r/Karting • u/Kartinglover • 9d ago
Racing Kart Question Rotax engine cost advice needed
Hi I bought an engine with 20 hours for 1750 cad it’s a rotax senior and I know it wasn’t be best deal but I have a question. For this engine it has the 2015 cylinder head and I can get the plasma one for 750 and rebuild it for 2300. Is this a smart idea? I am also knew to rotax so I wound probably get it rebuilt halfway through next year. Any advice on something else I should do?
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u/Fantastic_Zombie3974 8d ago
If you want to race your Rotax competitively, you'll most likely need a Senior MAX EVO updated to the 2020 specification, with the newer cylinder (not necessarily the new plasma-coated one). These engines have a black crankcase and a red cylinder-head cover. The engine specification should also be documented in its engine maintenance booklet, assuming these are used in Canada.
An older engine with a silver crankcase can't simply be upgraded to the current specification without replacing the crankcase. It may still be legal for club racing in Canada, but not for national or international RMC competition.
Unlike many other two-stroke kart engines, Rotax has traditionally used a Nikasil-type coating on its aluminium cylinder bore to reduce wear. Due to manufacturing and supply issues, Rotax is now introducing plasma-coated cylinders. However, the existing Nikasil-coated cylinders remain legal for racing.
It only took Rotax nearly 30 years to discover what BMW learned back in the 1990s with its M60 and M52 engines: Nikasil isn't always the best solution. Just kidding! 😄
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u/ExcellentMedicine358 8d ago
Just buy a new engine at this point. The pre evo one you have was overpriced, you can get them in the UK for a few hundred pounds as they can’t be raced anymore. Don’t waste your money building it, run it till it pops testing and get a new one from a local service centre
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u/mrbullettuk 9d ago
Are the plasma cylinders required for your rules yet? The 2015 you can’t race here so I’d be looking for a good 2024 Evo.
I’ve just bought a ‘new’ engine for £2500 (4700cad) It was going to be a test engine but the builder said it’s really good and suggested making it our race engine. That’s a short engine.
If it’s a good deal will depend on your plans and the rules.