Keeping the oil fresh in your kart is really important if you are looking for longevity and ideal engine performance. In addition, changing oil is a very quick and easy process, but beginners may not be aware of the method of changing your 4-stroke kart’s oil.
The 4 quick steps to changing the oil in a 4-stroke kart are:
- Warm up the engine
- Put a tray underneath the engine
- Drain the old oil
- Pour in the new oil
There is a lot to think about when changing the oil in your 4-stroke kart, and there are various brands and types to choose from. Below, we discuss everything you need to know about changing your kart’s oil and how often you should do it.
Why You Should Change The Oil In Your Kart Regularly
The oil in your kart heats up and cools down with use. This can cause the oil to become thicker and stickier, making it harder for it to do its job. On top of that, the oil can have small amounts of residual dirt, built up carbon, or metallic shavings in it, which of course is not good for the engine either.
Regularly replacing the oil can significantly help increase the lifespan of your engine. But you may be wondering how often you need to change your kart’s oil.
How Often Should I Replace The Oil In My Kart?
Most engine manuals will suggest that you change your kart’s oil every 10 hours of use, but some people replace their oil before they start driving for the day. It all depends on how much running time your engine gets.
For some people, 10 hours of running time can be a week, while for others it can be a month or more. At the end of the day, it’s best to stick with what your engine manufacturer suggests. Try and stick to the general guidelines as much as possible. However, making it a habit to change your oil every two weeks is a good start.
If you make it routine to change it every two weeks you will remember to do it on a consistent basis. From there you can analyze your old oil every time you change it to see if you need to change it more regularly or if you can leave it in slightly longer.
The Two Methods Of Changing Your Kart’s Oil
There are two ways you can change the oil in your kart. Both have roughly the same process, but there is just one differential that can make quite a big difference depending on the time you have and the amount of effort you want to put in.
The first is the more difficult and time-consuming method. This method involves taking your engine off the chassis in order to change your oil. The benefit of doing this is that you won’t get any oil spilling onto your chassis or on the floor that you will need to clean up afterwards.
The quicker and easier way is to just leave the engine as it is and change the oil with the engine still mounted to the chassis. This is quicker, but it’s also a lot messier. You could get oil all over the chassis or even the engine mount, and this can be difficult to clean, and once the oil dries up it becomes nearly impossible to fully remove. So, we recommend the first option!
KEY POINTS
• Changing your kart’s oil should become part of your regular maintenance routine
• Doing so will keep your engine running in peak condition
• We recommend taking the engine off your kart to change the oil
The 4 Quick Steps To Changing The Oil In A 4-Stroke Kart
1. Warm Up The Engine
Firstly, you will want your engine to be warm. A warm engine will heat the oil up, which will in turn make it thinner and easier to drain. You can do this either by driving a few laps around the circuit, or just by running the engine for a few minutes.
2. Put A Tray Underneath The Engine
Once your engine is warmed up, you will need to put a tray underneath the engine. This will catch the old oil underneath the kart and it will save you having to clean any oil off the floor when you are finished.
3. Drain The Old Oil
Somewhere on the engine you will see the drainage bolt. Where it is depends on the engine manufacturer. If you have a manual for your engine, this will give you a clear image and description of where to find your drainage bolt.
You need to unscrew this bolt in order for the old oil to pour out of the engine. If the oil is hot, you will need to wear some gloves, as hot oil and skin contact is never a nice experience! Unscrew this bolt until the oil is flowing out at a steady rate and then leave it on the thread slightly. Let all of the oil drain out into your catch tray.
While the oil is draining out, you can use that time to measure out your replacement oil. All engines are different, but the general measurement is 17 oz or 0.5 L of oil for a kart engine. Most engines will have a screw that allows you to check the oil level. This one will be on the same element of the engine, just slightly higher up, and it will generally be the exact same screw.
To check it, slightly unscrew it, and when you are filling oil through the venting screw, oil will slowly start to bleed out of the screw when it reaches the correct level. The next step is to pour your new oil into the venting screw.
4. Pour In The New Oil
We recommend keeping the drainage screw open for a short amount of time while you are pouring new oil in. This is to flush out any residual old oil that remains in the engine. Once you have had a couple of seconds of new oil running through the drainage screw, you can close it up again.
Closing the drainage screw is a very delicate process. This screw should be done up tight so that it can keep all the oil in the engine and withstand the heat and vibrations from track use, but at the same time not too tight or cross threaded. If this happens, the screw becomes useless and will need to be replaced.
Once your engine oil reaches the ideal level, the oil will start to slowly bleed out of the oil checking bolt. At this point you can tighten the bolt and close the venting screw. The ideal amount of oil varies from engine to engine, so make sure to check your manual or research your specific engine.
Which 4-Stroke Kart Oil To Use?
Your local karting shop will be able to give you a great recommendation for a good 4-stroke kart oil to use, and they will generally stock it as well. However, sometimes you won’t have a karting shop nearby and you will need to find your own oil, and there’s a lot to choose from.
Many kart drivers recommend the Briggs & Stratton Synthetic 4T Racing Oil. This oil is specifically designed for race engines. Another popular option for 4-stroke karts is Red Line Oil 5W20, which is also sold per gallon. This oil seems to be a very popular choice and is designed specifically for 4-stroke karting engines.
Make sure you don’t use automotive oils, which are oils specifically designed for cars. These oils are engineered to operate at different temperatures than those of karting engines, and therefore they can lose their ability to protect your engine from any possible damage.
Final Thoughts
Changing the oil in your kart is a crucial element of engine maintenance that is often overlooked. Running on old oil can damage your engine and cost you some performance. Replacing your 4-stroke kart’s oil is an easy process, and doing it regularly will keep your kart engine running in peak condition!
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