I am starting to research an upcoming fun winter project. I am looking to build up my spare kart as a retro racer/practice day toy with a 100cc air cooled formula a style engine. I love the way the old school stuff sound at 20k rpm!
I am going to start searching for used engine on ebay and not looking to spend a ton of money on anything unique or rare. I am ok with doing the full overhaul myself but I need to find an engine that still has decent part/spare support. The stuff all pretty dated now so not sure how realistic that is. I will out source splitting crank to local moto shop but I am capable of doing everything else in house.
I am looking for some recommendations on what to search for on ebay. More about style of engine than overall power so I am ok with something that may not be end all fire breathing beast of engine just a cool toy I can spin to zillion rpm and if I blow it up no big deal just rebuild it again next winter.
Generally IAME internals, especially rods are considered the most durable. Aim to get something with an IAME rod if you can in it
Spares aren’t a huge problem to be honest.
Do you have a preference on reed or rotary?
How much do you think you want to spend?
Be forwarned that spinning 20K is going to net you a piston life of about 30 mins, after that, well all bets are off… But that can be half the fun.
Keep them around 18,500 and they go for a LONNNG time, still be pretty nippy and sound gnarly.
Also, paging @Mynameismcgyver both of us are frickn obsessed with these things
I dont really have a set budget yet as I am trying to price of some engine and get idea of spare/rebuild cost. It going to be a toy so I dont really want to go crazy.
Pretty sure at some point I will melt it down but that kind of the point. Twisting to 20k rpm is almost trance inducing the sound is intoxicating.
Second best sound to 500cc two stroke GP bike and I have neither the budget or attachments needed to ride one!
One of two old Formula A farts on the forum here. Contact Doug Fleming in CA. There is a new class called KA100 which is a spec class based on the IAME 100cc intercontinental A category. He is engine tuning and will get you a raceable kit that is as close as you will get. It will probably run healthy at 17-175, but I don’t know how the new pipes and carbs and rods are compared to old days. I was the youngest driver in history to enter an international race when they changed the rules in 1995 at Menton. If anything like old days they are wicked fast and very loud. I passed Manetti at Parma in am Italian 100 spec Comer, he was testing a Formula C, which is a rotary valve 125, lighter and faster than the wanker crap they run in skusa today. In short, call Doug. You will thank me later.
