Where to start on my 82. No low speed and hight speed slow..

[Jbo367]

Hello all. I am brand new at golf carts but I do work on cars and am mechanically inclined. I have installed a new set of batteries in my cart it is an 82 club car. Before I installed the new batteries it wouldn't do anything. Now I have it going but when I take off I hear clicks then finally when the pedal is all the way pressed it jumps and takes off but top speed is around 6-7 mph (tested with a friend driving next to me) and very weak going up hill or even on grass. What kind of top speed should I expect out of this old thing first off? I know it's no speed demon but I though it would be faster then it is. My cables are in pretty rough shape so I plan on replacing them by building my own out of 2 ga welding lead. Also I suspect that I have some bad solenoids seeing as my pedal does not have progressing power throughout movement so I am wondering where you suggest I get new ones from? Which ones are the best price/quality? And also my rear end is leaking so I would like to change the oil in it and seal it up nice. What kind of oil does it take and how much? Do I use a oil proof gasket maker to re seal? Also how hard is it to change the brushes in the motor while I am back there? I feel that if I complete all of this and possibly some new micro switches the thing should run tip top, is this a far fetched assumption? Thanks for all replies in advanced. I did research quite a bit just looking for answers to my interpretation of the whole concept of the cart. Thanks again.

[93yellowclubcar]

I think you're very correct in assuming the solenoids are the problem, they're the most frequent issue on these old carts because as the solenoids age they get crispy from the heat of the coils and the bakelite cracks. I personally use Golf Cart King for my parts, but anyone up under the site sponsors tab would be a great place to get the solenoids. I'd personally go ahead and replace all 5 just because of the age.

As for rear end service, you should have a drain bolt back there near the bottom and a fill bolt somewhere about halfway up the rear end. Remove the fill bolt first, then the drain bolt, and when it all runs out simply put the drain bolt back in and pour oil in through the fill hole until it starts to run out the hole, then put in the plug and call it done. Only on the EZGOs and maybe Yamahas do you have to actually pull a differential cover off the rear end, there isn't one on a Club Car. If you're wanting to split the entire rear end to seal it, you're gonna have to take the rear end out of the cart, pull off the motor (a REAL TREAT with older motors because they get stuck almost permanently on the input shaft of the rear end) and then yes, use some gasket sealer like Permatex Ultra RTV gasket maker to re-seal the thing back together.

I've personally never re-brushed a motor, but I have had one apart a few times, and it wouldn't be hard to do as long as you can get the motor off the rear end.

On the issue of speed, I'd expect 12 MPH or so, maybe up to 14ish because of the new batteries. The old 5 solenoid carts sure aren't speed demons, but they've got a buttload of torque! Once you get the issues smoothed out, I think you'll find the system is pretty bulletproof and if something else does go wrong, it's pretty easy to diagnose and fix.

By the way, kudos to you for already doing some homework and knowing the isues!

Hope this helps!

[Jbo367]

Thank you for your response. I am going to start with the solenoids and microswitch and I will just change the gear oil and go from there. If it feels like is still lacking power after that I may attempt a brush change on the motor. I really hope I can get this thing straightened up and begin some mods. How do the older carts run with a lift and tires? My understanding is bigger tires gives it more top end?

[Jbo367]

You have a nice looking older cart btw!