.jpg

-billy

Here is the link to the one rotor, 40HP, go-kart.

http://www.wankel-rotary.com/lcr_e.htm

-billy

Yeah that would be pretty sweet, and I could get rid of the NA trans I have to build a go kart like that.

(I didn't give the trans to you, did I)?

Sure didn't. I did get the extra, 4 speed, r type box. - Won't need it with the turbo conversion.


-billy

I've got an RX-2 engine and tranny. Maybe that's what I should do with it?

I've got a pair of '83 rotors all cleaned up and ready to go into the RX-2 engine, but I could also reuse the '73 rotors. It would take a little cleaning of the '73 rotors to use them, plus they'd work with the stock flywheel and I could use the top mounted starter without slotting any holes (the starter ring-gear location was moved from '73-'74 I believe), and the '83 rotors would require an aftermarket flywheel with automatic counterweight because the 225mm flywheel is too large for the '73 casting.

Anyway, I could go either way with this engine. I've been looking for a car to put it in and have been holding off on rebuilding it so I can be sure which rotors to use according to application. I'd really like to use the lighter rotors, but I could go with the heavy ones if necessary.

U notice he calls the engine a 1-rotor rotary piston engine.

bwaits - I'm thinking of something between those 2. Its going to be rear mounted and direct drive similar to the small cart but it'll probably need to be just a little bigger. I'm thinking about 4 feet wide and probably 6 feet long.

So basically its probably going to end up close to the size of the first pic you linked to but with the drivetrain set up similar to the 2nd pic you linked to

STEPHEN

The Wankle is always reffured to as a "rotary piston" engine.

That is the chassis design of a sports racer I am developing. It will weigh in with body and driver ready to race at 1300 to 1500 pounds. Engine rules are 12A Bridgeport. We started manufacturing last week. We have the front sub frame built and are working on the suspension parts now.

You are prob. looking at pretty much this size by the time you mount everything you will need. Your driver could sit up more and legs enter the front between the wheels if the engine is in the back. This would gain you maybe 2 feet.



-billy

look into the set-ups used on the rotary motor cycles, for chassis ideas, and 10a motors produced early. racing beat catalogs have pics of 10a motors

Last year on EBAY there was one that sold quick. Looked like a OLD Malibu Grand Prix car

what was the old arctic cat wankel motor... 10a???

No, not a 10A. The motor in the Arctic Cat sleds were just little 300cc and 295cc motors that produced 20-24 hp.
Now Polaris had a sled with a 606cc twin rotor engine...that would be cool.

that would be a fun go kart!!

get a suzuki re 5 motorcycle 500cc, 62hp with the transmission and clutch all there