TXT Engine Mystery

Mooncarter

Like the title says, can't figure this one out.

Have rust bucket 1997 TXT with a great running engine. Bought another identical, great body, frame etc. with a locked up motor. Planned to switch good motor into good cart.

In the process of removing the bad engine (it was locked tight) when slipping the drive belt off the clutch the motor started spinning freely. Felt like it had compression. (Making a long story short) Put everything back together except exhaust. Re-filled oil etc. Cart started and ran like new. Let it run about 10 minutes in neutral about 1/4 throttle. Hooked up exhaust after engine cooled. Drove cart perhaps 3 or 4 miles ran perfect. Took it for another test run, started tapping slightly then LOCKED UP AGAIN.

Really doesn't matter now, motor is coming out for good this time. Just a wasted day.

What on earth could cause this? Makes no sense. And yes my first gas EZ-GO.

BGW

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Gearhead1956

Well at this point its any ones guess!

Did it lock up all at once or gradually get tight? and lock after you shut it off?

Just for fun I would take it apart in the locked up condition, then maybe you can see what the issue is.

Thinking its not a rod/crank or valve train issue, maybe one of the roller bearings that hold the crank?

Let us know what you find!

CP241

Sometimes bearings can lock up when they get hot but seem fine when cold. I've seen pulleys on lawnmower decks so this. But wont know for sure until you pull it apart and look for the blue :)

Mooncarter

Thanks guys. Curiosity got the best of me to start with when the motor just magically "unlocked." If I didn't know better (and I don't) after thinking about it sounds like something could have been "rolling around" inside there and is getting stuck/dislodged.

Won't have time to pull it apart for a while. Was sort of wondering what y"all thought.

Thanks!

CP241

Could be a broken tooth on a gear or something also. May be worn/broken enough that it can jam up and lock the motor. But then with a little coaxing, unjam itself and be fine until it binds again.

Also worth checking, I had a dirt bike a while back that the float stuck and it filled the crank case with gas. Something didnt seem right when I tried to kick start it and nearly broke my ankle on that first kick lol. Oil was hydrocarbon
Locking it from below I guess. Drained all the gas and oil, fixed the carb and it ran like a champ afterwards

Mooncarter

Broken tooth floating around? Maybe.

No. Not gas. Iv'e had that happen before too.

This is strangest thing I have ever seen.

Spicyunicorn

Willing to bet it's a messed up connecting rod/cap iv seen them act this way when they "rod bearing" is out

Mooncarter

What I can't wrap my head around is since it obviously had a major internal problem to start with, how did it run so smooth for that length of time? Weird.

gened4288

Maybe check that the oil pump is working properly? Could be it locks up after not getting sufficient oil flow and unlocks when it cools down. Just a random thought...

Gene

Mooncarter

Great thought Gene. But according to the guy I bought it from (locked up) it had been cooling for 6 months (I left that out sorry). Bought it locked up. Today over 24 hours later still locked up. IDK. Crazy.