Fuel Starvation

[lockman1]

There is no adjustment for the choke button!
All it is, is a "cap or plug" (with a spring that holds it open) that covers one of the 2 intakes on the air box.

My only guess is that your almost new fuel pump can't keep up with the fuel delivery!
Just curious... is the fuel pump for a golf car?

[Left Coast Kiteboarding]

I bought my fuel pump from Tom. It's the newer roundish Mikuni one. If it can keep up with the big Honda twins it should be able to keep up with my little FE290!!

[rwwoods]

The new pump is a standard after market replacement for the OEM part. I cannot find a fuel flow specification for the Club Car OEM pump, else I would check it. And before someone suggests that the problem may be the rev limiter, the previous owner beat me to it and cut the ground wire.

[lockman1]

This may be a silly question... but, is your fuel shut-off valve on top of the tank completely open?

(Click pic)

Fuelshutoff .jpg

[rwwoods]

That's not a silly question. I once had that problem. Yes, it is fully open. I am going to check the compression next. The 2001 FE290 engine service manual (the latest one I can find online) says the minimum compression is 57 psi. Is this spec valid for a 2008 engine? I read somewhere that the HP rating was raised in 2005. I don't know if that is true or if the compression spec changed. A previous reply said that the compression should be 125+ psi which is a far cry from 57.

Edit: I found the 2004 engine service manual and the compression spec is 156 psi.

[lockman1]

I see where your confused about the compression variants!
A "pedal start" cart should have around 156 psi
A "key start" cart should have around 71 psi

Most CC "key start" kawi engines have an ACR (Automatic Compression Relief valve) which lowers the compression at low RPM's

Check your compression, and see what you come up with!

[rwwoods]

More to this saga. The spark plug in dry and black indicating a rich fuel mixture. So, I checked out the air flow. Duct appears to be clean from an outside visual inspection. Air filter has about 130 hrs on it and it totally clean with the exception of a small round dirty spot over the air intake hole. I didn't expect it to be that clean. Perhaps the air duct is cloged I'm thinking. So I disconnected the air intake hose at the filter box. The engine ran rough and at much lower revs, then worked great again when the hose was reattached. Is this normal operation?

[rwwoods]

Update on the air supply: Previously, when I disconnected the hose from the air box, the engine was cold. Today, I warmed it up then opened the air box. The rpm fell off some but not as much as when the engine was cold. This time there was no roughness. The only thing that is changing is the air/fuel mixture which I think is probably normal when one reduces the air flow resistance. So, it appears that the air supply is OK.

[STANLEYSTICKLER]

OH boy! I just had the same problem! And don't laugh when I tell ya what it was! Mine had the same symptoms. But would always start right up after it set for awhile. I took the line off past the 2nd fuel,leaving on the small black line attached to carb (save in your mind for solution). And cranking over would shoot gas out about 9 inches but none in the carb. Simple right? The needle and seat is dirty? NOT! Take if apart and spray carb cleaner thru and all is clear. Including the small black rubber hose. WTF? Put it back together,same problem. So now I'm pissed. Better just let it set before I burn it! Next day back at it. Pull the carb off and try blowing thru the black hose. No can do. Gota be something in the carb! SO I proceed to take it back apart. This time I take off the hose. Can't blow thru it! So try to stick something thru,NO CAN DO! Ethanol would be my guess. Dissolved the inside. So in conclusion 4 hours worth of jackin with it and this was the problem!

[rwwoods]

I may have found my problem. The pick up tube in the tank was not fully inserted into the shutoff valve assembly. I suspect that air was being drawn into the fuel line. Now the filter near the carb always has some fuel visible even after a long hard drive.