85 Marathon Setting for 3 Yrs / Clutch Issue

[TX Buggie]

Just got a 85 EZ Go, two stroke oil inject, believe to have a 244 in it, this weekend for free. Spent the last couple hours reading up on this thing.

Spent yesterday trying to get it to run. Flushed fuel tank, new gas hose, cleaned out carb and fuel pump, new battery, and she started right up, runs great.

Did all this with it up on the jack. Lowered it, went to take off, and nothing. After looking at it for a while, figured the issue is with one of the clutches. The engine is running, but the belt is not turning, the drive clutch is turning, but not the belt. So after reading this morning, I am going to try to the following.

• Measure belt width - if it is less than 1 1/16" it needs replacing.

• Lube or remove drive clutch and clean - I didn't know what I was looking for yesterday, but I assume when the engine RPM's increase, the sheaves should come closer together, don't think that is happening. One question here, should I be able to move the sheaves by hand?

Any other advice is welcomed.

[scottyb]

Put it back on the jacks .... when you rev it up in gear does the drive clutch close pushing the belt up toward the outer limits of the clutch? If not suspect the clutch. Remove the belt and try it again. Is the clutch closing as it should when reved up?

[TX Buggie]

Originally Posted by scottyb

Is the clutch closing as it should when reved up?

Not sure, I'll have to check on that this evening, weather permitting. Should I be able to move the sheaves by hand?

[ruredy]

2 stroke clutches are a little different than the 4 stroke. On a 2 stroke both clutches will move. The drive should be able to be pushed in by hand but it's a little harder than the 4 stroke one (takes a little more rpm for it to engage). Because the driven clutch works going both way (forward and reverse), the sheaves will move in opposite direction somewhat. Which clutch are you talking about?

[TX Buggie]

Originally Posted by ruredy

Which clutch are you talking about?

We'll I suspect the drive clutch may be the culpret. I suspect something is seized up due to length of time it was setting not being ran.

[ruredy]

They will tend to stick if they've been setting for long period of time. Maybe needs cleaned and polished. Lots of people say not to use lube/grease on them other than dry lube because it attracts dirt and leads to pre-mature failure.
I go on the theory that if you can get more life out of them by adding lube then why not. It's cheaper than buying another one, which is what you'll be doing if you can't get that one to work right.

[TX Buggie]

After removing the dust cover on the drive clutch I found the flyweights had frozen up. A little lube and some love with a dead blow and shes moving freely and under her own power. Once you see the clutches in action things make more sense, drive clutch sheaves come together, driven clutch sheaves move apart.

So now two more problems.

• Fuel starvation, I think I am sucking in air from the 90* elbow that comes out of the top of the tank, need to look into that.

• Rattling - At a certain RPM range, right at full open throttle, there is a loud rattling sound coming from what I beleive to be the large aluminum air shroud on the front of the engine. I'll be looking into that as well. Any Idea's?

[TX Buggie]

A little more progress.

I found out what was causing the rattling. The bolts that hold the starter/generator bracket on the engine were either missing, broken off, or the holes were stripped out. I was able to get one started back in the engine, but I still need to helicoil in some new threads and get the broken one out and that will help the problem. The other contributing factor for the rattling was that one of the cast boss's on the engine that is used as a threaded bolt hole for the air shroud is broken off. These two items combined were causing the air shroud to vibrate and basically turn into a speaker, a loud speaker. So this can easily be overcome.

Fuel Starvation - need a new fuel pump. I'll be getting one of these on order.

Now here is my big issue. When I drive the thing, I am getting a loud "HUM" rubbing sound from the rear end / differential / Spicer Axle. When I first got the thing home, I checked the diff fluid and of course it was bone dry. So I think a rebuild or replacement is necessary.

Can someone tell me what model axle I got, or if there is a breakdown PDF somewhere for this little Dana / Spicer Axle on an 85 EZ Go Marathon two stroke 244cc?

[ruredy]

Dana may be able to help you with that, they have loads of info and pdf's on their site.
http://www.dana.com/

[TX Buggie]

I sent Dana an e-mail, no response just yet, but I narrowed down the rubbing issue, it was the brakes. They were way out of adjustment. That got rid of the rubbing noise and the massive vibration while at cruising speed, however I still have a louder humming noise coming from the rear, sounds like a old 4x4 in four low. The tires now rotate freely and no end play, bearing sound OK, may let it ride for a while.