N00b with a mixed bag needs suggestions

[steveb05]

So I just picked up a 1996 (verified by model code A1996) EZ GO TXT Gas cart. It’s lifted with 24" tires. Here's where things go south. It has a Robin 3PG engine which, from what I've read, did NOT come on ANY 1996 carts. They guy I bought it from said he rebuilt the engine and it does run good. Problem is it sounds like I have to really spin it up to get it to move. It has the factory belt for the model year (Dayco 72054G01) but I have no idea if the drive or driven clutches have been modified or replaced. I'm a total N00b at carts but I'm a very capable "car guy"...just not deep in 2 cycle or these nifty belt driven transmissions.

He did put a nice pipe on it, a cotton/oil air filter and has apparently done the "oiler disable"/"mix your own" trick.

I've read a 1" shorter belt might get me better low end and engage the clutches at a lower RPM and the 18 degree ramps in the driven clutch would get better low end performance (that is if I don't already have the 18 degree clutch). Is there any adjustment on the drive clutch to get it to engage quicker (lower RPM)?

Anything else I should do "on the cheap"? There is a pretty good amount of slop in the steering box...can that be adjusted?

[Dave Box]

1992 is the generally accepted date that the twin-cylider 4-cycle engine became the standard power plant but in fact the 3pg engine can be found in golf carts as late as 1994. There is something strange about your cart, does it look like the plate has been messed with?

One of the problems you will have is that the big tires are going to overgear the final drive. You will probably find that the cart flies on the level buy bogs down on all but the shallowest gradients. There are two things you can do here. The easiest is to replace the belt with a shorter one. This simply stops the belt climbing to the top of the drive clutch as it closes and would be akin to running your car with the overdrive deselected. Bearing in ming you are currently overgeared this may get you back to where you should be. If you are currently running the standard belt which is 45 inches then you could try DAYCO p/n HP3004 which is 44 1/8 inches. (Disclaimer: my knowledge is based on a 1986 2PG and I am taking a leap in assuming that it is basically the same as yours).

The other thing you might care to try, which looks like fun, is to modify your driven clutch. Here is an article which some say makes a big change
http://krisdillon.com/buggy/

Good Luck
Dave

[steveb05]

Thanks for the info Dave. I caught sight of that article too, might give it a try after the belt. The plate "looks" normal...its where it should be and doesn't look like it was drilled out, but who knows with no VIN stamps. Got a heck of a deal on it with a 4x8 trailer so even if it is older, I'm okay with it. It is the all plastic body, so that limits its age.

[steveb05]

Well, I got the shorter belt, new ramp buttons and did the spring change/mod. Seems to grab and pull a bit harder, but still seems to need a LOT of RPMs to get the drive clutch to start squeezing. Oh well. I'll run it like this 'till I decide to swap it out to a twin 4-cycle...then the whole shootin' match gets changed :)

[GoTeeMan]

Do me a favor, lift the seat and take a picture of whats under there. I have heard that with a few mods you can put the plastic 1996 and newer bodies on old carts. I just want to see if what you have under the hood matches what my 1990 3pg looks like. Does it have rear coil springs or leaf?

[steveb05]

I have no doubt what I have is not what I was told it was. But I got it, and a nice tilt-bed 10' trailer with it for a great price and clean titles on both. Its not like I can't modify the heck out of it anyway. When I get back to the house this evening, I grab a picture for you. I'm guessing it was coil, but is now air shocks. There is no way it was leaf in the back though. Does that tell us something??

[GoTeeMan]

My 90 is coils, I am not sure what year they went to leaf but you've got at least a 90.

[pachanga90]

If the cart is correct it will have leaf-springs.They switched to them when they changed from Marathon to Medalist-94.5 thru 95(rounded steel body)/TXT-96 and up(rounded plastic body) platform.Medalist and TXT look very similar and are noticibly different from Marathons.My cart is a TXT-Marathon(TXT body/Marathon chassis).

[steveb05]

Ok. So after research and your answers, I know I have an '89 chassis with a '96 body. I went ahead and completely rewired it, put in a new dash, and a '73 KEC-340/4 engine. I still have some cosmetics to do and need to get those air shocks out and put springs back there...but here she is:

[1moretoy]

NICE Steve. Looks great.