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Electric EZGO Electric EZ GO Marathon, Medalist, TXT and RXV. |
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07-14-2014, 10:22 PM | #1 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: FL
Posts: 294
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EZGO TXT PDS Motor Upgrade DIY
I searched and found a couple threads on how to upgrade an EZGO TXT PDS motor and didn't find much. So I decided to write up my experience on how to install a motor without disassembling (or even having to jack up) your cart. Too some trial and error, but got it done.
As a bit of background, I recently did a 36 to 48 V conversion on the stock PDS motor. That got me some massive torque and top end speed. After breaking in my new set of Deka batteries (6 x 8 V), I was able to net a top speed of 32 MPH. I did well with this during the winter and fall months. However, a few weeks ago in the FL summer heat, I think I may have burnt my motor up (not sure though). It was 92 degrees at 9 PM when I was riding around at 32 MPH and then suddenly slowed to around 20-22 MPH. When I got home, I could smell burning coming from the motor compartment and the motor was too hot to touch. I stopped running the cart and did some research on what may have happened. Not quite sure, but I think I overheated the motor over time as I was probably running the stock motor somewhere in the neighborhood of 7000 RPM with stock gearing (JohnnieB, maybe you can do some calculations based on my specs in my sig). Coincidentally, a BGW member was selling a new custom EMP motor he had built for his cart, but he decided to go another route. I purchased it and installed it. This motor is pretty friggin' cool (literally and figuratively) Here's what I did: Before you start, be sure to put the cart in tow/maintenance mode and disconnect the main negative cable from the battery pack and cover the end of the cable with electrical tape to prevent a short. Obviously, engage your parking brake and be extra safe by putting wheel chocks in place. 1. Removed my rear seat (4 bolts). This step is obviously not necessary for 2 seater carts. This provided rear access to the motor access panel 2. Removed motor access panel by removing the torx screws. 3. Label each cable appropriately with masking tape and then remove the A1, A2, F1, F2 cables from the motor 4. Removed the 3 bolts (7/16") holding the motor to the differential housing. They are located at 9, 12, and 3 o'clock as you face the spindle side of the motor. The 12 o'clock bolt also goes through the bracket for the wiring to the motor to go through. 5. Next, I had to figure out a way to hold up this 40-50 lb motor. This is where Plum Quick's nice handle comes in handy on the motor. I didn't have that luxury, so I had to improvise. I had a bike lock cable with a silicone covering (to prevent scratching the motor) laying around that worked perfectly. I looped it around the motor and locked it in place. I then too a large flathead screwdriver to gently separate the motor from the diff housing and then wiggled the motor back while pulling up on the bike cable to take downward pressure off the motor spline. Be careful not to stick the screwdriver too far into the motor or you can damage the armature. Once the motor is off, let it rest on the axle. You will have to pull the speed sensor wire through to the motor compartment as this will come out with the motor (this cable not used for Alltrax controllers) 6. Next, use the bike cable as a handle and pull the motor through the rear of the motor compartment. You will have to bend the rear body panel a bit to get it to squeeze out, but it will fit through. 7. Next, unpack your new motor and admire it. Check out those rear cooling vents and that neat fan on the spline end of the motor! This baby is gonna run cool! 8. This new motor is longer than the stock PDS motor and I could not get it to fit by going back throughout he way I pulled the motor out. I've read about jacking the cart up and removing the left rear shock and getting the motor in that way. But I thought there had to be an easier way. Fortunately, there is! The battery compartment has plenty of room to allow you to access the motor compartment from the front (see left picture below). Take out the 2 middle and 2 driver side batteries (4 total) to gain access to the motor compartment from the front. 9. Now comes the hard part. This motor is heavy (50ish lbs). Put the bike cable back around the motor to use it as a handle and bring it into the motor compartment through the battery compartment and then rest the motor on the rear axle. I then returned to the rear of the cart to finish the install. To prevent difficulty in removing the motor in the future, now would be a good time to add anti-seize spray to the spline of the differential as well as the motor spindle. 10. From the rear of the cart, lift up on the bike cable and line up the bolt holes on the motor to the holes on the differential and slide the motor onto the differential spline. Replace the motor bolts and hand tighten and then gently tighten each of the three bolts in succession to seat the motor in place. Tighten each one a little bit at a time so that the motor is pulled into place in a straight fashion. Don't forget that the 12 o'clock bolt also goes through the cable bracket for the motor cables. 11. Replace the motor cables (after running back throughout he cable bracket) in their respective locations and gently tighten the nut down. Do not over tighten or you can damage the motor by pulling the bolts through. You should ideally be holding the lower nut with a crescent wrench while you tighten the top nut. 12. Replace your batteries and all cables for the batteries and reconnect the main negative cable. Replace motor compartment cover. 13. Load your correct field map for your motor per your manufaturer's instructions. I have an Alltrax DCX400 controller and it was simple to use their Controller Pro software to flash the new field map to the controller. 14. Enjoy your new speed and torque! |
2006 EZGO TXT PDS 48 Volt conversion - 6 x 8 V Deka batts - Alltrax DCX400 controller - Custom ventilated & actively cooled EMP motor - 4g cables - 215/35/14 (19.75" tall) - DPI 48 V charger - Datel nanoMeter DVM -LiTESeasy wireless lighting system - 12 V DC reducer - Rear seat kit; Vmax=29.1 MPH; 2020 Icon i40L Vmax=28 MPH
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07-14-2014, 11:18 PM | #2 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: FL
Posts: 294
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Re: EZGO TXT PDS Motor Upgrade DIY
Motor is running much cooler to the touch after a few miles at top speed (28 MPH or so- haven't really tested out top speed yet). At least I'm staying at a sane RPM for the motor (unlike my stock motor). Going to install temp sensor from my new Ex-Ray meter I got in today.
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07-14-2014, 11:50 PM | #3 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 407
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Re: EZGO TXT PDS Motor Upgrade DIY
Thanks for taking the time to write it up; I enjoyed reading it!
I hope my stock motors will hold up for all my needs, but its good to hear that its not that bad a job. I've changed out several resistor cart motors and they are pretty easy; I can tell its a lot harder to get to a PDS motor. Good luck with it! |
07-15-2014, 05:44 AM | #4 | |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: FL
Posts: 294
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Quote:
Thanks for reading! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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07-15-2014, 05:50 AM | #5 |
Gone Mad
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Buford, GA
Posts: 8,988
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Re: EZGO TXT PDS Motor Upgrade DIY
When I removed and replaced my motor, once for rebuilding it, and again when I replaced with a high speed motor, I removed the driver's side tire and jacked it up and placed on jack stands. While it's possible to man-handle it, like you, I chose to support mine from above. I used a ratchet strap, supported by a 2 x 4 across the seat backs.
Whether you remove batteries or jack it up is a matter of personal preference and dependent on what tools you have available. |
07-15-2014, 08:46 AM | #6 | |
Techno-Nerd
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
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Re: EZGO TXT PDS Motor Upgrade DIY
Quote:
I recently discovered the tires I thought were 18.3" tall are actually only 17" tall, which means my stock motor was spinning slightly over 8,000 RPM when the armature exploded. (I measured how far the cart traveled while the tires made four revolutions with me on the cart to determine the tire circumference and did the math to get the effective height.) Check with your motor builder for the max recommend RPM. My guess is that it will be no more than 6,500 RPM, which would be 30.3 MPH for your setup. Also check with motor builder for max case temperature. It is 115°C (239°F) for a non-ventilated motor with Class-H insulation, but yours is ventilated and I'm not sure how much that changes the number. -------------- My D&D motor weighs 53 pounds and is a bit over 10.5" long and I've R&R'd it a couple times without removing anything other than the sweater basket, bag holder and center cover. The secret is tilting the front of the motor up to get it in or out. Being a shade-tree mechanic, I have a chain fall on a branch of my favorite shade tree. I make a cradle out of rope, (a loop around each end of the motor and piece of rope connecting the two loops together to form a carrying handle.) and slide the hook on the chain fall closer to the front of the motor to get the needed angle. Once the motor is lowered past the top of the differential, it is just a matter of shifting the hook closer to the motor's center of gravity to more or less level it and then all it takes is a bit of wiggling to get the splines lined up. |
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07-15-2014, 09:29 AM | #7 |
Master of All Things
Join Date: May 2013
Location: West Columbia, Texas
Posts: 17,892
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Re: EZGO TXT PDS Motor Upgrade DIY
I personally went from the bottom taking the motor out.....I had done something very similar many times, seeing as how I worked on and rebuilt many air cooled VW's. I took the left side rear wheel off so it could see easier, like yurtle did, and was able to place the disc of my big hydraulic floor jack under the motor to support it. loosened up the 3 bolts and slid it out....."PIECE OF CAKE" took me all of 30 minutes to remove the stock motor and replace it with my current RAPTOR.
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07-15-2014, 09:42 AM | #8 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: FL
Posts: 294
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Re: EZGO TXT PDS Motor Upgrade DIY
With 19.5" tall tires and 12.44:1 gears, your motor was spinning 6,862 RPM at 32 MPH.
OUCH! Thanks for the calculation JohnnieB. My motor was apparently not too happy wiht that speed. Check with your motor builder for the max recommend RPM. My guess is that it will be no more than 6,500 RPM, which would be 30.3 MPH for your setup. They said to keep under 6000 RPM for maximum reliability Also check with motor builder for max case temperature. It is 115°C (239°F) for a non-ventilated motor with Class-H insulation, but yours is ventilated and I'm not sure how much that changes the number. I'm not sure either. But they said to try to keep under 170-180 F case temperature |
07-15-2014, 09:44 AM | #9 | |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: FL
Posts: 294
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Re: EZGO TXT PDS Motor Upgrade DIY
Quote:
I had looked into trying to support the motor with my jack as you did, but couldn't figure out how to pull that heavy sucker out of the compartment. That's when I had the idea to use my bike lock cable that I had laying around. |
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07-15-2014, 09:55 AM | #10 | |
Master of All Things
Join Date: May 2013
Location: West Columbia, Texas
Posts: 17,892
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Re: EZGO TXT PDS Motor Upgrade DIY
Quote:
in my case. I actually had the entire cart lifted on jack stands.....and my jacks disc is larger than most, so it just barely will cradle the motor and pulled in out forward of the differential. |
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