220 too small???

[tyhuck]

I have a pair of Kawasaki Bayou 220s that I was rebuilding over the summer. I got them both running (and spent way more than they were worth) and ended up with one in great shape, and one that is running, but needs some TLC in the aesthetics dept. I also have access to an old 70s model EZGO 3-wheeled golf cart, and the thought had crossed m mind several times to combine the two and make a hunting buggy.

I have built 2 electric carts that performed awesome for what I needed, but the cost of batteries and the hassle of charging, the 36v/12v accessories issues, and the occasional burnt electronics from overloading or overworking was a bummer for me. I guess it was just a tradeoff for the quiet factor.

Anyway, my question is, is a 220 too small of an engine to power a 2 seater hunting buggy made from an olds steel cart? Has anyone one here tried a 220 Bayou build? Im thinking it will be several hundred lbs lighter than the electric version, but will it still be light enough for the 220 to move with a couple adults on it?

I need all the input I can get.

[TJL]

If the final gearing was kept low it would probably do ok, you would be shifting frequently.

[cfherrman]

There is people that use 8-10 hp carts and are fine, you should be around 15-22 hp, gear it right

[Unforgiven]

should be ok on HP. As long as you don't go crazy with tires and accessories.
Only thing is the width of your cart in rear. I had to buy 3" spacers and some rims with a crazy offset.

[tyhuck]

Originally Posted by Unforgiven

should be ok on HP. As long as you don't go crazy with tires and accessories.
Only thing is the width of your cart in rear. I had to buy 3" spacers and some rims with a crazy offset.

Yeah I was watching your build thread, and I was wondering how that setup was holding up. The width of the tires when mounted on the axel is only a few inches shorter than a stock cart axel with standard turf tires. I think I could get by with a set of 2" spacers and be as wide as the stock cart axel. I ran 2" spacers on my other carts so if I wanted to be that wide, I would need to have a similar setup to yours.

I don't plan on hauling too terribly much weight, and Im not going to run anything bigger than the stock 22" tires that came on the Bayou. Ive had 2 carts with 22s, and that's plenty big for what I need.

I know it wont be the fastest, or the strongest, and I don't want it to be. I don't want it to be a Razr killer or out tow a semi truck. I just want it to carry me and my kids around the yard, and carry me in and out of the deer lease (hopefully with a kill) without breaking the drivetrain.

[Unforgiven]

I had 26's on my cart but got a good deal on those 24's. It helped the performance of the buggy.

Looks like a Bayou would be a straight cut and paste. You can also tweak that Mikuni carburetor a little. Some things I ran into:
*Cooling fan and air vents
*Good brakes(will be heavier than stock)
*Make it safe(I kept my lift moderate and wide) Kids love to drive this thing
*Charging system(adding electronics, radio, lights etc overwhemes the 1.5 amp charging system of the atv) I added a 1.5 amp solar panel from habor freight

[tyhuck]

Originally Posted by Unforgiven

I had 26's on my cart but got a good deal on those 24's. It helped the performance of the buggy.

Looks like a Bayou would be a straight cut and paste. You can also tweak that Mikuni carburetor a little. Some things I ran into:
*Cooling fan and air vents
*Good brakes(will be heavier than stock)
*Make it safe(I kept my lift moderate and wide) Kids love to drive this thing
*Charging system(adding electronics, radio, lights etc overwhemes the 1.5 amp charging system of the atv) I added a 1.5 amp solar panel from habor freight

Yeah, these are all things I thought about as well. But, my plan is to keep it very simple at first.

I was going to mount a cooling fan in the kick panel under the seat. I just need to figure out a way to hook a temp switch to it so that it can operate like a stock fan and only run when it gets too hot.

The brakes are new, so hopefully I will be ok there. Im going to use all 4 drum brakes and factory cables, and figure out a way to tie them to the factory cart foot pedal. Im sure it will take some test and tune to get the braking right, but Im aware of that and not going to just tear out and see how fast I can go without good brakes. May not ever see how fast it will go for that matter.

Im only going to lift it enough to clear the 22" tires at full lock, so hopefully it wont exceed 5-6". Im also planning on widening the front suspension, either by making my own A arms, or just widening the bayou front frame section. Probably gonna do the later to keep cost down and keep parts factory. I also have a parts wheeler that came with a spare frame and a spare axel (disassembled), which gives me the ability to return the wheeler back to stock if the frankencart doesn't work out. Since the rear axel housing is offset, and I have an extra long tube, I was toying with the idea of swapping the shorter tube for the spare long tube. This would just mean the the long tube on the right would be in the proper orientation, and the left one would be mounted upside down. It would also require some creative engineering, but it may give me the advantage of a wider axel without spacers, and an extra brake in the rear, as opposed to the one on the right side only.

As far as lights and electronics go, Im just gonna ditch the factory lights for a 7" LED bar. That should draw less than the factory incandescent bulbs anyway. No radio or crazy underglow.


Let me know if you see any flaws in my plan.

[tyhuck]

Looks like i will be setting at about 48" if I swap the axel around like I planned. How wide is a stock cart axel? I can't ever remember to measure the one at my father-in-law's that Im wanting to do the swap with.

[tyhuck]

Well, it looks like the project will have to go on hold for a while longer. Cash is king, and I sold the Bayou for a handful of cash. Probably better that way though.

[tyhuck]

Got bayou #2 running, and took possession of the cart tonight. Looks like we might be a go on the conversion.

Stand by to see if anything materializes.