I bought my first project cart...now what?

TexasLongball

I picked up this 1997 EZGO TXT for $900. The previous owner said that the batteries are shot and that he charged it up and made it 50' before dying.
I'm excited about digging into this and putting some work in. The only problem is that I have ZERO previous knowledge with carts, so I am reading everything I can get my hands on...which is A LOT.
I want to make sure that I'm going through things in the right order. I figure I need to just get it rolling first.

I'll be buying some batteries but I do have a question about the differences between a $90 one from Sam's or the $280 Trojan ones. Is there REALLY that much difference?

I took the batteries out and the tray has some rust but feels solid. Is there something that y'all recommend to clean rust and protect for future use? I've seen some WD40 rust inhibitor..

The cart rolls so I guess the motor isn't seized up.

What kinds of things should I be looking at first?

Here are some pics:

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	Cart1.jpg (146.9 KB, 0 views)
	Cart3.jpg (126.4 KB, 0 views)
	Front Seat.jpg (131.2 KB, 0 views)
	Motor.jpg (83.2 KB, 0 views)
	Battery Tray.jpg (138.4 KB, 0 views)

BGW

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tjequip

Looks like you're off to a good start. How old are the batteries? I would definitely test them before replacing. If you plan to keep the cart I would recommend buying the best batteries you can afford. I have only used trojan batteries but there are some other good ones out there.

yurtle

You apparently already bought it, so some things to check are moot. My Trojan T-105s only cost $105 each. so it's worth calling around and maybe even driving an hour if yours are that high.

Put it on a full charge, and make sure your charger goes to 18 amps or so at the beginning. Then wait 12 hours or so and check the voltage of each battery. If you have one that's bad, replace it with a used one of about the same age.

As to other things to check, change the differential fluid and grease all grease fittings.

My battery holder was rusted, but still solid, so I cleaned it up well and used truck bed liner on it. The spray wasn't thick enough, so I converted to paint-on after the first coat. Others have had good luck with other products, but my thought was truck bed liner is pretty rugged against rubbing and scraping.

You may also find excess wear/slop in such an old steering system. You can replace ball joints, but I tried replacing my rack and pinion gears, only to end up replacing the entire steering box, as there are non-user replaceable bushings inside. This only is an issue when you go 35+ MPH.

lugster

I used KBS which is similar to Por 15 on the battery rack. 3 step process cleaning neutralizing etc. Kind of PIA but worked great. I picked a starter kit (small can) and it was plenty. Got it from Summit Racing which is near akron ohio but they have a great website. Think the kit was like $25. I also have a 97 TXT 36 v DCS.

TexasLongball

Got her torn down last night. She is in better shape than I had hoped for.

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Cart tear down.jpg (107.6 KB, 0 views)

DIRTPIT HC

Good news, you got your first cart and you found BGW before you started upgrades. Pay close attention to posters that have tin foil hats or over 50K posts. Remember, no questions are stupid. Good luck.

TexasLongball

I just realized that I've been posting updates in my Introductions thread. Ooops.

I'll start posting my progress along with the multitude of questions that I have here.

Seat covers and replacement foam to be delivered TODAY!!

TexasLongball

I have a TON of questions about wiring. I intended to have a switch plate mounted to control accessories. In my mind I wanted a main power switch that would power the rest of the switches but I can't find anything online to show me how to do that. If I had 4-5 accessories to run, how can I tie into this main switch?

Also, I bought a digital LED battery meter. It only has a + and - so if I connect it to the main pack + and - it will stay on all of the time. Is this ok? Will the draw affect my batteries having it on all of the time?

mattadata

Yes, it is OK and usually prefered to hook your digital battery meter up to the pack directly. It draws very little power and is not a concern. That is how mine has been hooked up for 6 months with no issues.

What kind of accessories will you be running? All 12V stuff? Radio, lights, etc? My prefered way is to use a voltage reducer. This will step it down from 48V or 36V to 12V. As part of my light kit, I have a small wireless remote mounted on the steering wheel. It has the option of controlling any 12V accessory. I have my radio and bluetooth module hooked up to it. So master control of power is handled through the small button on my steering wheel.

TexasLongball

I do have a DC reducer ready for wiring.

Can you send me a pic or specs on the wireless module?