LO206 Engine Builders

IRQVET

IRQVET

Member
So I recently sent my engine off to TS Racing in Florida, and after getting it back I was a bit taken back. Engine ran/ raced fine, but I was removing my clutch this afternoon and in doing so, noticed my exhaust header bolts, and my supports were only finger tight. So I'm curious (as I am no expert) what items I should be looking at given the circumstances? (Where there is smoke there is fire?)

I also just picked up a used kid kart for my daughter, an older Arrow with an Lo206, that was touched by a place called Faster Motors. Never heard of them, but I'm not super knowledgable about engine builders.

Anyone else what to share their experiences, or offer any advise as to what to look for and/or check?
 

Attachments

  • TS racing.JPG
    TS racing.JPG
    109.5 KB · Views: 52
  • Faster.JPG
    Faster.JPG
    118 KB · Views: 53
Faster motors is Jimbo on here. He's out of Wisconsin and IMO one of the top guys when it comes to the animal/206 platform. Shouldn't have any issues with that. Never dealt with TS but that sounds like something you should definitely call and talk to them about.
 
Exhaust bolts commonly back out. That's why it is mandated that they are safety wired.
When we ship an engine, it does not have the exhaust on it (considerably more expensive to ship with the ex bolted to the engine.) We choose to ship the pipe alongside the engine in the same box (much cheaper to ship.) We use our own pipes (same as customers') for dyno purposes as well.

ALWAYS check bolts often on a race engine. They are prone to loosening due to vibration, rapid heating, cooling, gasket crush, etc.

Jimbo is a popular builder and the engine should treat you well. Same with your TS engine.
L206 racing is as much what you do with your kart as what a builder/tuner does with your engine.

Consider sending your engines to us when they're ready for a rebuild - we work on anyone's engines, and we'd be glad to help you out.


-----
🏁Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
Carlson Motorsports on Facebook
32 years of service to the karting industry ~ 1Cor 9:24
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
 
Normally I'd agree, but in this case, the exhaust bolts were left loose, and then safety wired together (loose). Bolts were so loose, I could slide a quarter between the header pipe and the gasket. Seems like an obvious oversight by TS Racing, which is why I got to thinking. If they missed something that obvious, what else could they have overlooked? Hopefully its an isolated incident, and not the precursor to more problems. Again, I was curious to hear what others have experienced when sending their engine off.

Good to hear about Faster Motors. Seller told me he hadn't fired the engine on the kid kart in several months. I drained the fuel and replaced with 89 non-ethenol. I did a few slow tugs to get the fuel going into the carb. And then one big pull and it fired right up and purred like a kitten.
 
Last edited:
A good mechanic will remember the saying "if it looks tight it better be tight" they probably put it on snug then came back from lunch and safty wired it. I'd check the jam nuts on the rockers.
 
As a general rule the owner should "nut and bolt" anything that comes back from a builder whether it be an engine, chassis or other equipment. I've had several engines built by TS Racing, Fastermotors and one by Carlsonmotorsports. Never had a problem with loose bolts but then again it's a habit of mine to check every nut and bolt before firing them up. The exhaust header in the 206 is a touchy area. The head bolts, in my opinion, are the weakest link in this great package. If the head bolts are over tightened they strip out. If the pipe doesn't have enough strut support the pipe will rattle and the head bolts will loosen. Even if the bolts are safety wired the header flange can warp or bend, if not properly supported, causing the header bolts to become loose. If the strut supports are too tight the pipes can get bent or crushed. If the header is wrapped in a heat shield its difficult to determine how tight or loose the supports actually are. With this said it is reasonable to expect a builder will rather err on the side of too loose bolts than too tight bolts. It's up to the owner to check the final torque on their equipment. As a side note Fastermotors has an amazing exhaust pipe cradle that is the final word in 206 pipe support.
 
IRQVET said:
Normally I'd agree, but in this case, the exhaust bolts were left loose, and then safety wired together (loose). Bolts were so loose, I could slide a quarter between the header pipe and the gasket. Seems like an obvious oversight by TS Racing, which is why I got to thinking. If they missed something that obvious, what else could they have overlooked? Hopefully its an isolated incident, and not the precursor to more problems. Again, I was curious to hear what others have experienced when sending their engine off.

Good to hear about Faster Motors. Seller told me he hadn't fired the engine on the kid kart in several months. I drained the fuel and replaced with 89 non-ethenol. I did a few slow tugs to get the fuel going into the carb. And then one big pull and it fired right up and purred like a kitten.
Click to expand...
Make sure the exhaust threads didn't strip out and caused the "loose" bolts.
.
.
 
Chipg56 said:
The motor was SHIPPED with the pipe installed? Must have been a real big box. I always ship engines without the pipe bolted on.
Click to expand...
If this is the case, then it might well explain the safety wire, but the bolts being a quarter's width loose -- The package could have easily been dumped upside down in shipping and the pipe bore the brunt of the weight/crash. The first thing to happen would be to pull the exhaust threads from the head.

Here's how we ship them - Customer just needs to bolt up the header, bracing, and air filter.
 

Attachments

  • 20210429_175854_HDR.jpg
    20210429_175854_HDR.jpg
    70.5 KB · Views: 63
CarlsonMotorsports said:
If this is the case, then it might well explain the safety wire, but the bolts being a quarter's width loose -- The package could have easily been dumped upside down in shipping and the pipe bore the brunt of the weight/crash. The first thing to happen would be to pull the exhaust threads from the head.

Here's how we ship them - Customer just needs to bolt up the header, bracing, and air filter.
Click to expand...
My engine wasn't shipped, I dropped it off in person. Then a few weeks later, it was direct pick up at a CKNA race since they were going there anyway.

TS did that to save me on shipping costs, which I appreciated.
 
Last edited:
If you have a relationship where you can drop an engine off in person and pick up at a local track, I would definitely be communicating your issue with them and not the public at large.
I don't see loose exhaust bolts as a good thing, naturally, but most certainly can understand how it can happen and would not lose faith in them for that.
 
Really, I’d recommend both TS and Fastermotors to anyone. My dyno says they both do top shelf work. And my dealings with both have been quite frankly, outstanding.
its possible the threads are starting to wear out. They’ll grip when cold but, start to slip when it gets a couple heat cycles. Call up TS and tell them what’s going on. They’re good folks. If it’s was their mistake, they’ll take care of it. If it’s normal wear and tear, they can fix it.
 
Last edited:
I have lurked on here for a while, but I figured I would make an account to chime in on the quality of the TS Racing engine builds. I have 2 and there are at least 3 other 206 builds from them on our team, and they are all reliable and fast. I wouldn’t sweat it.

I get the frustration, but it’s just something I would check myself, mostly because of habit. With all of that said, if you want peace of mind, pull the blower cover and double check the ignition bolts and the cup for play. Everything else is basically accessible, and you should be checking every so often anyway.

Good luck, and hope you go fast!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top