Harbor Freight Replacing Blue Engines

by **Yaani-Mai Gaddy** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 3:48 pm

Harbor Freight will be replacing the blue engines with a new engine line in April 2011

http://www.harborfreight.com/small_engines.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/212-cc-ohv ... 68121.html

The new engines will not be legal at NTK according to our rules we can only use the blue or yellow sealed engines.

The yellow engines are built to specs for kart racing. The blue engines are not built to kart racing specs but are built really to be used for power washers, generators, etc...

The blue engines are legal as long as they are sealed but they will no longer be sold by Harbor Freight according to their website.

by **Mike Engstrom** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 10:38 am

I'm sure they found a cheaper manufacturer. Not to beat up the clones, but just another reason to promote the Briggs Animal, it is built for karting!

by **Yaani-Mai Gaddy** » Mon Apr 04, 2011 2:34 pm

The 6.5 Predator replacement is not the same cc as the blue engine. Blue engine Greyhound is 197cc the new 6.5hp Predator engine is 212cc.

The sealed blue engines will still be legal at NTK but I think because of the switch at Harbor Freight to the new engine line they will eventually be phased out because they will no longer be available.

The yellow Box Stock Project (BSP) engines are built & imported specifically for kart racing & are built to closer tolerances than the blue engines that were intended for power washers & generators.

If anyone is planning on buying a Chonda engine I recommend the yellow BSP engine.

by **John Mueller** » Tue May 10, 2011 6:42 am

I looked around and found out the HF black Predator is a Subaru clone engine.

I did talk with an engine builder who stated he will still be getting the blue engines (Lifan) even after they are gone from HF - so we will have to see what really happens for us. Our club is still a blue engine only track as well.

Wanted to pass on what I heard, see you this weekend for the SWRC event.

Cheers - John Mueller
Hill Country Kart Club

Edit: We did vote in the Yellow clone along with Blue, but we stuck with the restrictors as they work well at our track.