Torque Converter or Not!

[Prowrench22]

What should I use I will have a Yamaha or Robin power but is the torque converter going to shoot me on my butt?

Brakes: are the manual brakes OK or hydrolics?

I just want to shoot around the pits and tow the kart, not looking for big speed.


Thanks Rich Domenick

[stool-sample]

Everyone uses what they can afford. Ive mounted a 5.5 Briggs intec with a cheaper centrifical clutch, and its enough to pull the wheels up and spin the tires. Glenn

[Prowrench22]

I'm just wondering if the torq converter is going to toss me on my butt, not really looking at cost.
I will probley go with a belt drive setup for sure just wonering clutch or torq converter.
Safety for anyone with half a brain that rides it is what I'm after.

[Mike Bean]

Powerench22,

Don't worry about getting tossed off the BSR with a tork-a-verter. I run one with my 6.5HP motor and I love it. I can pop a wheelie with ease, but do not worry about that. Once you learn to control the throttle, you will know what you can and cannot do on your BSR.

The main reason I got the tork-a-verter was for the extra speed.

Mike Bean :blob_red:

[1100kaw]

Hey all, me again, Just curious, i'm running a cheap clutch on my stool.
opperation appears to be ok. but it rattles and jingles all the time, drives me nuts, worse than a header leak!
do the hi dollar clutches do this?, It seems the more expensive clutches are more for race also, higher stalls, and such. Does anyone know of a nice clutch with bearings, and smooth/possibly adjustable/opperation for lowwer stalls on stock engines?
I dont mind paying for quality, if it is really, that much better, and I figure on a Bar stool, not a race Kart, it will be a one time purchase.
DD

[Mike Bean]

1100KAW,

I have never used a clutch, but I can tell you a tork-a-verter is quite as a mouse and smooth as butter.

I have heard and read in these forums about people burning up clutches. I beat the hell out of my tork-a-verter and it keeps going. If I remember correctly the tork-a-verter has 3 fingers that squeeze the pulley together to go. A very simple system compared to a clutch.

Mike

[Woodchuckscustoms.com]

I have used both The Torq. conv. is great for power and speed great for pulling things. But if you want to go fast as hell spend the money on a good racing clutch not one that cost 20.00 im talking about real racing clutches ones that are over 200.00...but well worth the $$$$$$

[altrego30]

Go with the Torque-a Verter.
I found a guy on ebay unloading 5 at $110 each, last year, And I bought 3 of them, and the other 2 were gone less than an hour latrer. I never boughta racing clutch, but I have bought the el-cheap-o clutches, had the same rattleing issue. I perfer the Torque-a-verter. Check ebay, might find a good price there. But always check out the shipping charges, the price maybe low, but the make it up in shipping.

[voodoo_stepchild]

Hey all, me again, Just curious, i'm running a cheap clutch on my stool.
opperation appears to be ok. but it rattles and jingles all the time, drives me nuts, worse than a header leak!
do the hi dollar clutches do this?, It seems the more expensive clutches are more for race also, higher stalls, and such. Does anyone know of a nice clutch with bearings, and smooth/possibly adjustable/opperation for lowwer stalls on stock engines?
I dont mind paying for quality, if it is really, that much better, and I figure on a Bar stool, not a race Kart, it will be a one time purchase.
DD

Hey Kaw,
The racing clutches do not rattle and jingle as you mentioned in the above and they are well worth the money. The cheap clutches have a bronze bushing that wears rather rapidly and causes your headaches. The racing clutches most of the drums have needle bearings instead are much more smoother. Not all racing clutches are high stall and to be honest there are a lot of clutches made strictly for running on the stock engines. The horstman MDC-400s is an excellent 6 spring clutch for a stock engine, the horstman reaper clutch is a good clutch and is adjustable for any stall you wish. Both of these clutches are bearing type but cost around 250.00 each. If you want a clutch still heavy duty and reliable but dont want to shell out the cash, the Tomar stellar clutch is about 200.00 and is adjustable from 3600 to 4200 rpm on the stall. The Noram ge series is a needle clutch but not adjustable per say without shoes and springs. Its the cheapest at about 60.00 and the shoes are about 10.00 each and springs are about 1.75 each. But it wont rattle and clang.
Hope this info helps ya

Voodoo:cheers:

[Guy]

Is there any way to "tune" a Tav2 torque a verter?
I'd like to raise the shift point to keep the power wheelie up a bit longer.
Would a stiffer spring on the secondary do this?
Does anyone make different springs or weights for Tav2?

[BAR-TAB]

if you are going to be pulling things on a regular basis. go with the tav. the clutches will burn up much easier under load

[fenters2005]

If this even implies to anyone. dont waste your money on a clutch. spend the money on a tav2. it was hard for me to come to sense's and i thought i didnt need a tav2 that a clutch would be fine. i will never buy another clutch ever again. point blank.

these guys convinced me on buying one and my first ride on the stool proved that to me. trust me. TAV2 = BLAST

[turbojamie]

Started with a clutch here, would slowly pull away and have good top speed NO wheelie at all though not even close. Put the TAV2 on what a difference I can carry the wheels now its crazy the difference!

[HiGhStAkEs]

In would defiantly recommended a torque converter. Especially if you are going to pull anything with it. It will provide you with more low end power and speed. Comet makes several kinds. I have a 30 series and it rips pretty good. I would recommended hydraulic brakes if you want to send the money. They cost a bit more, but will reduce that hassle of messing around with a cable brake. I just built my first BSR and I am in the process of making several changes after driving it a bit. Brakes are my first priority. I plan to switch over to hydrualic soon.

[Unclthursy504]

I deep into my first BSR and I am running a 6.5 Craftsman motor and want a Torque a verter. Can anyone explain the different sizes i see mentioned and is there a specific size for different motors? Thanks. UnclThursty504

[Kruger]

Is there any way to "tune" a Tav2 torque a verter?
I'd like to raise the shift point to keep the power wheelie up a bit longer.
Would a stiffer spring on the secondary do this?
Does anyone make different springs or weights for Tav2? tavs are adjustable ,on the secondary or "driven " there are three holes 1 2 3 these are spring positions, 1 holds low range longer and 3 get you to overdrive ratio right after pulloff. i put mine on 3 because i have a 72t rear sprocket,play with these and rear sprocket teeth count and you can dial in your bsr to your personal riding style!

[NutDriverRighty]

I was talking to someone supposedly "in the know" recently and they said Comet, the company that makes the TAV-2, has gone out of business. Not sure if it's true or not, but it's certainly food for thought.

[Kruger]

i heard the same thing on another site like 2 months ago , i have a few drivers and drivens but i would like to stock up on belts

[c.schulz]

Comet has gone out of biz!!! Read it on line from their local paper. So you will have to go with clutch or pay top dollar for a left over on ebay.
For a clutch I would go with a Noram GE. They have bearings and are around $65. Also you can get different springs and weights to tune the clutch for what you need, like pulling. Contact American Power sports. The carry them and have a chart for weights and springs vs. rpm. Give them a call as they are very helpful.
http://www.apskarting.com/

Chris

[c.schulz]

Here is another that I found.....http://www.maxtorque.com/html/torq_convert.html

Chris

[Snakester]

I purchased a 1"- #41 Chain Tav2 yesterday at Northern Tool . It cost me $299.95 + Tax...Last one they had...Someone else has to be manufacturing these...Alot of commercial equipt . uses them. :cool_dude: Snakester

[c.schulz]

Here ya go. Try this out.
http://www.maxtorque.com/html/torq_convert.html


Chris

[HiGhStAkEs]

Either engine would work, as long as you know the crankshaft diameter and are able to hook up a torque converter to it. I would highly recommend one because it really improves the performance of your BSR and it also gives you power high end and low end. It also allows you the ability to tow things if your planning on pulling a small trailer or cooler tow. A new comet torque converter can run upwards of $180, but I was able snag mine off an old Yerf dog go-kart that my buddy was parting out. I rebuilt it for under $30. With my 6.5 hp Honda clone engine I am able to pull wheelies no problem. To avoid crashes you just gotta watch your speed. I didnt and my 40 mph crash put me out of commision for over a month.
As for brakes I owuld reccoment hydrulic if you want to spend the money. They are worth it and are so much more effective than mechanical brakes. I pulled my caliper off of a 99 Yamaha ATV and the master cylinder of of a 96 Kawasaki Ninja. I chose a motorcycle master cylider over an ATV because I wanted the grip throttle that was attched. You can either connect 2 or 3 brakes hoses together or you can have one custom made to the proper lenght. Just make sure you have the proper banjo fitting sizes beforehand. In the long run you will be glad to have hydrulic over mechanical.

[KiwiMike]

Hey Chris,
Has anyone used one of these Maxtorque units yet?
If so, how do they compare with the TAV unit in performance and price?
I see they are mounted differently with the engine pointing backwards.
Can these units be turned around to mount like the TAV?

[tech9]

Hey Guys, from what i see here the jackshaft unit CAN be turned around so it can be used like a tav.check out the pics.I also flipped the first image horizontally for you to have an idea how it will look.(forget about where the exhaust etc is at the moment.)You can even purchase the drive, driven and belt and fabricate your own custom jackshaft.(some links) http://www.mfgsupply.com/GoMiniClutchTorq30.html/mv_session_id=KwBVkfws (http://www.mfgsupply.com/GoMiniClutchTorq30.html/mv_session_id=KwBVkfws)
http://www.gokartsupply.com/asymapp.htm
http://www.mfgsupply.com/GoMiniJackshaftKits.html/mv_session_id=KwBVkfws (http://www.mfgsupply.com/GoMiniJackshaftKits.html/mv_session_id=KwBVkfws)
Here you need to buy the bearings with the flangets, or just build your own like the second pic.

[c.schulz]

Hey Chris,
Has anyone used one of these Maxtorque units yet?
If so, how do they compare with the TAV unit in performance and price?
I see they are mounted differently with the engine pointing backwards.
Can these units be turned around to mount like the TAV?

Sorry Ive never used the max version. Maybe with the post above this could work.

Chris

[HiGhStAkEs]

I would pick and engine based on compatibility. You want to make sure that the crankshaft diameter is compatible with your driveline. Usually 5-6 hp engines are ¾ inch crankshaft diameter. I am using a Honda clone engine which is a cheap knock off Honda engine. Works great and only cost me $90, $70 off the regular price at a weekend sale at Harbor Freight.
Now I would recommend a torque converter for 2 reasons. To start with you will have more low end power as well as top end speed! They also are easy to maintain and very inexpensive to repair. They are pricy new ($160 +), but very worth it. I was able to snag mine off of an old Yerf Dog go-kart that was being parted out. I have a comet 20 series, but if you could get a TAV that would be sweet! They are even more pricey, but even nicer. $30 later I had a completely rebuilt torque converter. My advice is to shop around for one online. If you are concerned about getting tossed off just keep the throttle down. Mine is all stock and it still hauls at about 35mph. It was enough to put me out for a month after a really bad crash last summer.
As for brakes I would highly recommend hydraulic just because in the long run they last longer and they are much more reliable. Look around for some used motorcycle or ATV calipers. I also grabbed a master cylinder off of a 96 Kawasaki Ninja because I wanted to use the throttle assembly as well. Total cost for all of this was under $75. I got all of my stuff from a local motorcycle junk yard. Some shops will make custom brake hoses as well. This eliminates the need to connect 2 or 3 short ones to connect your caliper to your master cylinder. Make you know have the proper banjo fittings for the master cylinder and caliper

[HiGhStAkEs]

I checked on their website and they look almost the same as a TAV. I am not sure about its performance as compared to a TAV unit. It looks like a solid unit though. I would check and see what the avalablitly of spare parts is for this unit. TAV parts are very available online. What does the unit cost? I did not see a price for it. You can spend around a $180 on a TAV 30 series.

[tech9]

I checked on their website and they look almost the same as a TAV. I am not sure about its performance as compared to a TAV unit. It looks like a solid unit though. I would check and see what the avalablitly of spare parts is for this unit. TAV parts are very available online. What does the unit cost? I did not see a price for it. You can spend around a $180 on a TAV 30 series. The only difference with the tav is that the plate that holds the two pullies to the engine also houses the jackshaft that holds the driven pulley and the sprocket so it's all built in as one unit . The drive and driven units i think are the same,so no change in performance.This is just my opinion.Take a look. Not available though.http://www.shakyparts.com/comet_tav_30_torq_a_verter_kit.html

[HiGhStAkEs]

Thanks for the info! I see exactly what you mean. That is a slick setup as compared to my old 20 series where where my driven pulley and jack shaft are mounted a plate that bolts under the enginb leaving me with no way to articulate the belt angle. It also is very cumbersome to separate from the engine.

[capnron]

I don't know about you guys, but I would be cautious about these new converters. We all know that the TAV's work great and take a good beating. I am sure that someone will pick up the manufacturing of these from Comet soon. But if anyone is in need of one now I have a spare TAV2 3/4" #41 for sale. Brand New in box.

[Snakester]

Hy capnron, I am always looking for a Tav2...What will you take for it including shipping? :cool_dude: Snakester

[capnron]

Well snakester, I got bored today and just put it on ebay. sorry, but if it doesn't sell I am asking 350 including shipping. I don't know if I am crazy to try to get that much but we will see. Thanks:lush: :cheers:

Drive Fast, Take Chances!!

[Redrooster]

Hey Guys... I just ran across some information about a company that will be making a replacement for the comet TAV2. It will be the TC2 Torque Converter made by GTC industries and they will have all the replacement parts for the TAV2 as well. Go to Gokartsusa.com and you can pre-order them for 179.00 it says they will be avaliable by April 15th. Very Cool Im gald that some one will still be making them... they are a good unit

[tech9]

Thanks for this info man!

[APBoy]

im brand new to the BSR thing but im trying to put something together i have an 8h.p honda. but what is the difference with a torque converter and a clutch and wear can i get a torque converter.

[capnron]

If you have some extra ching laying around I would definatly go with the TAV2 unit. It gives you much more low end power and a higher top speed than a cheapo centrifugal clutch. Right now the only place you can get one is off ebay or craigslist. But in April there is a new company making them so you could wait till then and get it much cheaper!

:cheers: :hot: :lush:

Drive Fast, Take Chances!

[choppaholic]

I was told today that a Torque a Verter will not work on a Honda or a Honda Clone Engine (which is what I have), Is this true? I want to get a TAV 2, but if they will not work I will be bummed. he told me I had to do mods to the motor and the Torque a Verter basket. Again, is this true or was he trying to sell me a sack a crap so I'll buy a differant clucth from him...

[KiwiMike]

I can't see why it won't work.
As long as the output shaft on the engine will match the TAV2 and the holes in the backing plate line up all will be good. Some models have multiple mounting holes on them which will allow you to line it up to about any engine.
The clutch he is trying to sell you is probably more expensive than the TAV unit. Racing clutches can run up to $300.
After all these engines are copies of a Honda.
http://gokartsusa.com/GTC-Comet-TAV2-30-Torq-A-Verter.aspx
Give these guys a call and ask them.

[c.schulz]

Will work without a problem. Ive used 3 of them so far. You will have to grind one of the ribs off the back to clear though. Just be sure to get the one for the 3/4" crank shaft.
Here is a couple pics...

Chris
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v347/cschulz/IMG_4142Medium-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v347/cschulz/IMG_4843Medium.jpg

[choppaholic]

Thanks a lot for the help guys! I really appreciate it. I will be ordering one from Gokartusa.com, they seem to have the best price. Thanks again!

[KiwiMike]

No worries mate. We have a lot of great talent here on the forum and people like Chris have already done things other people say can't be done.
Good luck with the build and post some photos.

[KiwiMike]

I just double posted, this is the edited version. I have to throw this old Laptop away and buy a new one.

[c.schulz]

Throw it my way. Ive been wanting a laptop for a while. My kids have taken over the desk top. LOL

Chris

[choppaholic]

Well, I ordered my Torqe-A-Verter from GoKartUSA.com and a bunch of other parts from minichopperssocal.com. If you guys want, have or need anything from a really nice helpful guy, Rick at minichopperssocal.com is AWESOME!!! Great guy, and pleasure to do buisness with! I highly recommend! Has a ton a of Bar Stool Racer parts and very knowledgeable.

[choppaholic]

Well, I ordered my Torqe-A-Verter from GoKartUSA.com and a bunch of other parts from minichopperssocal.com. If you guys want, have or need anything from a really nice helpful guy, Rick at minichopperssocal.com is AWESOME!!! Great guy, and pleasure to do buisness with! I highly recommend! Has a ton a of Bar Stool Racer parts and very knowledgeable.

[jbrust1978]

comet is very alive and in business here in Indiana greenfield to be exact I was just up there last week dunno who said they went out but there still running strong.

[c.schulz]

comet is very alive and in business here in Indiana greenfield to be exact I was just up there last week dunno who said they went out but there still running strong.

Ive heard they are back in biz. The rumor was they were restarted by one of the large distributors??

Chris

[TAIL GATOR]

that's the one they sell at nothren tool,also american power sports.....i,still like mt GTC !:thumb:

[jbrust1978]

I never knew they went out we have had comet karts here for over 20yrs and they sell all comet parts and been in the same place in greenfield, Indiana maybe they just stopped making certain parts but they still in business here