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Old 01-30-2019, 01:21 PM   #1
20'down
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Default Club Car expectations

I have a 2000 Club Car DS. It has the fe 290 motor. Cart runs good starts good and really impresses me at times just where this thing will go. I have a very aggressive 22in tire and the jakes long travel suspension. here is my question. what should i expect from this cart as far a power. my wife and i together probably weight 250lbs. On a gravel back road the cart has decent speed until we come to a hill. the cart will slow from about 20mph to what seems like 8mph or 5mph. This is frustrating because we live in a hilly area. is this normal? Do i have a bad Clutch or a tired motor? also i can struggle to climb over a log that is 6inches high. front tires go over and then the back tires will hit the log and the cart will just sit and humm. if i back up and hit the back tires with a bit of momentum the cart will hope over. I question the power because i see post of people pulling trailers and hauling around 4 people. i feel like my cart would go up hill at about 2mph with 4 people on it.
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Old 01-30-2019, 02:19 PM   #2
CP241
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Default Re: Club Car expectations

First check compression and valve lash adjustment. Valve adjustment can make a huge difference in power!

What about general tune-up stuff? spark plug, air filter, etc?

Inspect the clutches for wear. The inside portion where the belt rides *should* be ruler flat. If it's wavy (called dished out) then it's time to replace it.

Belt condition also makes a big difference. Measure the width of the belt. I don't know specs off the top of my head, but i'm sure someone can chime in with correct spec of belt width. As the belt wears it becomes more narrow and loses a lot of oomph.


Being your cart is almost 20 years old, it's impossible to say "this is what you need to replace and you'll be all better". It could be several things, or a combination of things. I'd start with the basics above.

My carryall has a 350, so I haven't actually ever driven a 290 powered DS to compare. I know I can pull pretty much anything I want with my carryall and it acts like it's not even there. I do have a FE290 powered Gator, but it's a dog compared to my carryall. Not really a fair comparison to a DS powered 290 though, as it easily weighs twice what a golf cart weighs.
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Old 01-30-2019, 02:37 PM   #3
Mooncarter
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Default Re: Club Car expectations

I wonder how much power those 22's are robbing.
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Old 01-30-2019, 05:05 PM   #4
Fairtax4me
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Default Re: Club Car expectations

The 290 isn't a power animal, but it does OK for a 9hp motor. (remember that this is less power than most riding lawn mowers.)
The 22"s are hurting you in the torque department (hills, pulling, etc.), but there are some options that will help bring that back.

Do you NEED the 22"s? These carts are very capable with 20" tires and you get about 10% of that torque back just by stepping down in tire size.

The driven clutch and belt have the greatest affect on how engine torque gets transferred to the transaxle when you start moving. There are torque springs available that stiffen up the driven clutch, that will keep the belt higher on the clutch at low and medium speeds, but still allow the clutch to open fully at higher speeds.
You can also machine the driven clutch in a way that allows the sheaves to fit closer together, which will push the belt up higher on the clutch and provide better torque for getting moving from a stop, and better for climbing over obstacles.
A high performance belt is also available that will help with torque, and will help prevent belt slip if the clutches get wet.

The drive clutch can affect torque while you're moving if its sticking closed and not allowing the engine to rev to stay in the power band. A clutch rebuild would be necessary to fix that.

You will lose speed on hills no matter what. These small engines just can't produce enough power to make the cart blast up hills at full speed. This is why it has the CVT trans, so you can make use of bottom end torque at slow speeds, while still allowing it to go at a somewhat higher speed where the torque is not needed.
Clutch modifications can help that, but in the end, if you need to go faster or need to pull steep hills at 25mph, you need a bigger motor.

Inspect the clutch sheaves for wear or grooving. If they look wavy, they need to be replaced.
Clutches, Belts, torque springs, and machining can all be purchased through CartPartsPlus. You can call them and get exactly what you need. http://www.cartpartsplus.com/golf-ca...lub-car-clutch
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Old 01-30-2019, 05:58 PM   #5
Mooncarter
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Default Re: Club Car expectations

What he said.
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Old 01-30-2019, 06:34 PM   #6
mckittrick.joe
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Default Re: Club Car expectations

Quote:
Originally Posted by 20'down View Post
I have a 2000 Club Car DS. It has the fe 290 motor. Cart runs good starts good and really impresses me at times just where this thing will go. I have a very aggressive 22in tire and the jakes long travel suspension. here is my question. what should i expect from this cart as far a power. my wife and i together probably weight 250lbs. On a gravel back road the cart has decent speed until we come to a hill. the cart will slow from about 20mph to what seems like 8mph or 5mph. This is frustrating because we live in a hilly area. is this normal? Do i have a bad Clutch or a tired motor? also i can struggle to climb over a log that is 6inches high. front tires go over and then the back tires will hit the log and the cart will just sit and humm. if i back up and hit the back tires with a bit of momentum the cart will hope over. I question the power because i see post of people pulling trailers and hauling around 4 people. i feel like my cart would go up hill at about 2mph with 4 people on it.
I got severe duty drive belt. Bigger jet in carb.tiny tach from carts parts plus.zip tie spring to run 4000 rpm. I have 22 in. Tires on 92 290.I have no problem with Hills.Cart still tskes off smooth.
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