EZGO TXT a little slop between motor and differential

[firenfix]

I notice a little noise coming from the motor/differential area? Cart drives fine, just the annoying noise, but when jacked up it seems that there is a little play when I turn a d/s wheel until the motor starts to turn? What could be worn?

Thanks in advance.

[yurtle]

What year is your cart? Mine's a '98 and I replaced all bearings, seals and oil, and it helped a lot, but it still doesn't sound as quiet as a new one. I didn't see very much in the way of metal particles in the oil, and even left a magnet in it overnight, just out of curiosity.

I had a bearing failure, and don't necessarily recommend you go to the extremes I did, but definitely change the oil.

Links:

Owner's, Parts, and Service Manuals:
http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...g-manuals.html

Dana Axle:
http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/attac...5-28148g01.pdf

Golf Cart Serial Number Lookup:

http://www.shopezgo.com/customer-ser...ialNumber.html

Controller/Motor Type:

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/attac...go-guide-2.jpg
http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/elect...en-system.html

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by firenfix

1. I notice a little noise coming from the motor/differential area?
2. Cart drives fine, just the annoying noise, but when jacked up it seems that there is a little play when I turn a d/s wheel until the motor starts to turn?
3. What could be worn?

Thanks in advance.

1. Both motor and differential make a "little" noise. Impossible to tell if it is normal or abnormal without hearing it.

2. The mechanical energy from the motor is transferred to the axles via the teeth on three or four gears and all the teeth have to have some clearances or they bind. The teeth wear over time, so the clearances increase as the differential is used. When the cart is being driven, the leading tooth faces are touching and when coasting, or in reverse, the trailing tooth faces are touching. What you are seeing is called Drive/Coast clearance and again, it is impossible to tell if it is excessive or not without seeing it.

FWIW: I can rock my rear wheels back and forth someplace around a 1/8 of a turn before feeling the motor turn.

3. It isn't what could be worn, it is what is worn.
The Input gear, Intermediate gears, Ring Gear and Differential cluster gears all start wearing the moment they start turning.

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There are no backlash adjustments in the differential, but the oil used by EZGO is motor oil rather than gear oil and the noise level can be reduced some by using other oils.

I'm currently running an 80/20 mix of SAE 40 motor oil and STP, but will be going to Lucas 85W-140 Gear Oil. Note: The viscosity of motor oil and gear oil are rated on different scales and 85W gear oil has about the same viscosity as SAE 30 motor oil, so I'm actually going to a thinner oil mixture.

[firenfix]

The cart is a 2006. I do not get the sound when coasting, more when driving slow. Axle bearings and seals are new. I thought it was just a rattle of some sort underneath and jacked it up to look. Nothing loose, but I can hear and feel something going on by the input shaft, but again no coasting noise and the cart drives just fine.

[cgtech]

I would pull motor and inspect/clean input splines and motor coupler, look for funny wear on input shaft splines. Check in motor coupler for rubber "bumper". If not present, get one. I know yamaha sells them I don't know if ezgo does (theyre all the same for 19 spline motors), and often times found in new motors. grease those input shaft splines before you put the motor back on, they are often dry & a little rusty. this input shaft tune up should be considered routine maintenance and done once every five or so years. This should cost you more no more than $5 and even if it doesn't fix the noise you know you have at least maintain that part

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by firenfix

The cart is a 2006. I do not get the sound when coasting, more when driving slow. Axle bearings and seals are new. I thought it was just a rattle of some sort underneath and jacked it up to look. Nothing loose, but I can hear and feel something going on by the input shaft, but again no coasting noise and the cart drives just fine.

What cgtech said, plus it might be the differential input shaft bearings, or the motor bearing.

[firenfix]

Good info and I will perform the maintenance and see what happens, but I still have a little slop I need to get rid of.......Thanks

[Val-Con]

heard the same sorta noise on my 48 volt txt mainly sounding off when going in reverse, pulled the rear wheels and drum/hubs, the axels had sheared many of the teeth off the drum hubs,,,(too much power)

[firenfix]

No axle or hub issues, going to pull the motor if it ever stops raining and take a look.