mods

Camshaft	Read it! See it! Do it!
Tech from John / Racemybuick Swapping out your stock camshaft with a High Performance cam step by step, with pics for your GY6!	Read it! See it! Do it!
Disclaimer: PLEASE read entire instructions prior to attempting this for the first time. Be familiar with the pics and the info to each one, as it may be very important not to skip!!! This is a technical job. On a scale of 1-10 on difficulty (10 hardest), this one ranks up there close to a 8-9... 10 being engine rebuilding!!! The job entails use of tools not commonly found in the avarage houshold tool box, so lets get tools sorted out: You will need: 1/4 inch socket wrench and socket set... most often you use the 8mm socket, and the 10mm socket... BUT-the Valve tappet is 9mm. 3/8 socket wrench and set- sockets: 5/8 for spark plug, 13mm for rocker assembly and passenger seat metric combination wrench set, specifically 12mm and 13mm for seat Feeler Guage set (.003 and .004 specifically) 3/8 torque wrench and 13mm socket Pencil and white-out or etching pen Assembly lube RTV silicone flat-head and phillips-head (star) screwdrivers rope or bungee for timing chain Got those? First things first, to make your life EXTRA easy, simply use a 12mm wrench and a 13mm socket and 3/8 socket wrench, and remove your passenger seat by removing the two bolts that hold it in place! Remove the seat and you now exposed the whole top-end! Now... Begin by starting literally from the top!! Shut off fuel supply, and drain your carburetor. Remove the carburetor and intake manifold. This IS necessary in order to remove the chain tensioner later on. Once you remove the filter/intake tube, the carb, and then the manifold (10mm nuts), you can start removing the plastic components around the engine. You really only need to remove the top section and the passenger (intake fan) side pieces for this task, therefore, it is unnecessary to remove the exhaust and lower portion of the plastic, however, as I was performing other modifications, in my pics, the exhaust is removed. Use the 1/4 inch socket wrench and 8mm socket for ALL the bolts in the plastic housing. Now that you got that stuff out of the way, remove the fan from the flywheel on the passenger side of the engine, again, using the 8mm socket. Once you have the fan off, take note of where the flywheel is, and remove the spark plug with a 5/8 deep socket and 3/8 socket wrench. With the plug out, you can partially cover the hole with a finger and turn the engine forward (clockwise) and feel for compression. using the pencil you have, slide it into the spark-plug hole once you located the compression stroke. Slowly turn the engine and watch the pencil... If it goes up, turn the engine a tiny bit more... if it goes down, back up a tiny bit till it reaches the top again. You want to see the pencil stick out the farthest, so as soon as you find that (known as Top Dead Center, TDC), you can remove the valve cover and check your status! Again, using the 8mm socket and 1/4 socket wrench, remove the 2-4 bolts holding the valve cover. Remove the valve cover and wipe the gasket surface thoroughly with a clean rag... set aside and begin timing alignment. Looking at the cam, line up the two small holes with the top of the engine surface. The large hole should be pointing towards the seats: If the markings are correct, and you are on the compression stroke, TDC, then you are half way there!! Now, etch or mark your flywheel position so that you can reference it in the future and for tuning later on. I used an etching pen, but many people use marker or white-out. Once that is marked, you may remove the 4 nuts and washers holding in the rocker assembly. This is 13mm, and the 3/8 socket wrench. Break all 4 loose first, then remove each one at a time. Get your rope or cord ready to hang the chain by.... Remove the rocker assembly from the head, exposing the camshaft. Now, go back to the top of the engine, near the electrical box, and remove the two 8mm bolts holding down the timing chain tensioner. Remove the tensioner, and be careful not to break the gasket! Dip the camshaft towards the driver side, and pull the chain from the sprocket SLOWLY. Once the chain is completely off, IMMEDIATELY hang it!! If you drop it into the case, you will have to completely remove your engine from the buggy, and take the entire engine apart to fix it. So hang it right away!!! Once it is hanging, pull out the old cam! Check the surfaces for scoring or any obvious damages to the head. Make sure the surface is clean of any oil and or debris, and now you can drip some assembly lube onto the mains, as well as into the bearings of the cam. Drop the cam easily into place, and again, tip it to attach the chain. It is extremely important that the two small holes line up again, even with the head... MAKE sure, check and re-check to have the holes lined up correct... Once it is in the correct place, lined up and chain on, you may proceed to install the rocker assembly. Torque plays an important role here... Factory settings state 25lbs of torque were used to install these nuts on the rocker assembly. DO NOT EXCEED THIS!!! Tighten each one in an "X" pattern until snug, then use the torque wrench to get all of them to 25 ft/lbs, in the "X" pattern. Once the assembly is back on, re-install your timing chain tensioner. Make sure the gasket surface is clean, and make sure it rests on the chain as it slides back into the hole. Tighten them up with the 8mm socket, and now you can move onto the hard part!!! Now you need to set your lash. Valve Lash is the amount of travel the rocker and tappet have before coming in contact with the valve stem. To set your lash, you will need a feeler gauge set with .003 and .004 gauges: Starting with the intake valve (top): Loosen the adjusting nuts on both the top and bottom (intake and exhaust) tappets with the 9mm socket and 1/4 inch socket wrench. Once they are loose, you should be able to spin the square head screw with your fingers or a very small set of pliers. Place the feeler gauge (.003) between the tappet and the valve, and tighten the tappet screw until it touches the gauge. Pull and push the gauge...There should be tugging tension, but not too tight that it scores the gauge. Once it is taught, tighten the adjusting nut with the 9mm socket, and re-test the lash with the gauges. Check and re-check to make sure they did not loosen while you tightened the nut. Repeat this step for the exhaust valve, only, some manufacturers recommend that you use the .004 for the exhaust valve instead of the .003. I checked my depth BEFORE removing the rocker assembly, and I found that both were set at .003. After re-checking 3 times or more for each valve lash, I felt comfortable with my settings, and now it is time to close up! Using a small bead of black rtv, I made a new gasket and re-installed the valve cover: Now, just re-install the fan, the plastics, the carb and intake and all other components that were removed, and you can finally test out the performance!!! IF you experience hard starting, or a no-start condition, the your timing is off. If you experience back-firing or constant popping, you may have been off by a few teeth or even 1 or two on the chain and cam gear. you will need to go back in and re-set the chain on the cam if this is a problem you experience. That is why it is sooooooo important to line up the holes of the cam in the beginning. If you have a no-start problem, or it back fires but doesn't run, then you most likely are 180* off, or were on the wring stroke when you set your timing marks. Again, you will have to remove everything and re-align the marks and TDC to assure proper timing. This is not an easy mod, and tuning will need to be stepped up as soon as this mod is completed. Better intake if not already installed, better jetting, most likely a larger jet is necessary. New spark plug is recommended. And exhaust modifications may be necessary to produce the highest level of performance from your new mod!!! BACK TO TOP	Your new cam is waiting at KidnMe Motorsports 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Good luck, and hope this helps you out if and when you decide to go big!!!
Carburetor / Rejet	Read it! See it! Do it!
Tech from John / Racemybuick Remember the color of your plugs tells the story	Read it! See it! Do it!
How do you re-jet? SIMPLE!!! #1: shut off fuel supply to carb at petcock or inline shut off... if you do not have one, drain fuel tank, or crimp fuel line to keep fuel out of carb... # 2: unscrew the intake and the manifold hose clamps on the carb. simply remove the carb from the manifold (gently) or sometimes you can just twist the carb counter clockwise to have the bottom facing the passenger side... either way, this is what you should have: and the manifold left on-- make sure to clean the area but first put paper towel in the manifold to keep debris out! NEXT...you unscrew the screw at the very bottom of the carb, most of the time found in the center... this is the "fuel Bowl Drain"..... it will drain out the gasoline left in the carburetor...so make sure you have a drip pan or catch can under the buggy to catch the fuel... NEXT!!! after the dripping subsides, you simply unscrew the 3-4 screws holing the Fuel Bowl to the carburator... Take special care when removing the bowl, as there is a rubber gasket attached to seal the carb, and you DO NOT want to break this!!! The fuel floats are found in here, and most of the time they are plastic and can break easily, so you do not want to bang on the carb to loosen the Bowl... This is what it should look like with the bowl off: OK...now you locate the MAIN JET...This is it: Simply unscrew this jet with a thin, flat head screwdriver... and install your new, oversized jet... For my testing, I went from a 128 jet to 137.5... Now, you carefully line up the fuel bowl and screws, tighten them evenly, and make sure you tighten the fuel drain back up... Then simply re-install the carb back to it's original position, and tighten all clamps tight...open the fuel supply back up, let the carb fill for a minute or so, and start your buggy.... use carb cleaner to spray the engine while it is running to check for leaks... buggy will bog down or shut off if you have a leak... spray one spot at a time, and if the motor doesn't slow down, you are free to run it and see how it performs! BACK TO TOP	1 2 3 4 5 6
Changing Rollers	Read it! See it! Do it!
Tech from John / Racemybuick The rollers are located inside that cover on the driverside of the motor in the buggy	Read it! See it! Do it!
The rollers are located inside that cover on the driver side of the motor in the buggy... Some covers are black, my cover is silver... This cover protects a part known as the variator, and the clutch. The variator and clutch are linked together by a belt. The rollers are weights which are activated by the speed of the motor... They roll out from the center, as the speed of the engine increases... This action forces the variator body to sandwich the belt, in turn, engaging the belt, then engaging the clutch... As the engine slows down, the rollers roll back into the center, releasing the belt. An alternative to rollers, which are sometimes prone to "flat spotting," are sliders. While more expensive, sliders are less likely to wear, and are more reliable over time. The variator is mounted directly to the engines' crankshaft. This is the first component of your transmission. It is bolted in place, and consists of 5 basic parts. The fan, the body, the rollers, the shaft, and the cover. A large nut, 18mm, holds the variator in place, with a washer between the fan and the nut-- Most of the time it will require an IMPACT gun to remove. You can fashion up a jig to hold the variator in place, but often, this spells tragedy for your fan, which the blades can easily brake off from. Remove nut: Then Remove fan and belt: Hold your fingers behind the variator cover to ensure it does not fall apart as you pull it from the shaft... You do not want to loose any pieces, or forget how it goes back!!! And now you have the variator removed, you can look inside!! As per parts... I first upgraded my rollers to a smaller weight, then my entire variator for better air control in the case later on. you will see pics from the latter of the two, but the concept and the steps are identical. I was more in favor of 10 gram rollers initially, however, many dealers were out of stock, and the Kidinme karts is the official Kidinme karts is the official dealer for the NORTH EAST GANG! for the NORTH EAST GANG! I had established a relationship with, had a different set, 9 grams, in stock and ready for shipment. I decided I wanted those, as opposed to 11's, and that, coupled with a 1500 lb spring, got me off in the right direction. The rollers are simply 6 little cylinders coated in graphite with bronze or brass centers. They roll in and out of their respective slots inside the variator body... seen here: The stock ones are the blue, and the 9gram rollers are in my hand. You can see where they go into the variator, and there are ALWAYS 6!!! NOW, you just swap out your stock rollers for your new ones, and re-install everything just as you pulled it out!!! To make life a little simpler, you can tug the belt as hard as you can, so that it goes deeper into the clutch (rear pully), and this will give you slack as you re-assemble the variator back on the crankshaft.... Variator cover/body/shaft go on first, then the belt onto the variator shaft, then the- fan/washer/nut- in that order. Use the impact gun to secure the nut tightly back on the variator after everything is re-assembled... BUT thread the nut carefully with your hand first!!!!! YOU never want to cross thread the crankshaft!!! I upgraded my variator to the MRP vented variator, which included a lighter alloy variator body, and a vented shaft for the belt... After installing the your rollers, Start getting ready to install the 1500 lb spring, Both mods will give you exceptional hill climbing ability, much more top end, and a bit more torque!!!! BACK TO TOP	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Gutting Your Exhaust	Read it! See it! Do it!
Tech from Vinny / Krusekontrol When you start this project make sure you inspect and replace components as needed.	Read it! See it! Do it!
Gutting your exhaust is a cost effective way to improve performance and give you a little extra power. This will not produce the same results as installing a quality high performance exhaust system but it's a good start. This project should only be done after you have upgraded your air intake, filter and carb. Tools Used Common - Wrenchs, Hammers, Vise Uncommon - Chop Saw with metal cutting wheel, Welder, Dremel, Bench Grinder Step 1 Carefully remove the 2 studs located under the engine and the side bolt on the muffler. If they are to tight do not force them, give them a good soak with a penetrating solvent first. A broken stud or bolt is not something you want to waste time on. If a stud spins out completely as shown in fig 1 do not worry. As long as the threads are not damaged it will reinstall without any problems. Do not us a bonding agent to reinstall these studs. This will make it more difficult to remove a stud in the event one breaks in the future Step 2 Remove the bolts from the chrome cap and heat shield Step 3 Inspect all bolts for excessive rust, damage heads and threads. The high heat causes these pieces to rust much faster then all other nuts and bolts and replacement may be needed from time to time. In most cases a good cleaning with a soft wire wheel on a Dremel or bench grinder will do fine for proper maintenance and longer use. Step 4 Check the side mount bushing for wear. This item is more important then you might think. It reduces vibration and noise and is vital in keeping stress off the main studs. If its damaged, replace it as soon as possible. Step 5 Prep your muffler for cutting. Clean all loose dirt from the surface and draw a line from the end cap down on to the muffler body. This will help you line up the cap after cutting. Use a permanent marker or sharp tool to make sure the line stays visible until your ready to weld. Step 6 You can now begin your cut. Carefully lineup the original weld just past your cutting blade. You want to cut only the muffler body not the cap. If you cut the cap it will not seat right and you will not able to reinstall the chrome cap when the job is complete. It is important to let the saw make the cut, do not force your blade down with to much pressure. You can damage the muffler or worse snap the cutting blade. These blades do break and can cause extreme injuries so take your time and be careful. Another important thing to remember is the size of the saw you use will determine if you can make a straight pass of if you will have to stop and rotate the muffler to complete the cut. A 10" chop saw is the smallest one you can use for a straight pass. Some models safety shield are to large and need to be removed in order for them to cut in one pass. Step 7 After your cut is made you should have a complete end cap with original weld still visible around the entire cap. This bead will also help as a guide when you start your new weld. At this point you will want to clean all the edges of both cut pieces. On the inside edge you can pull off any large shaving still attached to the inner edge by hand. Now using a die grinder or dremel smooth out the inner edge and make sure no loose metal remains. Small metal fragments left behind will break away and bounce around inside the muffler producing an annoying rattling sound similar to a loose bolt on the exhaust. Step 8 Now you can determine how you want to gut the exhaust. If you have a torch you can remove all internal components, but it is not necessary with this type of exhaust. The inner pipe comes straight through and only makes one loop. By removing just the loop you will get the same results as if were fully gutted. Load a cutting disc on your Dremel. You may be limited by choice, some cutting wheels are to large to fit in the location where you will begin your cut. Step 9 Insert your cutting wheel as close to the plate where the pipe begins it's exit. Let your grinder do the cutting. Slowly move across the loop making sure your cut is deep enough. If your cutting wheel breaks make sure you remove any pieces that may be stuck in the cut you already made. You will need about 3 or 4 wheels to make a complete cut. You can only cut from one side because the loop is close to one side. You can bend the loop a little as you cut gets deeper, this will allow you cutting wheel to cut away more metal so the final break is much easier. Step 10 When you finished cutting as much metal as possible you will have to chisel cut the remaining metal. You can use any number of tools to do this part. However due to the angle using a hammer on hammer will give you the best leverage for greater impact and a cleaner cut. You can use a masonry or autobody hammer as the chisel. Place the narrow end of your hammer directly into the cut you made with your grinder. Now use a heavy ball-peen hammer and hit the other hammer you inserted into the cut. One good hard shot should do the trick. Once you remove the loop use your cutting wheel to remove the remaining loose metal in the muffler. Step 11 Now it's time to prep for welding. Grind down the edges of both the muffler body and end cap with a slight beveled edge. After this is complete line up the marks you made in step 5. Clamp the parts together using a large clamp or vise. When everything is secure tack weld 1 or 2 spots and double check that the cap is seated correctly before you complete your weld. Step 12 Hang your new gutted exhaust and get ready to paint. It is best to use a 1700 degree ceramic paint. However a 1200 degree paint will work ok. Use a primer as well and make sure it's dry before you fire up the engine. Ceramic paints will cure with the exhaust heat but they must first air dry before you can cook them. The high quality ceramic paints can be cooked as soon as they are dry enough to handle. They also cost about 3 times the amount of the cheaper 1200 degree paint. The best priced 1700 degree paint that I have seen can be purchased from the Eastwood company. BACK TO TOP	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Here is your new exhaust.