Hey guys, I'm brainstorming a special application for a rotary (read: go cart). The only thing is I'm going to need a clutch and I dont want to install all that hydo bull ****. Were there ever any cable or mechanical clutches used on rotary engines that would be fairly easy to get my hands on? I asked in the 1st gen section and so far they said non of them were. What about the pickups or some of the much older rotary cars like RX3 or something. What kind of clutched did they use and is it possible to still get one?

STEPHEN

 

I don't think any of them were cable operated.

 

The clamping fource of the pressure plate is too high , requiring an equally high force on the pedal to disengage it ,the cable will stretch over time (just like a bonnet cable).

 

It wouldn't be hard to rig. Cut a slot in the top of the throwout arm, make a bracket for the cable housing on the transmission, here you are.

 

Even my '74 REPU is hydraulic. Even if any of the older rotaries were cable operated you would have a heck of a time finding one. Like peeay said, it should be quite simple to modify it for a cable.

 

You could use an aftermarket VW hydraulic pedal assembly from a dune buggy/sand rail..



http://www.dansperformanceparts.com/...buggytcbh2.htm

$240 gets you a gas pedal, single circuit brake master (You only use the rears in a sand rail.. they're so light you lock up the front) and a clutch master, both with little resoviors.

You could probably dig one up on eBay for cheap too.

 

Thanks for the link man!!! I've pretty much decided to start looking at dune buggy type set ups since they are still compact yet designed for more power. The Kart parts just dont cut it, they are all designed around 5-30hp set ups.

Thanks!!!
STEPHEN

 

Yeah man.. I come from air-cooled VW's and have built a couple of sand rails and baja bugs.. http://www.kennedyeng.com/ makes tranny adapters, (you could proabably fabricate the plate and cut down a bug flywheel). You could probably bolt up 300-400 hp to a type 2 IRS bus trans and have a good, compact drivetrain for a rear mid or rear engined rail. Nothing like mean horsepower in an 1100 pound chassis.

 

So what do you guys think about this idea???

12a or 13b n/a carb mounted sideways with the standard flywheel, clutch and all that. Then take a trans cut it off right behind the bellhousing then mount it up. This way the clutch and all that is covered, I can mount up a starter, and easily use a trans slave cyl then just mount a master cyl and use it something like some 1st gen brakes. Also, since I have the bell housing what I'd do is keep the main shaft from the trans but cut it about 3" past the bell housing then mount/weld the gear or maybe something that uses a belt like a motorcycle then direct drive it to the rear axle.

This way, I can use all fairly standard parts that are easy and I can even get them used. I can have a nice hydro brake system. I nice started, ect ect ect

What you guys think about that??? Any flaws so far???

STEPHEN

 

What's the chassis look like? If it's going to be big enough to support the weight of an engine like that with a full radiator and all it's going to need more than one gear.

 

Well, I pretty much decided chain wouldnt work well. I'll prob use something similar to what a motorcycle uses which is basically belt driven.

Its probably going to weight 500-600lbs when said and done which is about like a big bike.

STEPHEN

 

If you are going to build a bike with 1 gear and clutch check the King -v bike. IT is a chevy 350 v8 with 1 gear and clutch. ,chain drive. You need to support the output shaft on both ends with bearings.Garfinkle is good with designing that type thing. He and Roland Gray have looked into building something. If you mount it sideways it will not torque sideways when you rev it up . Brian has Garfinkles number .

 

Thanks for the info man!!! I'll check into that King V bike

STEPHEN

 

Very cool thread! I've got an RX-2 engine and tranny that may find their way into a go-cart or something.

 

Note that all Turbos and pre-RX-7 cars have detachable bellhousings. If you use a Turbo bellhousing you will need a turbo flywheel (a lightweight flywheel will bolt to any automatic counterweight, so you can put a turbo flywheel on any N/A engine) for the starter to mate up properly. If you can scrounge up a '74-78 bellhousing you can use any N/A flywheel.