My golf cart died at the last Lemons race. Looking at it showed the control had failed. A replacement control was going to run $500, and I wasn't sure if the motor had taken out the control. So, plan B.
A gas conversion is under way. The axle was removed and the electric motor pulled and disassembled. The input shaft is a 19T spline. Luckily the adapter is available and making an input shaft is fairly easy. The engine mount is under construction. Here's a few photos.
This is the engine sitting on the beginnings of the mount. The motor brush housing has been bolted over the input of the transaxle. The plan is to use it for additional support for the adapter shaft. There is a Comet Torq-A-Verter on the way to tie the two of them together.
Well, I was trying to post the rest of the pictures when I pressed the wrong button.
Nah, that won't kill anybody. 
You think SCR would let me autocross it. 
How many HP is the engine?
Every New Year's Eve at 11 pm, we used to ride motorcycles. My choice was usually the Triumph hardtail chopper. Now we're all getting a little older and just a little more responsible so this year, the decision was made to go with golf carts (converted to gas) instead. It was safer, but no warmer.
You do know about the LT1, right?
That reminds me of the project in my highschool small engine class. It ended ..... poorly.
Have fun!
Toyman01 wrote:
You think SCR would let me autocross it.
You know the chief of tech pretty well and that he will take bribes. OTOH, Mr. H might be a leetle bit tougher to handle...
The engine is about a 6hp. The electric it's replacing was 2.5 @ 2750rpm. With the Comet clutch, low speed is 2.75/1, and high will be .9/1. I'm hoping that will take care of the lack of low end torque compared to the electric and the .9/1 should give it a better top end. We'll see, I'm kind of making it up as I go along.
I do happen to have a spare Yamaha 500cc inline twin...
And a Kawasaki 1000cc... 
And a Kubota 3cyl diesel. 
The thoughts have crossed my mind.
cwh
SuperDork
1/2/12 9:13 p.m.
I approve of your insanity. Kawa 1000 for the win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How much power can those golf kart rear axles take?
I just think it's funny that you were at a LeMons race and your golf cart is what broke down. How'd the race car do?
anytime a gas engine replaces an electric, the world gets a little better.
It's probably best to keep an eye on your power equipment when Toyman's in the area.
Here's an update.
I finely got time to dig the lathe out of the trailer, and took the time to build this:
The spline adapter at the top of this picture will be pressed on the shaft. Hopefully I'll have this all installed and running by the end of the week.
And another update, with pictures
The shaft now has the coupler installed.
Machining the motor brush housing to use as a bearing mount for the new shaft
.
And installed.
Driven pulley and outboard bearing installed
Checking pulley alignment.
And pretty well done as far as mounting the engine and getting it hooked up to the transmission.
I've still got to design and build an exhaust system and some heat shielding to protect the belt. Might get some of that done tomorrow.
I like it. Might want to make that outer bearing mount a little more stout though.
Yeah, that's on the list. The problem is that it needs to be removable to change the belt and the angles ended up a little funky. I'll probably end up bracing it back to the axle tube with something more substantial.
Nice. You got the defroster fan in the Lemons car going yet? If not, you better get on the stick. Don't you make me come down there.
OBTW: it looks like you have been digging in my scrap boxes. That's OK, I approve. 
