New Predator 212cc Engine Rewind Starter Posistion

#1
I would love to adjust the pull cord rewind starter so the cord pulls from the back side of the engine. Does anyone know if that is possible? Are the holes on the case symmetrical? If I rotate it counterclockwise 45 degrees will it affect the function? As it is, 20170525_225904.jpg the cord comes out on the front side of the bike which is awkward to try to start while sitting on the bike.

Thanks,
Linda
 

fhpe77

Active Member
#2
Linda,

Yes, the bolt spacing is symmetrical. You can easily rotate the starter to a more convenient position. I recently discovered this during my first Predator installation.

20170510_194351.jpg

-Ray
 
#4
Thanks! I'll give it a try.
I'm having a hard time starting my new Predator. I linked the throttle directly tothe carb and wired the governor arm in the full position on the advice of a friend. I'm thinking I need to undo that and go with the original linkage. What do you think????
 
#5
I put an air intake similar to this on my Coleman CT200U however mine did not come with anything for the breather hose. I see on the photo you posted that you have a little filter on yours. Am I going to mess up my engine without this filter???
 
#6
Edit: I just saw the official warning about discussing governor removal. So before you read the rest of this please know that governor removal/modification voids the engines warranty, and can cause serious damage to your engine, and may cause injuries to yourself or others. Therefore governor modification or removal is not recommended. For example, If you disconnect the governor from the carb, you run the risk of the internal governor "arm" crashing into the crankshaft and splitting the block of the engine open. I know this because I disconnected my governor when I threw away the stock carb and installed a mikuni carb. The internal lever inside the engine was just a little too close to the crankshaft and the crank blew the governor arm out the top of the engine. I did not watch the video on youtube for the proper way to completely remove the governor from the engine since I did not going to keep it connected to the stock carb. Also, if you connect the throttle cable directly to the throttle vane on the stock carb, the rpms will increase well over the 3600 RPMs that engine does coming out of the box. These increased RPMS will eventually chew up the small nylon governor gear inside the engine and cause it to let loose the metal parts that sit on top of the governor gear, also screwing up your engine. Trust me. If you arent using the governor as it comes out of the box, if the governor gear is still inside the engine, eventually you will be telling us that it ruined your engine from the inside out. Stock carb and no governor can make for hard starting, to answer your question.
 
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#7
Also, I understand that this item costs almost as much as the engine did but it its worth every single penny. I bought one from this seller, removed my governor from inside the 212 engine, and bolted it right on. The difference it made is nothing short of amazing.


on Ebay, Type item number 252314674798 into the search bar.

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#9
Another thing I've read is that if you mod a 212 to go over 4000 rpms you should change to a billet aftermarket flywheel or else the stock flywheel will fall apart but before it does it will wreck the bearings in the engine because it is not balanced to spin that fast. I think billet flywheels are around $120. I didnt bother doing that because I have a Comet TAV2 torq-a-verter on my doodlebug DB30 and it doesnt sound like its reaching very high rpms even when pushing my 230 pound self at almost 60 mph.
 
#10
That's cool! Does the throttle cable go directly into the carb?? I will keep it in mind but I don't plan on removing the governor at this point.
Predator Carb Upgrade.jpg
 
#11
This is my DB30 with the 212 Non-Hemi 69730 that I completely destroyed because I did not completely remove the governor:
IMG_20170422_204831non.jpg

And 3 days later I bought a 212 Hemi 60363 and bolted that on instead, after removing the governor properly:
IMG_20170427_225339hemi.jpg

As you can see from the photos, the 212 Logo sticker is crooked on both engines because I did exactly what you asked about--- I unbolted the recoil ad bolted it back on in a more convenient direction.
 
#13
The throttle cable goes directly into the carb, yes, and the carb is spring loaded and the whole accelerator operation from that modification is VERY smooth.
 
#14
60 is very scary and stopping is an issue, even after installing a hydraulic rear brake. It will probably go faster than 60 but I don't have the stones to try. A DB30 has no suspension other than how much air is in the tires, so one wrong bump in the road and a funeral is likely.
 
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#15
What make and model frame is that??? I want one! It looks like I'd have plenty of room to put a predator 420 on it, and the front forks look strong enough for me to weld a bracket for front disk brakes! A DB30 doesnt have enough meat on the front forks to handle a front brake. I tried, stopping from 60 mph with front brakes bent the forks in so I had to replace them.

(this is the roller that I want to know what it is, because now I want one)

20170525_225904shx'.jpg
 
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#16
I picked this up on CraigsList a couple months ago. I LOVE it! The frame has been altered a bit to accept the 5hp Briggs it came with. It is a BLAST to ride, even tho I have only gone 29mph on it!
sportsman smt500 mini trail
Sportsman
20170126_135137.jpg
 
#17
when you get a chance, could you please measure the largest and smallest distance between the engine mount plate and the bottom of the top frame tube? i want to see what kind engine room I have without breaking out the welder. i cant find any specs online that tell me what the clearances are.
 
#18
My bike is up on our mountain property now. I'll try to remember to measure it this weekend for you. Thanks for all your help with the engine questions.
I grew up near you in Huntingdon Valley. My brothers had mini bikes and I was never allowed to ride them. I got my first bike (Coleman) for my 50th! I love riding it on our property in the mountains and on the dirt roads up there. PA would be a great place to ride!
 

fhpe77

Active Member
#19
Linda,

I loosened the nut that holds the throttle arm until the arm would move freely and return to the closed position on it's own. A couple drops of blue loctite was was added to the nut to keep it from vibrating loose. The throttle cable was attached using the provided cable clamp and pivot/barrel nut. This engine comes with two cable clamps and pivot/barrel nuts so choose the ones that works best for you. I shortened my throttle cable and used the ones that allow the cable to approach from the front of the engine. Not liking how the existing springs returned the throttle to the closed position, I added a throttle return spring that ties the second pivot/barrel nut to the first cable clamp. This insures that the throttle closes every time. Lowes sells various springs in their hardware department so I grabbed one that looked like it would work. Here's a poor quality picture of the setup:

20170510_194356.jpg

I purchased the little air filter at Advance Auto Parts. Most auto parts stores carry something like this. I don't know how necessary this actually is. Coming over from a Tecumseh engine which has a check valve in the valve cover which prevents the engine from pulling air in from the vent, it is not necessary. I don't know if the HF engine has a check valve in the valve cover since I have not had it apart yet. The little filter seems like good insurance to me. The fuel tank vent is just a 90 degree molded hose that I had laying around. Some folks like to place a filter in the fuel tank vent as well.

-Ray
 
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SAS289

Well-Known Member
#20
Thanks! I'll give it a try.
I'm having a hard time starting my new Predator. I linked the throttle directly tothe carb and wired the governor arm in the full position on the advice of a friend. I'm thinking I need to undo that and go with the original linkage. What do you think????
I think you should go back to the original throttle arrangement. Then you will get back your 1 pull, one handed starts. IMO one pull starts is one of the best things about the GX200 and the clones that came after. When the original linkage is removed to eliminate governor behavior you are starting the bike with the throttle completely closed. Now you need to use your left hand to slightly open the throttle during startup. With the original throttle arrangement the throttle is part way open on startup and your left hand is not needed.

My opinion on the governor is this... If you are not racing and do not need to go faster than 35 mph stay governed.
 
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