So as a student in the fluid power program at Hennepin Tech I have to build a final project by the end of the up coming semester. My first thought was to make something small and unique. So I set my mind to thinking of how to make a RC car with a pneumatic or hydraulic transmission. Not wanting to make the car any bigger than a 1/10th scale RC car i soon realized that it would have to be much bigger than I had originally planned. That being determined I started working on bigger and better plans for this RC car ... that is until yesterday. I was talking over project ideas with my instructor and a classmate. When my classmate brought to my attention that he has a donor go-kart that we could put a hydrostatic drive on. My immediate thought was to make it FAST! So I pondered the idea and went to work for the day, after a quick phone call I found a donor engine (a 1985 Kawasaki KLR 600). A friend of my dad and I has had it laying around for a bit and said it was mine to have. Next the chassis, now I didn't wanna spend a ton of money on this project so I turned to someone who knows the karting world. Not knowing what to expect I was all out stunned when I was told that he would give me a slightly tweaked kart frame. So know it all begins I have what I believe to be the two most expensive pieces of my puzzle, and best of all they were donated. I will keep you all up to date on my project and if anyone would like to help feel free to lend advise or a helping hand.
Well if everything works I should be able to have the engine sit at a steady RPM and then stroke the hydraulic motor, the kart should have serious torque. If all goes well the KLR engine might even see boost ???
Liquid cooled and I said might ... can you imagine 3500 constant RPM and 4-6 psi? I also don't know if I should run a sold rear axle with single hydraulic pump powering it, two individual pumps at each wheel, or 4 pumps one at each wheel?
I came across an issue today already, to couple the gas engine and hydraulic motor together I wanna use sprockets and a shortened dirt bike chain. On the other hand my instructor says that the force of the engine spinning 3500-7000 will wanna throw the chain right of the sprockets. I would need a tensioner, but what kinda roller tensioner would hold at 7k??
Well I was thinking a 520 chain would hold up just as well. On the plus side I could make that whatever length I needed.
