'97 DS Small engine Swap

[Scott H.]

Here's what I'm working with:

A 1997 Club Car DS. I was given the cart a while back, but just started working on it recently. When I was given the cart I was told the engine was "noisy" I tried turning the motor over by jumping the solenoid and nothing budged. I then tried turning it over by hand and it is locked up. With everything else that is broken, I'm thinking it's a lost cause.

I have a 5 horse Briggs & Stratton go cart style motor on an old tiller sitting here that I don't think would be too hard to put in there. Has anyone done this before?

I know it will have less horsepower and will be much slower than stock, but if I can get this one running my 70 year old mother will be driving it mostly and it definitely doesn't need a big block conversion!

I searched earlier and didn't find anything on the swap, any ideas?

-Scott H.

[tpg]

Your engine spins the wrong way

[Buickguy]

A lot would depend on the output shaft size and rpm speed but TPG is right, it will spin opposite of the original. Since reverse is a different ratio, it would be slow but 5 horse show be able to move the cart with a lone driver.

[Scott H.]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I understand it's going to spin the wrong way because of the '97 and up rear axle and that forward will be reverse and reverse will be forward. I'm counting on the added torque of the lower reverse gearing to help compensate for the lower horsepower of the engine when going forward since I'll be losing right at 4 horse power with the swap.

Pretty much the only thing it would be hauling is my 100 pound mother and her gardening supplies for the most part. She's one of those drivers that likes to go a couple of miles per hour under the speed limit (and scare / irritate me badly when I'm riding with her), so the lower speed should not be a problem. Seriously, she doesn't put the riding lawnmower I bought her in any gear higher than 3rd and it lives mostly in 1st or 2nd.

Since the site search only turned up big block swaps for me, I was wondering if anyone had done the small engine swap already, how bad the power loss was going to be, and the problems they encountered with the swap.

Right now it is just an idea kicking around my head since I have cart and parts sitting here already. If it's going to be too bad, I'm not too sure it'll be worth trying.

Thanks again,
-Scott H.

[pachanga90]

If you take a stock Briggs 5hp,remove the stock muffler,use a straight-thru type muffler(you can get them thru lawn/garden places,Tractor Supply,etc..),remove the govenor,and hook the throttle direct to the carb(you can get a linkage-kit from American PowerSports cheap,they also have a good selection of mufflers).Run 4-cycle Synthetic Kart-Oil,it will protect it fine at higher rpm,and under the load of the cart.It will make quite a bit of power over stock,with just those changes.We used to race them,and we would play with anything that ran them,a few quik changes make a big difference.The gearing in reverse should more than make up for the lower HP.A 5hp Briggs is 206cc,so its' a little smaller than stock,but I think it will be fine for your needs.Hope this helps.

[Scott H.]

Cool, I'll have to check the site out.

Thanks for the tip!

-Scott H.