What to do with an old electric golf cart

BarnyardEngineering

Well-known Member
Location
Rochester, NY
My mom's electric golf cart got to the point where it just wouldn't go anymore. Batteries are ancient, and new ones are more than the cart is worth even with the cheapest batteries available. Then in another 5-10 years it'll need batteries AGAIN, along with the constant corrosion problems.

So I bought a nice older gas "Carryall" (think mini pickup truck on golf cart chassis) for the farm and now I have this electric thing in my garage just begging to be fixed. It's overall in pretty darn good shape, except for the batteries. Hopefully nothing else is wrong with it.

I've seen on youtube where they've converted electric carts to gas by gutting the electric motor, putting a sprocket on the motor shaft, and chain-driving it from a go-kart engine. Only problem with that is you give up reverse...

Anybody do anything creative with an old golf cart?
 
I have an electric golf cart that I bought off a sale. Originally they had added a lift kit, knobby tires and a fixed bed in the back for hauling. Had ok batteries. Painted it hunter green with a black cover and a trailer hitch. Sold it at the local farm store for quite a bit of money. I got it for much less a few years later from a lady that had cancer.

Bet you could fix this one up for pretty cheap, paint it, put some new batteries in it and sell it for double what you put in it for parts. You would be surprised. I really like the electric part. Almost no maint other that battery water. I have enough other engines to maintain - is nice to have 1 vehicle that does not.

I can send you a pic if you want.

John
 

It sounds like it is in reasonable shape, otherwise you would simply haul it to the scrap yard.

- You could put it up for sale as is and see what it would bring. You might be surprised.

- To replace the batteries you would not have to replace all of them or replace with the same capacity. All you need is the proper voltage, fewer batteries or smaller batteries will reduce the range before charging - however the reduced weight is an advantage for short range use. For long range use throw your charger and a small generator in the back. The generator can be small since it would run 100% of the time, with the batteries handling the major acceleration loads. Call it a Barnyard Hybrid.
 
I have a cousin who with a couple friends
put a 650 Yamaha motorcycle engine in a
battery golf cart. Rumor has it one of them
got a ticket for doing 65 mph through town.
So you always have that option.
 
Don't have onr. Everything unless it is in the scrap yard is way too expencive for me to afford. I cannot see batteries costing the $3,000 they ask for those carts with who know what quality batteries. And probably not even a charger with them at those prices. So I cannot see the batteries costing more than the cart is worth.
 
Farm where we keep our horse has had several electric carts that have worn out over time. They DID replace the batteries on one .to the tune of about $900, IIRC. They converted another one to gas but I don't think they had much luck with the conversion. It's been scrapped. I'm in the market for one and it WILL be gas.
 

I guess I don't know a lot about golf cars, gas OR electric, but would it be possible to replace those expensive batteries with common, 12 volt car or truck batteries? I know those are not cheap anymore, but you can still get good ones for around $75 or less, and 3 of them would get you 36 volts. Hook 'em up to a battery maintainer overnight.
 
A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to buy a golf cart with a Harley Davidson gas engine. It seemed to come from the factory with that engine. Sold the farm and alas did not have the room to store it.
 
Here in SJ area there are enough golf courses around. I know of three
guys who trick out used carts. All kinds of accessories and super
duper paint jobs tires etc. Electric and gas. If there are enough golf
play grounds near you I'm sure you can find one of these shops around.
They do some impressive work. Also they only buy high quality carts,
not ones that are all busted up. Some of the ones one guy makes look
like miny mules or Kubota units etc.
 
Harley Davidson did make golf carts with their own engines derived from 2 stroke model 10, super tens that was originally war booty after WW2 from DKW. Electric start with forward and reverse- no transmission, the engine ran backward for reverse with about 30% loss of power. Engine usually shut off when go pedal released, started when pedal pushed down 1/2 inch or more. 50:1 or 100:1 premix depending on oil type, governor setting. After Harley got reorged from AMC, carts were Par-Carr?. Made in both 3 wheeler and 4 wheeler versions- and some of 3 wheelers got motorcycle license plates in a few places. 10 hp Brigges engine swaps sometimes done, no reverse then with the CVT/Comet belt drives but a riding lawnmower 3 speed tranny coupled into drive would give 3 variable forward speeds and a reverse, was experimental for industrial use and home builders got the specs for what tranny to use, the belt pulley parts numbers, chains- King Midgets were around about same time and the idea was to make a industrial light cargo hauler in competition to Cushman, King Midgets, some other golf cart and utility makers. Tranny was supposed to have been a Peerless used on Ariens or some other Wisconsin made lawn tractor, riding mower. Take golf cart frame/body and put in 1/2 garden tractor drive train with off shelf parts that could be serviced outside of motorcycle dealers, make some money with the other than main line assembly equipment. Occasionally see Harley golf carts at HOG rallies. RN
 
Got the same situation at the farm, 1 gas cart and one electric with dead batteries. The charger quit working, had it tested at a golf cart shop. A charger is around $300, plus batteries totals around $900. I wonder too about giving up range by using three 12 volt deep cycle batteries and using a maintainer overnight. Could three batteries be "maintained" connected together or would it be necessary to disconnect them from each other and use 3 maintainers? I also like the idea of a smaller generator hauled along to recharge it just in case.
 

No, no , no. Common starting batteries will be ruined in weeks or months with repetitive deep cycling.
Marine batteries are a little better. Real deep cycle flooded or AGM batteries are required for golf carts, UPS systems etc.
 
i'd guess your cart is either 36 or 48 v. rural king or farm and fleet has 8v batteries for the golf carts.every now and then they go on sale. buddy got 6 of em for about 600.
 
We don't have Rural King around here, just a place called Runnings which seems to have the best out-the-door pricing on golf cart batteries at $110 each without having to join Sam's Club.

Yeah, common starting batteries won't work for long, both in terms of range and longevity. I wish I had three starting batteries just to see if the stupid thing even runs.
 
convert it to a hybrid, replace the big 36V? battery pack with 3 small 12V deep cycle batteries and install a gas engine powered 36V alternator in the remaining space to help drive the cart and recharge the batteries.

I think that would be a fun project.
 
We have an old Cushman 3 wheeler electric. Friends gave it to us when we bought this property 20 years ago. It has been hauling stuff around this place every since. Just put the 3rd set of batteries in it which has worked out to about $200.00 a year cost of operation. I did put a new front tire on it a few years ago. Pretty sure that Cost of operation would be difficult to beat with any gas cart.
 
gtractorfan, you can buy a single maintainer that has 3 sets of leads.

You can charge all of them while connected with that type maintainer.

But, I seriously doubt it would have enough amperage to recharge the batteries. A "maintainer" only does what it says, maintains a battery when the vehicle is stored. It is not capable of recharging a low battery in a timely manner.
 
Unless this is just something you are wanting to do, I suspect the cost and practicality would be a deal killer.

As for reverse, you could do what the 3 wheeler bike conversions do, mount a starter and flex plate to the rear axle.
 
$110.00 each X 6. I bought new ones this spring. If these last like the last set, I will need new ones in eight years. I have an old cart that is going to get a 250 Honda(10 speed) one of these days, but in till then, I like to be able to drive through a campground without bothering anybody with the noise.
 
I picked up a f-n-r rearend from a ezgo gas golf cart at a junk yard for $40.00 that I put into a Yamaha golf cart that was electric. Keep an eye out for a gas f-n-r rearend, you may find a deal on one.
 
I've been repairing golf carts as my 9-2-5 job for about 10 years now, so I reckon I know about as much about them as anyone. The thing that strikes me is that no-one has even asked what sort of cart you have? My first question would be, is it one of the "big three" manufacturers, Club Car, EZ-GO, Yamaha? If not trash it. Next would be what condition is it in? Is it all there? And how old is it? If you post a pic I might be able to ID it, or if you can find a serial number, or both.

Should you decide to put new batteries in it, don't waste your money on "bargains", put either Trojan or Crowns in it. The most overlooked part of maintenance on these things is cleaning the batteries. Motive power FLA batteries produce a lot of corrosive gas while charging, it condenses on everything in the battery compartment. Usually we recommend cleaning with baking soda in water once a month, followed by a clear water rinse, let dry then tighten and re-coat the terminals with a non-hardening terminal coat. NOT axle grease, please, electrons don't need to be lubricated. Top off the batteries with distilled water or deionized only, do it right after charging and don't overfill. Keep the batteries charged up, they will self-discharge just setting there. The charger probably won't reset or maintain without human attention, so you need to fiddle with it at least once a week, and charge it every time you use it even if you only moved it across the barn floor. Don't worry about overharging, the charger is probably smarter than we are. Oh yes, and the older chargers, especially the Lester units (the most common brand), are repairable, and most golf cart shops stock parts for them.

Get me some details and maybe I can help out here.
 
(quoted from post at 19:42:04 09/25/17) I picked up a f-n-r rearend from a ezgo gas golf cart at a junk yard for $40.00 that I put into a Yamaha golf cart that was electric. Keep an eye out for a gas f-n-r rearend, you may find a deal on one.
Oh yes, if you do go with a gas conversion, the very old gas carts were 2-stroke, so they didn't have reverse gear in the transmission, they just reversed the starter/generator and started the motor backwards. Most companies used the same forward-and-reverse switch for their electric and gas models. Depending on make, that changed around '85 or '90.
 
Thanks, I have several maintainers and you're right, I never use them on a mostly depleted battery. Are there chargers that won't overcharge batteries if left on too long? Got to think this through. I didn't know there are maintainers with multiple leads.
 
(quoted from post at 03:08:42 09/26/17) Thanks, I have several maintainers and you're right, I never use them on a mostly depleted battery. Are there chargers that won't overcharge batteries if left on too long? Got to think this through. I didn't know there are maintainers with multiple leads.
Yes, any charger that says it's "automatic" won't overcharge your batteries. Golf cart chargers are all that way, except the VERY old ones that had a clockwork motor to shut them off. Keep in mind that a golf cart charger will not charge a stone-dead battery, it needs enough juice to activate a relay and some electronics or it can't tell it's hooked up to batteries.
 
It's a fairly modern EZ-GO, I would say from the 1990's, but I haven't found anything to indicate age or serial number anywhere on it.

As for being cheaper to buy something that's running vs. fixing what I have, even replacing the batteries will be cheaper than buying ANY cart I've seen for sale anywhere. Gas conversion could be as cheap as a $99 212cc Predator and a $50 go kart clutch, but I would probably go as far as using a 420cc Predator and a torque converter at about $350. Batteries would run $660.
 
(quoted from post at 20:03:41 Oh yes, if you do go with a gas conversion, the very old gas carts were 2-stroke, so they didn't have reverse gear in the transmission, they just reversed the starter/generator and started the motor backwards. Most companies used the same forward-and-reverse switch for their electric and gas models. Depending on make, that changed around '85 or '90.



I had one of those old 2 stroke ezgo's, it was pretty interesting that the engine ran backwards for reverse. Mine was a 1988, after 1991 was when they went to 4 strokes I think.
 
We've had electric golf carts for 12 years or more, the handiest little machine for a farm site. If you don't want to spend $700 on new batteries, put a for- sale sign
on it, with it's charger, near your road. It should be worth a couple hundred with old batteries. You will get 7-8 years on a set of new batteries. I can't imagine
trying to put a gas engine in it, why?
 
(quoted from post at 07:48:12 09/26/17) It's a fairly modern EZ-GO, I would say from the 1990's, but I haven't found anything to indicate age or serial number anywhere on it.

As for being cheaper to buy something that's running vs. fixing what I have, even replacing the batteries will be cheaper than buying ANY cart I've seen for sale anywhere. Gas conversion could be as cheap as a $99 212cc Predator and a $50 go kart clutch, but I would probably go as far as using a 420cc Predator and a torque converter at about $350. Batteries would run $660.
Just to narrow it down a bit, does it have a large F&R handle below the seat, or a small rocker switch mounted on the dash? Incidentally it should have a data plate just to the right of the dash, inside what might be a glove box except it has no door. Not unusual for them to be missing. Some newer ones have a sticker on the frame rail above and behind the battery compartment, you have to raise the hinged part of the motor cover to see it. After raising the seat, of course. I think you'll find that converting to gas would wind up being MUCH more hassle than it's worth if you want a serviceable end product.
 
I have had success putting 3 12 volt batteries in 36volt electric carts several times. Just finished up an ez go for my daughters' to use around the yard by doing this. I bought the cart for $75 and sold the 6 6 volt batteries in it for $105. It is true it will not have the longevity as when it was equipped with the golf cart batteries but its not as bad as many make it sound. Its a much cheaper alternative and has worked great for me more than once. I specifically look for electric golf carts that need batteries on craigslist for this reason.
 
I had some time to mess with it last night.

Pulled all the batteries and did a specific gravity test on all the cells. None tested less than "fair."

Put a load tester on each battery. They all held good voltage under load despite starting right at the edge of "WEAK" and "GOOD" on the tester.

I'm going to run each battery overnight on a 10A charger and see what I end up with.

BTW, it has the large F-R handle below the seat.
 
Doug, it's true that my customers want to go two rounds of golf and still drive home at 25mph. That's a lot to expect from a single charge on a set of batteries, so I'm used to recommending the very best ones.

Barnyard, you have a series-wound motor, so unless it's been changed out for a (very expensive) high-speed one, you can expect a top speed around 14mph. Not a lot of fun, expecially if you have some distance to go, but probably adequate for, well, barnyard use. Add a small garden trailer, and you can probably haul a couple bales of hay. Or rig a flatbed on it.
 
As to hauling with it - mine is a 48v club car using 6 8V batteries. My daughter decided she did not want to go get the tractor to haul a full hay trailer. This trailer was a 10 ton gear with over 100 square bales on it. She hooked up the golf car and towed it (on flat ground) across the yard to the barn and backed it in. It did the job but melted one of the battery posts. Yes I yelled at her... Lucky she did not burn out the motor.

These cars are pretty tough.

John
 
Yeah, I think the thing might have hit 14MPH on a downhill run... Speed is fine, and in fact the slower the better because the kids are getting old enough to reach the pedals, but not old enough to be trusted with something that can do 25-30MPH even with an adult sitting right next to them.

The battery compartment was a horror show. Every connection except the main ones to the motor were badly corroded. Lots of blue gritty fuzzy stuff everywhere.

I got all the batteries out, took them outside, and hosed them off. They all test good, so maybe it was just the connections.

Worst things I've found so far are the battery tray is not in good shape, and the plywood seat base is rotten.
 
We used the old ez go this weekend to harvest pumpkins. We have a Polaris Ranger as well but the kids prefer using the golf cart.
a173090.jpg
 
At least you have a steel battery tray, and it can be removed for repair if it's that bad. Usually the worst you have to do is overlay some angle iron and tack it in place, no removal required. Hose out the whole compartment, too, but don't take a pressure washer to it, tends to blow acid into wiring harnesses and solenoids and motor controllers and sucn. Pay particular attention to the little 4-wire Molex connector that leads to the pedal box under the floorboards, they are in a bad spot for an unsealed connector and corrosion here will kill the cart. I usually eliminate the connector if it gives problems, solder and heat-shrink the wires. Recommend you pop off the cover over the controller and solenoid, take a good look in there, replace the battery cables as necessary.

Doug, you have a classic there. I haven't seen a 3-wheel EZ-GO for years. Yours looks to be in good shape, I don't see the usual rust holes in the body next to the batteries.
 
Kevin, this is my first ez go. Ive had two electric Yamahas and two gas Harley Davidsons. I didn't even realize the body was steel until one of my buddies was over and informed me. Its a 1978 and was taken care of in its previous life (except for the seat)
 
I have a 1975-76 AMF 36 volt electric golf cart. After replacing the six 6volt batteries upon purchase in 1996 the batteries lasted around five years. Did the six new battery thing again. Then after they died again 5-6 years later I thought, I'm not using this thing for an 18 hole ride, just back and forth to my boat dock hauling stuff.

I then purchased three Interstate deep cycle 12v batteries, half the price and worked for my needs. I was using the old Lester charger that came with the cart. Yep, the one with the 12 hour timer. I never knew the state of the batteries and would boil the batteries at times, not good! I still got seven years out of them.

Last year was time to purchase batteries again. The price of Interstate batteries went way up so I went to my local Rural King farm store and bought three of their deep cycles batteries at $210 total. I then did a lot of research on the net about chargers and found the RealPro charger made by Dual Pro. The charger is an onboard unit that has three chargers in one, one each for the three batteries, http://www.dualpro.com/product/realpro-series/ It also goes into maintainer mode when each battery is fully charged. This charger is pricey also $160. Haven't used the Lester charger since. I plug the cart in when parked in my garage. Happy with the setup, we will see how it works out down the road.
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I had an impressive golf cart ride once upon a time in a UPS facility. The 36V golf cart had been refitted with 48V of batteries and a 48V charger. The original motor controller would apply full battery 48 voltage to the 36V motor.
The rear tires would howl and the front suspension would lift to the top of it's travel however the wheels did stay on the ground .
Probably the fastest 0-20mph trip I ever had outside of a midway ride .
 

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