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Old 01-30-2013, 11:03 PM   #1
Sam_Dreyfuss
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Default Electric to Gas Motorcycle Engine Conversion

Hey everybody!

I'm new to the Buggies Gone Wild site and just thought I would get started by letting everyone in on a new project I started in the fall. I am in a Special Projects automotive class at my high school (So I work alone mostly). At the beginning of the school year I was given a used electric golf cart (brand unknown). After some research and snooping around, I managed to get a Kawasaki KZ440 motorcycle engine donated for the golf cart. So far I have cleaned and bench-run the motor and am now working on installing it in the cart.

Here are a few pictures:
image-1.jpg
image-3.jpg
image-4.jpg
image-5.jpg
image.jpg

I plan on running a jackshaft from the engine drive to the rear differential to compensate for the 12:1 gear reduction in the diff. The spline coupler will have the sprocket welded to it and the back end will be supported by a mounted bearing to ensure that the torque from the motor doesn't rip the main seal out of the diff.

Any tips/advice to help ease the engine conversion? This is my first ever golf cart project, let alone full-blown motorcycle engine swap!

I will post photos of the fabrication of the engine mounts and jackshaft as soon as parts come in!

Thanks guys!
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Old 01-31-2013, 12:48 AM   #2
rifter
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Default Re: Electric to Gas Motorcycle Engine Conversion

Your going to need the smallest sprocket you can get for the rear dif and the largest you can get for the engine drive. Good luck. By the way you cart is a Club Car.
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Old 01-31-2013, 08:20 PM   #3
Sam_Dreyfuss
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Default Re: Electric to Gas Motorcycle Engine Conversion

I have matched the sprockets on the motorcycle final drive and the differential for a test run. Once I have test run the cart I will see how it behaves and I may add a 1:4 overdrive on a jackshaft.
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Old 02-19-2013, 02:57 PM   #4
Sam_Dreyfuss
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Default Re: Electric to Gas Motorcycle Engine Conversion

Hi all,

Status Update:
I have finally received some of the parts I have been waiting on for a while. I have machined the spline adapter and modified the frame to fit the engine. Things should line up well. I am going to start making the engine mounts tomorrow and TIG the sprocket to the spline adapter. Once I get the engine mounted I am going to remake the carburetor mounts to move them out of the way. I will post pictures as soon as I have something to show!

Wish me luck!
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Old 02-21-2013, 10:01 PM   #5
stuff4mason
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Default Re: Electric to Gas Motorcycle Engine Conversion

Sam, All I can tell you, is good luck my man. I hope you can figure this b!tch of a project out! I've been here, done this. I put a KZ400, basicly same motor in a G9. One picture here: http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/album...ictureid=10148

The biggest problem you will face will be trying to cool that motor inside of a golf cart body. I had a huge fan on the front and another fan in the back trying to keep that motor cool, and she still got hot! The next fun you'll have is with the clutch setup. You'll have to put some type of clutch and a way to shift it on the cart. Makes driving it very unsafe. You'll also run into the torq issue with sprockets. By the time I gave up, I went through three sprockets two chains and a ton of frustration. I don't normally give up on projects, and usually see them through...but this one....I was happy to dump it on the next guy!!!! Good luck Sam - keep me in the loop - would love to see you complete it succesfully!!
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Old 02-22-2013, 05:25 AM   #6
Seaville
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Default Re: Electric to Gas Motorcycle Engine Conversion

I just finished installing a 450 honda in the same frame you are using. Ended up dumping the oem rear for a live axle. Problem was rotation rate of the read input shaft....also used a jackshaft to get reasonable reduction and ended up spinning the rear input ~6500 rmp at ~45 mph. Way too fast. Jackshaft also generated a lot of sprocket noise. Live axle worked out great. Only drawdack is now I'm running a full positive traction system. Tight turns are hard. I was able to solve my heating problem by wrapping the header pipes. Now the engine runs between 210 and 220 F. There is a thread on my build which discuss the "evolution". Good luck and keep us posted.....I't can be done!
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Old 03-13-2013, 04:44 PM   #7
Sam_Dreyfuss
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Default Re: Electric to Gas Motorcycle Engine Conversion

Sorry for the delay in an update, things have been pretty busy. I've actually gotten quite a bit of work done of the cart since last time! The motor is mounted in the cart and the spline adapter is finished. I don't have any photos at the moment, but I will try my best to explain the motor mounts. I used two pieces of angle iron, one for the front of the motor and one for the back. The angle iron is bolted to the top of the frame rails and has two tabs welded on. I wanted to use the original mounting nuts and bolts so I just drilled holes in the tabs and essentially hung the motor from the frame. The spline adapter is machined and fitted, and I will be TIG welding it permanently once I fit my chain. This week I have mounted the ignition coil, starter solenoid, and just finished making a switch plate today. The carb mounts are going to be next weeks project. So, fingers crossed, I'll have a driving cart by the end of March. Linkages and wiring should go pretty quickly once I get the carb mounts done. I will post pictures as soon as I get a chance.

Wish me luck!

Cheers!
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Old 03-15-2013, 02:50 PM   #8
Pitbull Joe
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Default Re: Electric to Gas Motorcycle Engine Conversion

Good luck
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Old 04-08-2013, 07:22 PM   #9
Sam_Dreyfuss
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Default Re: Electric to Gas Motorcycle Engine Conversion

Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news: the carb mounts are almost finished and I got some wiring done. The bad news: Progress has been very slow. I only get about 4 hours to work on the cart per week, so things have been just barely crawling along. However, I have been making sure to take my time and do things the right way! Once I finish these carb mounts (probably tomorrow) I should be able to get the choke and throttle linkages done pretty quickly. I'm not sure exactly how I plan to lay out the throttle linkage because of my dual carb setup. The clutch and gear-shift links should go pretty quickly. Then all I have left to do is the gas tank (which I will be ordering. I don't have time to custom make one.) and the exhaust.

Hopefully, I will have the cart done before I graduate high school! Haha

-Sam Dreyfuss
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Old 06-12-2013, 04:58 PM   #10
Sam_Dreyfuss
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Default Re: Electric to Gas Motorcycle Engine Conversion

It's been a while, but here is a progress update:

I have graduated high school and the cart remains unfinished as of now. Now, for the good news! The carbs are installed, shift linkages is done, throttle linkage is in progress, wiring is finished, and the new coil is installed. As soon as I finish installing and plumbing the gas tank, I will test run the motor again. I will need to order some new exhausts knuckles to get the exhaust pipes permanently installed. When I get a couple days off of work I will head over to my warehouse and get some pictures of all of the work that has been done so far.

Now, for the bad news: I am having an issue with the clutch. The pedal is installed and the cable has been run, but I can't seem to get any tension in the clutch cable. The motor is a Kawsaki KZ440 from 1980. If anyone has any information regarding the clutch adjustment/mechanism please let me know. I would like to get this issue sorted without having to pull the entire motor out and pop the crankcase cover open.

Pictures coming soon!

-Sam Dreyfuss
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