Inboard Clutch vs OutBoard Clutch on LO206 engine. Does it matter which way it goes or do I want the engine as far in as i can get it. I am new to this part of karting as I do not know the 206 engine well. Any thoughts are appreciated!
I’m outboard. I think. I work on airplanes so I would describe it as inboard. As the the chain is inboard in reference to the kart. As the overall width isn’t going to change.
I think it mostly comes down to seat struts and clearance. Changing the sprockets I feel would be slightly more difficult if the chain is next to the motor. Just my .02.
But I also have a whopping 4 races under my belt.
Most prefer inboard just to get the chain closer to the engine and theoretically closer to the bearing and reduce stress on the crank. I have talked to a few people from B&S about this before and they designed everything strong enough to run inboard or outboard. You won’t be adding any extra strain to the shaft if you run outboard.
I always run outboard (chain in the seat side) and never had an issue. It really doesn’t matter.
If you run chain towards the motor then the motor has to be further inboard in order clear frame with chain. This means driver has to be further left. For many drivers it may be hard to get balance that way. For most they will run chain away from motor allowing motor to be moved further right
My only concern is that if I offset the engine more will it effect performance? Hence the inboard vs outboard discussion. Thank you all for your input!
If you have to put more than a 1/4" in offset on the engine use a nice thick engine mount. I am partial to the JTP but anything that has a good base to it should work. It just reduces vibration and allows the engine a more stable platform.
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I’ve offset 4" with a PMI wide mount.