OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Victa Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers The Vintage Kart - Victa Powered!!

Some of you would know i have taken on a bit of a project in a Vintage Go Kart.

Bruce ( Top Bloke ) was kind enough to donate an old Victa Engine plus some bits and pieces.

I have started a tear down of the engine and have taken some pics.

The Beast!


One Stuck Piston


One Filthy Head


Half apart, just the main bits to go. Its missing the Key for the Keyway shown too.


The new Cylinder waiting for a clean up, its 40thou.


DOH, Broken Ignition wire. The Red one. It had electrical tape underneath it to, i assume thats where a wire runs too as there was a broken connection coming out underneath it where the tape was.



I am forever grateful to Bruce he is a Top Bloke and if you haven't met him already make sure you pop in for a chat.

I will be displaying the Outdoorking name on the Kart and afew other places.

So now the real big challenge begins, the clean up and modifications!!

I dont want the Kart to be a show pony, it has to be a working go kart and i want it to show its History, some chrome things would look great but i am doing this on an extremely tight budget so getting the frame fixed, some period wheels ( Which are like rocking horse poo ) and a fire breathing Victa!!!

Feel free to give me tips and advice!

Cheers Josh

Hello Josh,

I'm very interested in your vintage kart project as I have a number of 125cc Victa engines of 70's vintage and was thinking of doing the same thing or perhaps even putting a Victa engine on a modern frame. When I was a teenager I had a "home made" kart powered by a Victa 125cc.

regards,

Peter

Any tips for removing the piston from the Cylinder? Also i am going to need a new head for it with a centre mounted spark plug.

Josh, no need for a centre mounted spark plug, just clean that head up.

Why do you want that piston? Looks like it has a hole in it anyway?

Have you had a look at this website?

http://www.vintagekart.4t.com/

The chassis looks like one of these?

http://www.vintagekart.4t.com/photo_8.html



Martin

Hey Martin,

Yeah i'm already on that website, i dont want the Piston i just want it out of the cylinder so i can get the rod out.

Been told to use a centre spark plug head, dunno why though.

Thats a Victa brand Kart, this one is a K.K. Special the steering wheel on it is the clincher which makes it a K.K.

Ok, no probs.

Hmmmm, you may need a press to get that piston out. You could also chip away at it (break the alloy up) with a cold chisel. you may damage the barrel as well if you use a chisel but it looks like it needs a bore anyway.

Josh84,

Try putting some brake fluid in the cylinder and let it soak and you might find that it will release it enough to get it out.

I've done the oil for afew days, still wont budge, might have to heat it up then drop it into some cold water to get it out.

Have been sent plans for an exhaust for the old Victa, am being sent a centre mount spark plug head as well. More pics when progress is made.

Anyone have torque specs for this engine? I'm going to modify the ports etc first.

Love it!!

PM sent regarding Exhaust plans

Havent forgotten about this little project, its in storage at the moment AKA Mums Shed lol. Have 3 engines for it but yet to check any of them to see if they are runners, got a motorbike to finish restoring yet then i'll start playing on this one.

Okay the motorbike has gone, i'm going to pull the kart out of storage and get stuck into it, now i have 3 standard victa engines which i need to modify and rebuild one of them but will use the others for parts, was considering polishing the engine casings but thats alot of work and abit to showy for this kart, i want it to be how it would of been back in the day.

Would still really like to find a Mcculloch MC10 engine for it though.. but i'm happy with a victa for now.

Okay guys, its time to get this old girl running and i'd like it to be a outdoorking project, with ideas thrown around etc. I dont play on mowers anymore so would really like to get my hands dirty on this old girl again, Bruce was nice enough to provide some bearings and gaskets etc for the old Victa engine i plan to run on it, and the plan may even include 2 Victas running side by side! But we shall see what happens and what the rules and regs will let me run.

I dont want to modify the frame at all just restore it with afew new welds and some bright yellow paint or will repaint it the soft blue it is now.

So come on guys, throw some ideas my way and lets get this old girl going!

well its been a long time since i had even looked at the kart let alone put a spanner to it, gonna need some advice here guys on what to actually do with the engine performance wise. The kart is now in the shed here at home and the plans are still to run a victa engine on it for nostalgic purposes. I really want to get this old girl humming along but still keep to a standard bore if possible, Bruce donated a piston and gasket kit among afew other bits and pieces and i would really like to do the forum proud and advertise it while the kart is on show.

mmm Hi Josh84, Maybe you should start a new thread in engines, and link it back to here once you've finished... Otherwise no-one will find it in "Victa walk behind rotary mowers" section.

Anyway... what you do and how you do modify you engine is entirely dependant on what tools you have and your budget (skills also, but we all learn eh?).

I would suggest the following are required (little money basic as, but big grin performance):
1) Sharp scriber with a 90 deg bend on the end
2) A texta (aka mark out dye)
3) A 1/4 or 3/8 high speed drill(optional)
4) A selection of metal files; round, and square of various sizes
5) A set of needle files (some round with bent ends)
6) A few grinding/polishing stones for the drill (optional)
7) A combination square, (and one with centre finder attachment, optional)
8) A bolt with a slot in it for wrapping wet n dry around for polishing (optional)
9) A few sheets of wet and dry paper grit 120 to 400 (and finer if you like)
10) A calculator (unless mental/manual workshop math floats your boat)
11) A work (lab) book to keep notes/methods and ideas at hand and together
12) An old clean piston that fits the bore
13) Solvent and rags
14) A clean work area, clothes and hands (eating quality clean, not optional)
15) One hundred times more of the amount of time you think you are going to spend on doing it
16) At least five times the money you think you are going to spend on it (cheap version)
17) A better way of holding the motor than the vice! (the kart engine mount for example. I had a finished motor smash on the ground, as it "popped" out of a vice)

Start a new thread in engines and I'm sure the opinions on what and how much, where etc. will come. A few upto date photo's and work inprogress shots will keep us interested otherwise I for one will tend to