1. Prolonged Engagement of The Clutch Without Locking

If the clutch is engaging but cannot grab fully, the clutch will start to smoke due to this prolonged engagement. Prolonged Engagement Occurs When:

(1) The go-karts engine is not powerful enough to get beyond the engagement stage. (2) The clutch weight rpm is not enough

How To Prevent Prolonged Engagement?

A possible remedy to fix this problem is to alter the driveline, making the overall ratio steeper. The simplest way to do this is to increase the rear sprocket diameter.

2. Mismatched Jackshaft Systems

If your go-kart has a jackshaft installed, check that the setup was done correctly:

The clutch should not be installed on the driver of the jackshaft, with a ratio in front of it.

This setup will rotate the clutch too slowly, even when the overall ratio is correct.

The clutch engagement rpm must be taken into account. Otherwise, the clutch will smoke on the secondary jackshaft’s mounting position. If the clutch is not engaging due to too little horsepower, or too slow clutch speed, you will need to change the system by altering the ratios in front or behind the clutch. If the clutch is not engaging due to: Too little horse-power or Clutch speed being too slow. The system needs to be changed by altering the ratios in front or behind the clutch syste

3. Too Much Sprocket Teeth: A typical clutch has 10-12 sprocket teeth. When a clutch has more than 12 sprocket teeth, it will probably give some trouble regarding the drive train, usually in the form of overheating and smoke.

4. Oil Inside The Clutch: Ensure to oil the internal bronze bushing located behind the snap ring, next to the sprocket teeth after every hour you have driven. Make sure to never put oil on the inside of the clutch! The holes on the drum are there for the simple reason of letting hot air out of the clutch. It is not an area where you want to put oil in, as this will generally lead to a lack of friction between the flyweights and the drum, which will cause slippage, generating excessive heat in the clutch.

5. Improperly Installed Clutch: Installing the clutch properly on the engine crankshaft requires using the correct length key and not pounding it on the shaft with your “magic hammer.” If the clutch is not installed correctly using the right tools and directions, it could lead to your clutch smoking, lasting only a few minutes instead of several years.

6. Using Big Tyres On Your Kart: Go-karts with rear tires taller than 15-inches, or an engine larger than 8-horse power will require a torque converter. Using too big tires can burn out a clutch in seconds. If you are using big tires, you will need more teeth on the axle sprocket. Ensure that the setup gear ratio is correct regarding the size of your tires and the teeth of the axle sprocket.

7. Driving Too Slow: Driving your go-kart in too slow a fashion could be the reason your clutch is smoking. A clutch will start to engage at around 2,000 rpm and lock up at approximately 2,600 rpm. Driving your go-kart at full throttle locks the shoes in the clutch against the clutch drum. When the clutch is not locked, the shoes slip against the drum and cause tremendous heat, drying up the lubrication in the oil bushing.

8.Wrong Gear Ratio: The sprocket connected to the engine and the one on the rear axle should have a ratio of 1:6. For every tooth on the clutch, there should be six teeth on the rear sprocket. For example, if there are ten teeth on the clutch, there should be a minimum of 60 teeth on the rear socket. Having the wrong gear ratio will damage the clutch.