CHANGING THE RUBBER BELTS ON A WATER PUMP

They represent a key element of engine reliability and, in particular, the cooling system. Rubber belts connect the water pump to the rotation of the axle, which in turn is driven by the engine through a rack and pinion transmission. The pump circulates water in the radiator: the greater the rotation speed of the axle and, therefore, of the kart, the faster the water flows. Obviously, it needs to be a good quality water pump, not one that cavitates (i.e. creates air bubbles in water inside the pump, which affect the circulation of the cooling liquid). The pump was inside on the “old” KF engine. Nowadays, OK engines have gone back to fitting externally mounted pumps (as was the case on 100 cc engines), which therefore require rubber bands and also means simpler engines, as well as facilitating work on the water pumps themselves.

If the rubber bands break, cooling stops and engine temperature rises, leading to a loss of performance and, in the long run, the risk of seizure. If you have a telemetry that shows the water temperature on the steering wheel screen, perhaps with an alarm at maximum temperature, you can receive a warning before irreparable damage is caused. If this is not the case, i.e. no water temperature sensor, more experienced drivers typically notice a loss of power and, in some cases, engine knocking noise.