Rookie Question

[Mark L]

I have a 1996 gas club car that I bought without an engine with the intent to build a Big Block cart. It just hasn't happened, but now I have acquired a 2000 gas club car with what I am told is a running engine, but the frame is in bad shape. The rear shock mounts are broken and someone installed a cheap lift kit that required the front of the frame to be cut. My question is will the engine and cradle assembly bolt up to my 96 frame, or will the engine from the 2000 bolt up to the older style 96 cradle? Thanks in advance, looking forward to getting started on this project and then maybe later on doing the Big Block install.

[Fairtax4me]

Just swap the entire rear axle/cradle /engine from the newer cart into yours. Pretty much everything bolts up the same, and you'll have the right engine/trans combo.
Look up the wire diagrams here so you can get the starter generator and the ignition coil wiring hooked up right.


Your 96 IIRC, has the separate transmission and axle combo that is designed for the counter clockwise rotating engines used prior to 97. You could bolt the newer engine to your axle, but the 97+ engines spin clockwise, so you would have to drive around with the shift lever in reverse to go forward, and vice versa. It works, but it's far from ideal, and eventually that older transmission is going to wear out and you pretty much can't buy parts for those anymore except for used stuff.

With the newer engine and transaxle, your forward will be forward, and reverse will be reverse.

[Mooncarter]

Originally Posted by Fairtax4me

Just swap the entire rear axle/cradle /engine from the newer cart into yours. Pretty much everything bolts up the same, and you'll have the right engine/trans combo.
Look up the wire diagrams here so you can get the starter generator and the ignition coil wiring hooked up right.


Your 96 IIRC, has the separate transmission and axle combo that is designed for the counter clockwise rotating engines used prior to 97. You could bolt the newer engine to your axle, but the 97+ engines spin clockwise, so you would have to drive around with the shift lever in reverse to go forward, and vice versa. It works, but it's far from ideal, and eventually that older transmission is going to wear out and you pretty much can't buy parts for those anymore except for used stuff.

With the newer engine and transaxle, your forward will be forward, and reverse will be reverse.

[Mark L]

That's what I was hoping to hear, because I know it is all in good working condition. I was concerned about where the bump stop goes into the frame being different.