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Circus clown car convert to electric

I want to convert my gas gokart to electric.  Fully loaded with me and the dogs, it weighs less than 500 lbs and does not need to go faster than 15 mph.  We drive on level ground and only need to go around 3 miles per day at mostly walking speeds.


The rear axel has a 9" sprocket with what appears to be #40 chain and I would like to keep that sprocket and chain if possible.  I see that the motors like the the MY1020 have 8mm sprockets.  Is it possible to change the motor's sprocket to fit #40 chain, or should I replace the axel sprocket to accept the 8mm chain?


How many volts and how many watts do I need?   Is that 48 volt 1000 watt motor a logical choice?

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My lights are LED and the siren and horn don't get used much or draw much power.  For now, I'll just use a small 12 volt battery I already have.

ElectricScooterParts.com can make the 8mm 96 tooth sprocket for me, and they have an axle hub with keyway that fits my axle.  I want to reuse my original axle hub though so I plan on having them make the sprocket with a 1-15/32 inch center bore, which should just fit over the hub retainer on the flat side of my old sprocket.  I'll drill holes in the new sprocket to match the old and bolt them together. The new sprocket will be 11/2 inches bigger in diameter.  D

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Does this sound like a good plan?


That sounds like a great plan to me. The existing axle sprocket with built-in axle hub might as well be repurposed as a hub for the new sprocket so that a new hub does not need to be purchased. Since the new sprocket will be an inch and a half larger in diameter than the old sprocket, the old sprocket will not interfere with the chain rolling on the new sprocket as there is plenty of clearance for that.

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I got my new sprocket from ElectricScooterParts.com.  The center bore fits over my old hub perfectly.  I'll bolt them together with stainless hardware.  My motor kit from you should be here any day.


It will take me a few days to put everything together and I should be able to see what length of chain I need.

Your stuff should be here tomorrow.

Do you have any advice and what type of hardware I should use to bolt the two sprockets together?

I like the idea of using stainless steel hardware like you previously mentioned. If I were attaching those two sprockets together I would use stainless steel hex bolts with two flat washers per bolt, and nylon insert (nylock) lock nuts.

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My stuff came yesterday and it all looks great.  Nice and neat and well packed.  I have plenty to do to get the kart ready to hold this stuff, but I'll get that done over the weekend.  After I get the axel sprocket and the motor mounted and lined up, I will measure for the 8mm chain and order that.  I do want to make sure you will be there to help me connect all of this up correctly.  You got my back on this...right?

Thanks!

Of course Rick, we have got your back on this project from start to finish and then throughout the lifespan of the vehicle.

Connecting all of the wires and parts together might look a little daunting when the wires are in the bags, however after the wires are taken out of the bags then it should look a lot easier.

We installed matching labels on all of the wire connectors and part terminals so all you have to do is attach the connectors and terminals with matching labels together. If you have any questions while doing this then please let us know and we will be glad to help.

I'm ready to order my chain.  I have the motor mounted on a piece of plywood and the plywood slides about an inch front or back on the steel mounting plate grooves.  When I slide the motor and it's wood mount forward and wrap a cloth tape measure around the sprockets like the chain would go, I get 39.5 inches.


This site's chain length calculator tells me I need a length of 38.67 inches or 122.76 links.   How much chain do you suggest I order?

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Our chain length calculator is very accurate. For optimal accuracy chain length needs to be measured from the bottom of the sprocket teeth instead of the top, so a top of teeth measurement taken with a cloth tape measure would show a little longer than is actually needed.

Chains can only be broken apart on even numbers so I think it would be safe to go with a 126 or 128 link chain. 124 links should also work but it is very close so I would go a little longer just to be on the safe side. Every two links of an 8mm chain loop equates to the motor being approximately 8mm forward or backwards, and there is around an inch (25.4mm) of play in the motors position, so that gives a little wiggle room to the equation so a chain that is slightly longer than the minimum size can be used.

Thanks.  I'll order 126 links.

I have my piece of 1/2 " plywood all fiber glassed with epoxy resin and mounting bolts all worked out.  The chain will be here on Monday,and then I should be ready to roll.  I temporarily connected things up and I have a female connector labeled Motor 3 with a black and a red wire coming off of the controller.  What plugs into that connector?

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We also have a connector labeled reverse with a blue and a white wire coming out of the silver junction box and nothing to plug into that connector.

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