New (to me) 98 Club Car DS gas

[jangelj]

This was an old cart at my mother in laws house that barely ran. I've brought it back to my house after she passed away. It would start, but only after pumping the choke repeatedly and then for the first 3-4 minutes you were driving. After that it would run, but very slowly, maybe 8-9 MPH.

So, not knowing the condition of the carb, I just replaced it. I also tightened the s/g belt, it was slipping on startup. Now the cart starts well, but max speed was 12 MPH.

So i performed the zip tie mod. It took 2 tries to get it right. First one was too tight, the governor would kick in when it reached the top end and the pedal was floored. So i put another slightly looser. It's perfect. With it floored, I can reach 16 MPH and no stalling.

My next problem is there appears to be an oil leak. I'll attach pics. I am very new to golf carts. I only know minor engine repair. So please be patient.

Any thoughts on the oil leak. Do these fe290 have a spot they are known to leak from?
These pics are from the passenger side of the engine.

Thanks

[CP241]

Welcome :)

If it’s leaking near the dipstick tube, generally it will be the engine side case gasket. They’re only around $15 for an OEM Kawasaki gasket and not hard to replace. You will need a clutch puller tool, they’re around $20. I would recommend buying a real one instead of DIY if you’re not real familiar with small engine stuff, if you use the wrong materials you can mess it up and create a big mess if it mushrooms inside the end of the crankshaft.

You will want to note the clutch bolt is reverse thread. So lefty tighty righty loosy.

Look at the top of this section for my sticky “fe290 rebuild”. You won’t need most of that information to completely rebuild the engine, but the side cover is just right at the beginning of the disassembly.


That is, of course, assuming it is the side cover gasket. Your best bet is to clean everything off really really well with brake cleaner and try to source the leak. The dipstick tube has an o ring at the bottom that can leak as well. Rarely will the head gasket cause an oil leak, but it’s possible. It’s just really hard to tell from those pictures.

[jangelj]

Fantastic! Thanks for the reply. I will take a look today by cleaning it up very well and tracing the oil leak.

Do you know what the stock max speed of this cart is? I could only get it to about 12 mph before the zip tie trick. Does that seem right?

[CP241]

Yes 12ish mph is about right. With good clutches, belt, and engine running as it should, max speed is around 18-20 mph before hitting the rev limiter. Lift and larger tires increases that.

[charlie99]

Originally Posted by jangelj

My next problem is there appears to be an oil leak.

That's not an oil leak .... clearly you've never owned a diesel

Seriously though, I would try replacing the O-ring on the dipstick tube next oil change. See if it looks more like a 'D' than an 'O'. It's a common size and much easier fix than splitting the case.

[jangelj]

Can I pressure wash the engine?

[jangelj]

Quick update. Frist, yes, you can pressure wash the engine compartment. I sprayed with brake cleaner, then pressure washed the engine.
I checked the o ring on the dipstick tube, it looks fine.

I'm 99% sure the case gasket has blown on the right side, as mentioned above.
I've never pulled an engine, or anything of the sort, but I'm going to attempt this later in the week. I just need the puller.

On that note, does anyone have a link to a reasonably priced puller bolt? I saw one on Amazon for $55 and had some bad reviews! I mean, it's a bolt, shouldn't be more than $15-20, right?

[charlie99]

This video may help with your gasket replacement, I've learned a lot from his channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wORlYbk3YKc

Brad Porcellato has a nice clutch puller here:
https://porcellato.com/club-car-prim...clutch-puller/
I haven't tried it, but if I needed another one, I'd try this one. Be sure it's the right one for your cart though.

[jangelj]

Thanks, Charlie. Watching that video yesterday actually gave me the confidence to attempt this for the first time. It's great!

Also, I contacted the puller supplier you suggested. Hopefully that works out. Much appreciated!

[jangelj]

Last question (not really).

While I have this engine out of the cart, is there anything else *simple* that I should do to it?