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International Karting Industry Buyer's Guide

GO KARTING!
A Guide To The World's Most Popular Motorsport.

Kart Expo International

LOW COMPRESSION
1. Spark plug loose. Remove the plug and inspect the threads. Re-install and tighten.
2. Cylinder head not sufficiently tightened down. If the cylinder head is suspected of being loose, then there’s a chance that the gasket and head are damaged if the problem has persisted for any length of time.
3. Improper valve clearance. This means that the valve is not closing completely and compression pressure is leaking past the valve. Check and adjust the valve clearances.
4. Cylinder and/or piston worn. Excessive wear will cause compression pressure to leak past the rings. This is usually accompanied by worn rings as well.
5. Piston rings worn, weak, broken or sticking rings usually indicate a lubrications or carburetion problem that causes excess carbon deposits or seizures to form on the pistons and rings.
6. Cylinder head gasket damage. If the head is allowed to come loose, or if excessive carbon build-up on the piston crown and combustion chamber causes extremely high compression, the head gasket may leak. Re-torquing the head is not always sufficient to restore the seal, so gasket replacement may be necessary.
7. Valve spring broken or weak. Caused by component failure or wear; the spring(s) must be replaced.
8. Valve not seated properly. This is caused by a bent valve (from over-revving or improper valve adjustment), burned valve seat (improper carburetion) or an accumulation of carbon deposits on the seat. The valves must be cleaned and/or replaced.
 

FUEL/AIR MIXTURE INCORRECT
1. Main jet clogged. Dirt, water or other contaminants can clog the main jet. Clean the fuel filter and jets.
2. Wrong size main jet. The standard setting is for sea level atmospheric pressure and oxygen content.
3. Air cleaner clogged, poorly sealed.
4. Fuel line clogged. Pull the fuel line loose and carefully blow through it.
 

KNOCKING AND PINGING
1. Carbon build-up in combustion chamber. Use a fuel additive that will dissolve the carbon particles.
2. Incorrect or poor quality fuel. Old or improper fuel grades can cause detonation. This causes the piston to rattle, thus the knocking or pinging sound. Drain the old fuel and always use the recommended fuel grade.
3. Improper air/fuel mixture. This will cause the cylinder to run hot, which leads to detonation. Clogged jets or an air leak can cause this imbalance.
 

FIRING INCORRECT
1. Air filter restricted. Clean or replace the filter.
2. Spark plug fouled, defective or worn out – replace.
3. Spark plug cap not in good contact.
4. Igniter defective.
5. Ignition coil defective.

Article courtesy of INEX Monthly

END
 

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