Harley 5k questions
 

Hi. I have a chance to buy a Harley golf cart and I was wondering what everyone thought. It turns over but won’t run. It will need new tires for sure but cosmetically it is in good shape. Motor is clean but does have some build up. What should I pay and how much do you think to get it running?

Re: Harley 5k questions
 

No way to tell you what it will cost to get it running without knowing more.

As is, I would only pay what it's worth to me if I had to rebuild the motor.

Re: Harley 5k questions
 

That is a 82 Harley.Things like the muffler and the primary clutch are made of unobtainium. Many of the other parts in the engine are scarce. I would think very carefully about my end goal before buying it. P.S. I have a 82 Harley and did a snowmobile engine swap to be free of the parts shortage issue.

Re: Harley 5k questions
 

'82 - '84 Harley Carts were right smack in the middle of the era when Harley Carts were converting over to Columbia. They didn't really become true Columbias until 1985. The last "true" Harley cart was built in 1981. '82-'84 were hybrids that used both earlier HD parts and later Columbia parts. I can see by your pics that your motor has a Columbia shroud on it but the clutch looks like it's a still HD. Parts are still around for those but you have to be careful in what you are buying.

To get that cart running, it will likely need one of three things: 1) Rebuild to correct low compression. Cylinder kits are available for that for a couple hundred bucks. 2) Fuel pump / crank seals if it's not drawing fuel. Not too much $$$. 3) Points / coil if spark is missing. Not too much $$$ there either.

Once it's running then things get interesting. If those clutches are bad then they are big money if they are Columbia ones and just about impossible to find if they are HD.

Re: Harley 5k questions
 

Every engine I have seen with the columbia cylinder cover has the tapered crank rather than the splined harley cranks which means the really rare columbia primary clutch is used. Luckily the primaries are durable and the secondaries are around.

Re: Harley 5k questions
 

Yeah, I was speaking to the secondary clutch. I can't tell if that's an HD or the Comet that Columbia used.

Re: Harley 5k questions
 

Is there anyway to by pass the key switch on an 85 columbia.
thanks for any help

Re: Harley 5k questions
 

Unfortunately, no. The forward and reverse circuits on these carts are the same. The only difference is the way the current flows via the key switch. Any bypassing of it will cause current to travel both forward and reverse through the same circuit and that would be bad.

Re: Harley 5k questions
 

I was just wondering if I could use a key switch for power and maybe 2 toggle switches. One for forward and one for reverse.
And thank you for your help.

Re: Harley 5k questions
 

Yep. That can be done. Do a forum search for "key switch" and you will see a lot of options. Of note, take a look at some of the posts 9 - 10 years ago as OEM key switches were discontinued for a while a folks had to get creative to find replacements. This post in particular has some wiring schematics included:

https://buggiesgonewild.com/showthre...ght=key+switch