87 EZGO 2PG, doesnt run as well in fwd after generator rebuild

[jbrodigan]

Have had a 87 EZGO with a 2PG engine that I rebuilt a few years ago and ran great until I needed brushes replaced in the starter/generator. I needed to push in on the brushes to get the starter to work. I took it into my local starter/alternator repair place and he lost all my parts and returned it to me with the wrong pulley. Confidence was not high it was put back together properly. I installed it and it started my cart just fine. As I ran it, I smelled something hot and found some of the power wires going to the starter/generator were getting hot. Terminals were hot on the starter/generator and wires were hot also that ran to the F-N-R switch.

Threw that starter/generator thru the repair guys front window (not really) and ordered a new one from another repair place. Terminals no longer get hot, nor do the wires get warm BUT now my performance in FWD is very poor but in REV its just like it was before, which was good.

Im thinking the problem lies in whatever caused the repaired starter/generator to fry things may of caused my F-N-R switch to be damaged in F. To troubleshoot this I want to reverse the cables to make it run forward when the switch is in R. If it goes back to running good in that position I assume my F switch is damaged and I can get another F-N -R switch and Im back in business.

Ive been studying what diagrams I can find here and elsewhere. I see one for a 86 that shows a shaded line for F and an unshaded line for R.

If I reverse the cables on the back of the F-N-R switch from B to D, does that sound like it would make the cart run forward when the switch is in R?

Previously the cart ran great in both forward and reverse. I have checked the timing to make sure it hadnt changed for some reason. Ignition timing doesnt seem to have changed.

[cart around]

For peace of mind, switching B, and D will accomplish what you want to do. But, that is just a big copper switch. It flows current in both directions. It really shouldn't make any difference which way it's flowing.

If we stick with your theory that it's an electrical problem, I would check the voltage regulator. Put the cart up on blocks. Put a meter on the battery terminals, and run the cart in each direction. See if forward is putting out a lot more voltage than reverse.

I only say that because a few years back there were a few threads on newer carts that had bad voltage regulators, and were bogging the carts down. That stuck in my mind because it seemed like an odd thing to happen.

[jbrodigan]

Thank you. I will try that and report back what i find.