Any advice? Not sure what to do...

[CP241]

I'm torn, so thought I'd reach out to y'all and see what your thoughts are.

So I ended up with 2 2007 mpt workhorse carts. They were both city owned maintenance carts for a local beach city.

One is/was (before I stole the seat for myself and the fender flares for trig ) 99% complete. Stock 350 motor, starter, electronics. Etc. They removed the key switch and pedal microswitch. And primary clutch. Everything else is there. It's got a lot of rust.

The other has a little rust but nothing structural. However the 350 was removed, and replaced with a predator 420 motor. I say its 90% done. It needs the throttle hooked up, wiring for electric start, and either a lift kit to clear the muffler or a Vegas carts header. The motor is brand new. Never been run but sat outside for a bit. I havent hooked it up to a fuel source but it fires right up on a little brake cleaner with the pull start.

So heres the dilemma. I was just gonna part out the rusty one, and get the predator cart going. But tonight I went to disassemble the rust bucket. I pulled the motor, which I thought was locked up. Out of curiosity I pulled the fan cover and put a socket on the bolt. It's not locked up, it was hydro locked. I squirted a lot of water out the exhaust and it now spins freely and feels to have good compression. Not saying its bolt in and go, obviously needs to be rebuilt but its totally rebuildable.

So... question I ask after a lot of rambling should I...

1. Rebuild the 350, make the not rusty cart run right? Sell the predator motor and scrap or give away this cart for someone else to play with?
2. Just finish the predator swap cart, keep parting this cart out as originally planned?
3. Other options???

[Mooncarter]

I struggle with s**t like this every day. I'm no help.

I always wind up keeping both.

[StoveBolt]

I'd rebuild the 350 myself.

[meimk]

I did a 420 Predator in a 2008 TXT that worked out quite well. The one different issue I had was the exhaust. The TXT didn't have the "straight back" clearance for the usual aftermarket header, your MPT shouldn't have any problem. I did mine kind of on the cheap: retained the original starter generator, used the stock clutch - which did require cutting down the crankshaft, tapping deeper threads and a taper adapter - but it all works just fine.

[CP241]

Originally Posted by Mooncarter

I struggle with s**t like this every day. I'm no help.

I always wind up keeping both.

Lol

Keeping or rebuilding both isnt an option. The frame is pretty rusty on the cart this one came from. The center is solid, but the 2 outer rails under the rocker panels are pretty much gone. It would actually not be hard to fix, just some box tube and a welder but I've got no desire to go through all that

I'd be willing to bet if I had a clutch to hook the motor up to the starter/generator, I could put it back in the cart and this motor would run. Compression feels strong turning it over by hand, though the top of the pistons look pretty goopy looking through the spark plug holes. But the oil is "clean". By clean I mean dark like it's been quite a while since it was changed, but theres no water in it.

Still not sure. Shame, I had a good game plan in place until I realized the motor wasn't really seized at all

[CP241]

Originally Posted by meimk

I did a 420 Predator in a 2008 TXT that worked out quite well. The one different issue I had was the exhaust. The TXT didn't have the "straight back" clearance for the usual aftermarket header, your MPT shouldn't have any problem. I did mine kind of on the cheap: retained the original starter generator, used the stock clutch - which did require cutting down the crankshaft, tapping deeper threads and a taper adapter - but it all works just fine.

I just put a lifan 420 in a TXT myself. But I used the Vegas bracket and got a cvtech from then as well. I've cut and tapped the crankshaft before... it's worth the couple hundred bucks to me to NOT do that again and that one has worked out well. I've been running the motor exactly as it came out of the box even, with the fuel tank and muffler that came on it. I need to put a barb in to make the fuel pump work and use the txt tank, just havent gotten around to it.

This one the motor is in, just needs little stuff to finish it. I already ordered a belt for it.

I'm kinda leaning towards just finishing the predator and getting an aftermarket exhaust, or just making my own. I've got a low profile airbox from a 18hp duromax generator motor (same 420/440 motor) and muffler with a short 3-4" exhaust pipe I could cut, weld in a couple elbows, and run whatever muffler I want in the back. That would fix all my clearance issues and I wouldnt have to lift it...

[CP241]

Ok, decision done

I've got the predator running really good in the other workhorse so gonna leave that be and just finish someone elses project.

I've disassembled the rusty cart and stripped anything worth anything off it. I've got the front mount with the starter/generator attached, complete harness, etc. So theoretically I should be able to make this motor run on the bench, just like it would in a cart. I'll go through this engine, rebuild it if necessary (which it probably is) and be able to test it after its built. Then I'll have a complete 350 mci engine I can drop into any year ezgo txt or workhorse (even pre-MCI carts since I've got all the electronics). Or sell for an upgrade for somebody if they need an engine.

Gotta finish this predator workhorse and my carryall first, but eventually I'll get around to it :)

[Timberwolflt]

... pictures people

[CP241]

Originally Posted by Timberwolflt

... pictures people

Lots o junk

The dark green one is now in pieces. I'll get a pic of the motor set up on my engine workbench. The light green one has the predator and runs good now. Belt shows up tomorrow and it should run and drive. Black one has a lifan motor, runs and drives great. Just need to figure out something with the choke and hook up the OEM fuel tank. Gray one is my daily runaround. And the carryall I havent touched yet, except to hook up a compression tester and find it is 0

[Timberwolflt]

Originally Posted by CP241

Lots o junk

....

Precisely the fun of it... taking a piece of junk and turning into something useful... and you’ve got a whole dern fleet