My '90 Club Car

Springbok · 02-18-2020, 11:57 AM

So there was a fire this past December at our Campground. Luckily nobody was hurt but a farmhouse on the property unfortunately burned to the ground. There was a mid-2000s electric Club Car golf cart (campground maintenance property) parked next to the house when it went up. The only thing that was able to be saved off the mostly-destroyed cart was the back seat frame.

So they let me have it and I'm in the process of cleaning it up for my '90 gas cart. I'm doing a custom mount with it. I want to keep my stock rear bumper (not using the rear step) and push the seat frame forward on the cart so it doesn't hang so far off the back end so much.

Springbok · 02-23-2020, 11:06 AM

Got the backseat mostly done. Still have to decide what to do with the extra length on the grab handles that go down to the rear step platform (which I'm not using). I'll probably just cut them off.

Also, you can't see it in the photo, but the wood underneath the butt seat cushion is rotten and needs replacing, so that's the next order of business since I can't bolt the seat down properly until I do.

jakesnake27 · 02-23-2020, 03:11 PM

That looks good

Springbok · 08-10-2020, 08:42 AM

Just some random updates on my '90 Club Car. About 2 months ago I was driving the cart, stopped at a friend's house, then the cart would not start. Felt like it had zero compression. Well what had happened was that the nylon/plastic cam gear (which was bolted/repaired before) came loose from the camshaft. The bolts that held the gear to the camshaft were bent and broken and lying at the bottom of the crank case.

I had several extra camshafts laying around so I swapped it in. Got the motor back together and it fired right up. Went for a quick drive around the cul-de-sac and then the motor squeaked, lost power, then seized. Why? Because I forgot to put oil back in it...

Yanked the motor back out, un-seized it, bolted it back together (put oil in it this time) and it ran again. But it seized up again after a week.

So I sent the crank and rod out to J&M Golf Carts for their crank/rod exchange. Got the crank and rod back, put the motor back together and it ran again. After about a week I had a whining noise (but no power loss or seizing).

Pulled the motor back out and found that the crank bearing in the side cover was making some noise. So I replaced that and put it back together yesterday.

Seems to run great now. During this ordeal I also lapped the valves and ordered the different size tappet caps in order to get the valve clearance set. I didn't install new rings or anything because it wasn't smoking before, I just staggered the ring gaps on re-assembly and still no smoking, and also has 105psi of compression. Knock on wood, the motor purrs like a kitten now, and I'm hoping to be finished working on it for a little while.

And I'm also planning to do a clone motor swap on this golf cart this winter as the stock motor is just not powerful enough for hauling people with the new back seat I put on this past spring. I'll either sell it or keep it as a spare for my '87 Club Car.

Springbok · 08-10-2020, 09:51 AM

Photo of my crankcase with the broken bolts from the cam gear laying in the bottom of the crankcase:

Cart with the motor out:

Swan · 08-10-2020, 12:18 PM

hope the third times a charm and keeps purring like kitten

Springbok · 08-10-2020, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swan

hope the third times a charm and keeps purring like kitten

Just got back from a pretty long ride and it's still running great. We'll see if I get past 1 week this time...

dundeebarnbuggy · 08-10-2020, 05:26 PM

Plastic cam gear? Friggin sad. I hope you found a metal one!

Springbok · 08-11-2020, 04:07 PM

The plastic (or nylon?) gears hold up pretty well. I could have re-used the one in the photo with new (stronger) bolts. But I had a good camshaft with the original riveted gear on it in my parts bin. I don't know that I'd want a metal gear, might make for more engine noise.

Springbok · 07-05-2022, 01:55 PM

I've just discovered that 8" plastic hub caps will fit steel 10" wheels. I generally hate the way 8" hubcaps look on 8" wheels...but I love the way the turbine-style hubcaps from a stock Club Car look, recessed into the middle of the 10" wheel. Paired with my white-letter tires they give the cart wheels a mid-'70s vibe.

02-18-2020, 11:57 AM	#81
Springbok Photoshop Guy Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Canal Fulton, OH Posts: 3,845	Re: My '90 Club Car So there was a fire this past December at our Campground. Luckily nobody was hurt but a farmhouse on the property unfortunately burned to the ground. There was a mid-2000s electric Club Car golf cart (campground maintenance property) parked next to the house when it went up. The only thing that was able to be saved off the mostly-destroyed cart was the back seat frame. So they let me have it and I'm in the process of cleaning it up for my '90 gas cart. I'm doing a custom mount with it. I want to keep my stock rear bumper (not using the rear step) and push the seat frame forward on the cart so it doesn't hang so far off the back end so much.

02-23-2020, 11:06 AM	#82
Springbok Photoshop Guy Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Canal Fulton, OH Posts: 3,845	Re: My '90 Club Car Got the backseat mostly done. Still have to decide what to do with the extra length on the grab handles that go down to the rear step platform (which I'm not using). I'll probably just cut them off. Also, you can't see it in the photo, but the wood underneath the butt seat cushion is rotten and needs replacing, so that's the next order of business since I can't bolt the seat down properly until I do.

02-23-2020, 03:11 PM	#83
jakesnake27 Gone Wild Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 14,245	Re: My '90 Club Car That looks good
jakesnake27 Gone Wild Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 14,245

08-10-2020, 08:42 AM	#84
Springbok Photoshop Guy Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Canal Fulton, OH Posts: 3,845	Re: My '90 Club Car Just some random updates on my '90 Club Car. About 2 months ago I was driving the cart, stopped at a friend's house, then the cart would not start. Felt like it had zero compression. Well what had happened was that the nylon/plastic cam gear (which was bolted/repaired before) came loose from the camshaft. The bolts that held the gear to the camshaft were bent and broken and lying at the bottom of the crank case. I had several extra camshafts laying around so I swapped it in. Got the motor back together and it fired right up. Went for a quick drive around the cul-de-sac and then the motor squeaked, lost power, then seized. Why? Because I forgot to put oil back in it... Yanked the motor back out, un-seized it, bolted it back together (put oil in it this time) and it ran again. But it seized up again after a week. So I sent the crank and rod out to J&M Golf Carts for their crank/rod exchange. Got the crank and rod back, put the motor back together and it ran again. After about a week I had a whining noise (but no power loss or seizing). Pulled the motor back out and found that the crank bearing in the side cover was making some noise. So I replaced that and put it back together yesterday. Seems to run great now. During this ordeal I also lapped the valves and ordered the different size tappet caps in order to get the valve clearance set. I didn't install new rings or anything because it wasn't smoking before, I just staggered the ring gaps on re-assembly and still no smoking, and also has 105psi of compression. Knock on wood, the motor purrs like a kitten now, and I'm hoping to be finished working on it for a little while. And I'm also planning to do a clone motor swap on this golf cart this winter as the stock motor is just not powerful enough for hauling people with the new back seat I put on this past spring. I'll either sell it or keep it as a spare for my '87 Club Car.

08-10-2020, 09:51 AM	#85
Springbok Photoshop Guy Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Canal Fulton, OH Posts: 3,845	Re: My '90 Club Car Photo of my crankcase with the broken bolts from the cam gear laying in the bottom of the crankcase: Cart with the motor out:

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08-10-2020, 12:18 PM	#86
Swan Cave Dweller Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Always On The Move Posts: 22,217	Re: My '90 Club Car hope the third times a charm and keeps purring like kitten

08-10-2020, 05:26 PM	#88
dundeebarnbuggy Gone Wild Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Dundee quebec Posts: 3,190	Re: My '90 Club Car Plastic cam gear? Friggin sad. I hope you found a metal one!

08-11-2020, 04:07 PM	#89
Springbok Photoshop Guy Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Canal Fulton, OH Posts: 3,845	Re: My '90 Club Car The plastic (or nylon?) gears hold up pretty well. I could have re-used the one in the photo with new (stronger) bolts. But I had a good camshaft with the original riveted gear on it in my parts bin. I don't know that I'd want a metal gear, might make for more engine noise.

07-05-2022, 01:55 PM	#90
Springbok Photoshop Guy Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Canal Fulton, OH Posts: 3,845	Re: My '90 Club Car I've just discovered that 8" plastic hub caps will fit steel 10" wheels. I generally hate the way 8" hubcaps look on 8" wheels...but I love the way the turbine-style hubcaps from a stock Club Car look, recessed into the middle of the 10" wheel. Paired with my white-letter tires they give the cart wheels a mid-'70s vibe.