I recently bought a Yerf Dog yard kart and have been having trouble with the torque converter. Apparently what I have is a Comet 30 series torque converter, as seen on my kart here:
It looks to be in good condition and the belt looks new, but the kart wants to take off even at idle. I have to hold the kart still with one hand while pull starting it with the other and it pulls against me when starting. Any clues? Any recommendations on maintenance to do on this in addition to figuring out the problem? This is all totally new territory for me as I've never owned a go-kart or other small engined recreational machine.
Shamelessly stolen from a karts website:
Kart Moves While Engine Is Idling (Torque Converter):
- Drive belt installed wrong (30 Series only, flat side of belt should be towards the engine)
- Wrong drive belt installed (a belt that is too short will cause the machine to "creep" at idle)
- Malfunctioning driver pulley (on crankshaft)
- Malfunctioning driven pulley (on jackshaft)
- Incorrect driver pulley spacing
- Engine idle set too high
- Pulleys not aligned (will also destroy belts)
https://www.bmikarts.com/Trouble-Shooting-Guide-Clutches-TorqueConverters
Edit: Verify that this is so:
When the engine is at idle, the driver clutch pulley should not engage the sides of the belt. The belt should be loose in the pulley and resting on the bronze bushing around the hub.
Almost certainly not the case. Pull the driver apart and make sure everything is lubed and works freely.
Edit #2: Relevant video:
