Well I pulled the trigger! 440 kawasaki Sled motor for my 90' ezgo

[fonz3482]

Hello everyone,
I recently posted some questions in the general big block forum on installing a sled motor in my 1990 ezgo, didn't really recieve much positive feedback, but I like a challenge I guess. I picked up a complete kawasaki 440 fan cooled motor, with wiring, carb, exhaust hedder, exhaust pipe, clutch, fuel pump, electric start,and cdi ignition box. I payed $200 for everything and now its time to shoehorn it in there. Questions I have, I believe the current govener cable hooks to the secondary clutch?? Do I just eliminate the cable now? Also I believe Im loosing reverse, but I've read you can buy a certain replacement rearend to regain the reverse gear, what rearend am I looking for? Another concern is my 1 wheel peel rearend. I've heard of guys opening the rearend and welding the spidergears to make it a locked rearend, Is doing such a thing a reliable, and good money saving idea? Or does it make the rearend a gernade that can blow up anytime? Any input would be great, thanks!

[nipper310]

I would love to try that, good luck.

[JcXtreme72]

welding a rear end is as reliable as the welds. You need to heat the gears before you weld them to keep the strength. As far as reverse on this forum I found a thread where a guy wired his sled motor to run backwards like the stock cart motor. 2 strokes will run in either direction just fine. And as always don't forget the pics.

[pachanga90]

If you weld the gears,Use Nickel-Rod if you can,also,weld some pieces of bolt in between the teeth,this will help bind it up,and create a stronger joint when welded.Hope this helps.

[fonz3482]

well I have a friend who welds proffesionally, but 1st im going to try to find a rearend. I guess certain years and style ezgo's have a rearend that has like a gearbox for forward and reverse in the rearend itself, rather than stop and restarting the motor in reverse. Then I'll have my friend weld it up so I get better traction.

[JcXtreme72]

Any 4 stroke rear end will have forward and reverse. But you will still have to shut off the motor to change directions. If there is any load from the engine you will end up grinding it. I have a 18hp briggs and I have to shut it off to change direction. Unless you pay for an expensive roller clutch motor that's the only way you can shift a cart with the motor running.

[fonz3482]

Thanks for the info JcXtreme72. I was unaware of that, but I guess If I really needed reverse, I could shut the motor down and turn it back on.

[JcXtreme72]

Unless you are willing to spend north of $500 for a roller clutch for that motor you will have to shut it down. And if you have to shut it down any ways might as well wire it to fire backwards so you don't have to spend money on an axle that won't get you what you want. If you do just wire the motor to fire backwards you'll want to use the stock Starter/Gen unit and that means you can have it start when you hit the gas peddle of shut off when you let off the gas. That makes it very very bareable when changing to forward to reverse.

[fonz3482]

Im not sure if I can use the stock ezgo starter/generator. I believe the kawasaki starter turns the motor over using a gear that splines into the flywheel/clutch of the motor where the ezgo uses a belt. I'd have to check further into it I guess!

[JcXtreme72]

I have seen some people adapt the pulley for that belt and I've also seen them run the factory clutch with modded weights