Marathon front cowl

[ldmckiny@aol.com]

This works for me and I encourage others to try it.
As I ripped the old cowl off the nuts that attach it came off easy
Knew I’d have a problem getting the new cowl back on because the bolts are not secure on the back side.
My solution was to attach a nut to the first few threads on each one, pull it forward flush with the inside frame. While holding it centered I used JB Weld in the syringe applicator to lightly fill in the space around the bolts on the front side of the frame.
After waiting a day I was able to slip the new cowl on with no problems and the JB Weld held the bolts until the nuts were tightened.
Can’t say this will work for everyone but it worked great fo me.
Good luck with yours!

[Newbuggyboy]

Originally Posted by ldmckiny@aol.com

This works for me and I encourage others to try it.
As I ripped the old cowl off the nuts that attach it came off easy
Knew I’d have a problem getting the new cowl back on because the bolts are not secure on the back side.
My solution was to attach a nut to the first few threads on each one, pull it forward flush with the inside frame. While holding it centered I used JB Weld in the syringe applicator to lightly fill in the space around the bolts on the front side of the frame.
After waiting a day I was able to slip the new cowl on with no problems and the JB Weld held the bolts until the nuts were tightened.
Can’t say this will work for everyone but it worked great fo me.
Good luck with yours!

Sounds interesting. Do you have any photos of the process?

Where did u get the replacement cowl? What did it cost?

Did you take off or use the old bolts?

Where are you finding parts?

Gas or electric?

Are you going to post a thread about rebuilding?

[LukeL]

Not a bad idea. I’ve done everything from sheet metal screws next to the old holes, to drilling holes on the inside. They are very hard to get to properly to hold the bolts.

[ldmckiny@aol.com]

It’s an electric, 36 volt marathon. I bought the cowl through Amazon, manufactured by a company call RHOX. $89.00. Quality seems good but there were a few edges that bled from the mold I had to trim. Just information, not a big deal.
Didn’t take pictures and it’s not a rebuild, just this replacement project.
I basically just broke up the old one as it was busted already and that allowed easier removal.
For the few nuts that didn’t come loose I was able to tape two 7/16” wrenches together and work it through the slots on the frame to hold the bolt. A couple of the bolts fell into the frame and I was able to use a flat sided magnet to fish them out and guide them back in the holes. And yes, used all the original hardware.
When I saw all the instructions for proper replacement i just thought this would be easier and less time consuming ��

[Newbuggyboy]

Was this a cowl, or a cowl cap?

[rockfordpi]

Originally Posted by Newbuggyboy

Was this a cowl, or a cowl cap?

Had to be the cowl cap at that price I would think

[LukeL]

The cap. The cowl is not easily replaceable on a marathon.

[sahkanaga]

After a mega-battle getting the cowl off, I drilled out the holes where the original bolts went in and inserted some rivet nuts using an Astro nut setter like the one shown here. Now the cowl can be removed in a few minutes'

[cgtech]

Originally Posted by LukeL

The cap. The cowl is not easily replaceable on a marathon.

I was thinking the same, the whole cart seems "put together once, forever". It's a tank, made once, no plans made for opening it up again...... Trying to get the plastic tray out of the glovebox area seemed totally impossible. Truthfully, after my marathon got involved in an accident, I just sawed a lot of stuff out of my way..... Straightened the frame, but still haven't made it into the "yard buggy" I planned for it.

[sahkanaga]

I stand corrected. It is in fact the cowl cap I was referring to. There are seven bolts holding it on. Five across the middle, which are the tough ones to access, and two on the side.