Winterizing your kart

Your season may be over, but there’s some work to do before you have visions of sugarplums dancing in your head. Whether you keep your machine in the garage, the trailer, or your basement, there are some basic things you can do to keep everything rust-free and easy to start when the new season begins.

• Take this time to look over your kart for wear. You may want to clean and partly disassemble your kart now, before the cold weather sets in. If you need parts, the winter months are a great time for finding bargains on new and used parts.
• If you are done racing for the season, send your engine out for a rebuild now. Your builder has
extra time and can take a closer look at your engine, and prevent a rush in the spring when they are
at their busiest.
• Pour some Marvel Mystery Oil down the plug hole on your engine. Be generous, but don’t cause an oil spill. This will prevent rust in your engine. It’ll blow out when started.
• Make sure both engine ports are closed. You can tell this by looking into the exhaust port, and seeing the piston close off the port. This will keep moisture out of the cylinder.
• Plug all engine openings with clean paper towels; this will keep out moisture and dust.
• If you run an exhaust pipe, take it off, douse the inside with WD40, spray the outside lightly with WD40, and then wrap in paper towels soaked in WD40 as well. Place the exhaust in a plastic bag; tywrap it closed. Put somewhere relatively dry.
• Take your tires/rims off the kart. Clean tires of rocks, etc.; wipe rims clean. Place in black plastic bags and keep someplace warmish, but not hot, for the winter. We’re trying to keep the rubber pliable; heat will dry them out; cold ruins the compounds.
• Take your guage, stopwatch, etc. off the kart. Take the batteries out; discard. Keep the electronics warm and dry.
• Drain and take out your fuel tank. Flush the inside with denatured alcohol. Discard the fuel lines and fuel filter. Replace with new lines and filter just before the season.
• Drain your clutch. Replace fluid with new, clean fluid. Before the season, drain again and replace fluid, to assure no moisture has crept into clutch over the winter months.
• Wipe bare metal parts with some WD40.
• Disconnect the battery from your starter for the winter. Clean terminals with a wire brush. Check cells for proper fluid. Fill cells as per manufacturer, with distilled water only. Charge; charge again and reconnect battery to starter just before the season.
• Things fall when you are not around, and bodywork cracks real easily, so put your kart cover on the kart, even if stored in the trailer, garage or your basement.
• Dry clean your racesuit. It will last years longer than when machine washed. Clean your helmet with denatured alcohol on a rag; wax with some good-quality car wax.