96 G14 gets smoking hot then loses power

ecaldwell78

Hello all! I've been lurking and searching for quite some time now but haven't seen my specific issue addressed. My son has a 96 G14 that we picked up for a song about 3 weeks ago. i have rebuilt the starter generator and cleaned up the carb. the cart will run absolutely perfect for about a half mile to a mile then get smoking hot and lose the ability to fire anymore. it'll turn over all day but no fire... just a lot of smoke! now if i put it in "neutral" it seems to rev up just fine for extended periods. if it sits for a while then it has all kinds of power...for about a half mile to a mile. the longer it sits, the further it can go. but i know this overheating is not normal. the fuel pump works fine. i took the line off the carb from the pump, stuck it in a beer bottle and it pulse pumps perfectly. i tested the spark with an inline spark tester and its great. so why wont it fire after a short run until it cools down? Thanks for anyone who responds. This site really is a great source of information.

BGW

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Mike Mac

Need to remove the plastic air shrouding from around the head. Make sure its not caked with oil and dirt from a leaking valve cover gasket. Air needs to circulate around the cooling fins to remove heat.

If when the engine gets to operating temp. it stops running, from loss of spark, that usually is the cause of a failed ignitor, that has to be replaced.

ecaldwell78

Thanks for the input Mike. I'll take that shroud off when i get home and give it a thorough cleaning. So you think the ignitor has failed? It's just so strange because i can give it hell on jackstands with the seat off and it doesn't get so hot that is smokes. But as soon as i get a bit down the road, it starts smoking and will turn over but not fire. i even carry the Lisle in line spark tester and check it. looks good but just turns over no fire. the spark tester shows spark though at the same time.

Mike Mac

If you still have spark when it won't run, then ignitor is not your problem. When you say "it smokes" where is smoke coming from? Off the motor, or out of exhaust?

ecaldwell78

that's what i thought was strange...spark but no fire! it smokes off the motor terribly. when it loses power, you can floor it and go 2-3 MPH, but eventually it will just stop firing and resort to just turning over. get off, lift the seat, and get bombarded with smoke from the engine bay. but since it gets spark, i'm baffled, unless the heat puts it into some kind of "protection mode" that i dont know about. new to carts, not new to mechanics. i need to read the plug to see if i need to pull the carb again for another cleaning, but would a lean mixture and possible clogged cooling fins make it overheat that badly? boiling fuel perhaps?

ecaldwell78

oh and after it sits for a day or so, it'll run just fine....for that half to 3/4 mile, then the same thing all over again, like a groundhog's day for golf carts!

Mike Mac

Need to find the source of the smoke. If fins are clogged, it can't shed heat, it may be boiling the gas before it can be ignited.

Also, good idea to read this site, and start a good maint program on the whole car!!

If it's getting so hot, it's smoking, it's doing damage!! Need to stop oil leaks especially leaking down onto head.

ecaldwell78

Thanks Mike! I'll be going through it this weekend and will report back my findings. My son will be on vacation this next week, (one last hoorah before joining the sheriff's dept), and i'd like to have it running like a top for him. i'm also redoing a 92 club car electric for my wife so i'm sure i'll be around here searching first and asking stupid questions later! Thanks again for taking the time, i really appreciate it!

rib33024

Check what Mike has said, and check the exhaust pipe to see if it's clogged, have you checked the oil to see if it's at the right level?, check the plug and see if it's running lean/ plug will be white. So just to be clear, You have NO SPARK when the engine gets hot and wont run?

Mike Mac

Thanks for watching my back Rib!!

Yes, what Rib said!!