What is the perfect chain tension? And how do I adjust it?
The ideal chain tension is around 10mm of movement in the chain up and down (imagine a 20p coin for scale). To set the tension correctly, it is important to ensure the rear sprocket is aligned with the front engine sprocket (on the clutch drum).
Adjustment can be made by undoing the engine mount clamps underneath the kart and the engine adjustment bolt located behind the engine. Slide the engine to the desired position — you can turn the engine adjustment bolt to push the engine forwards for any very small adjustments required. Equally, you may need to turn the engine adjustment bolt the opposite direction to make space to push the engine backwards, if required.
Once satisfied, you can then tighten the two engine mount bolts and check the tension. Adjust as necessary until happy, and only then should you tighten up the engine adjustment bolt.
There is a bolt in the engine side casing where I'd like to fit the chain guard. What should I do?
There may be two bolts in the engine casing in the position that the chain guard bracket will attach. Simply remove the existing bolts and keep these as spares. Fit the chain guard bracket using the supplied bolts, washers and spacer (this fits to the longer bolt for the bottom of the two holes between the engine and the bracket).
If the plastic chain guard itself is catching on a bolt on the engine casing, you can trim the plastic chain guard as necessary to clear the bolt. If you are unsure, contact jake@espireeducation.co.uk for advice.
What if we crack the chain guard?
If your chain guard is cracked, depending on the severity you could attempt to repair it using a suitable tape or plastic welding. If you have concerns about the severity of the damage, then it is well worth replacing via the Club Shop.
Our chainguard has melted. Why? What should we do?
If your chain guard has melted, it is usually due to one of two causes. Either the chain guard has been incorrectly fitted and has therefore been in contact with the clutch drum, chain or rear sprocket. The other reason could be that the engine idle speed (often referred to as tick over) is set too high, which generates too much heat through the clutch when stationary (as the throttle is effectively on whilst stationary), and this high temperature can melt the plastic.
This can be resolved by reducing the idle speed by adjusting the idle screw on the back of the carburettor. In either case, the chain guard will need to be replaced.
We've incorrectly drilled the chainguard holes. What can we do?
Depending on where the original holes have been drilled, new holes can either be drilled separately, or if there isn't sufficient space for complete new holes, it may be necessary to elongate the existing holes (once the two nuts are tight, the chain guard won't be able to move).