G1 Some Questions for Experts

[joesnuffy]

I have had my G1 since 2008. I have tried to keep everything stock as I can down to the air filter. It works well here in East Tennessee because the hills are very step over 50 degrees. I have a newer Yamaha golf cart in Florida but I don't think it could pull the hills like the G1. The newer Yamaha is way quieter but the old G1 is a goat when it comes to hills. I use it daily to get mail in the summer and take trash to the dumpster normally putting like 1 mile a day on it on asphalt. The tires wear like new on the rear and don't wear to one side like my newer Yamaha does in Florida. I bet the front tires may have come on it when it was new they wear very evenly also.

I believe mine is a 1982 The frame serial number is J10-031194 which if I am looking at the chart correctly would make it a 1982 and the 93rd or 94th one they made that year??? The engine serial # is S215 031194 I read on the forums here that this might be a prototype engine or even a factory replacement engine but it does have matching numbers to the frame some one here may actually know why it has an S215??? I think it is 215cc that may have something to do with it. I checked the compression this week with motor very warm and it was 140psi I think that's pretty good for it being so old. I don't think the crank seals have ever been changed I know I never have and it runs like a champ. I do think I will change the crank seals soon while I still can get the Yamaha OEM seals. The inner fenders are metal and the front body part that holds cups is fiberglass which might make it older than 1982?

We will most likely sell our home here in Tennessee in a few years and I will sell this golf cart when I do hopefully to someone on this forum that knows how to take care of one because it would be to loud for using in my community in Florida. I think I paid like 1500 dollars for it way back then and have put like 750 dollars in it since then with paint, aluminum, wheels, a few parts etc nothing major. It is no show cart but not laughable and it has been good to me.

I think it belonged to one owner and the guy I got it from had it a couple weeks and had put a new choke cable on it and a new starter switch on foot pedal. He had also had the seats re-covered. I think he sold it to me because it was so fast and when you start it hang on which was not good for his grand kids especially reverse. If you have never driven one it's like starting a chainsaw you better hold on. I try and keep the seats covered when not in use.

I wonder what the cart would be worth now?? I know its not worth a fortune but the ones on craigslist nationwide go quick. I purchased it because I had always heard they were bullet proof and could climb hills with little to no effort which I know is the truth now . I've had 6 people hanging onto the cart before and go up a steep incline that was like 50 degrees+ and it just chugged along.

The intake rubber boot is a replacement the old one was dry-cracked but still worked it did not have the nipple I plugged up on the one in picture. I saved it and it still worked just thought I would replace it this year with a new one while I could get it.


I will post some pictures of it.


Thanks,
Joe

[raiyni]

J10-031194 would put your cart as a 1981. That would be an absurd compression for a 1982 engine.

[joesnuffy]

Thank you for the input. A 1981 sounds better to me I really was hoping it was not a 1982. I wonder what the S215 means on the engine serial. It is marked S215 031194

[slonomo]

That's a pretty nice little G1! While not a collectors item, they are still quite valueable in good condition. Around here you might get over $2k for it to the right buyer. The G1 is not for everyone because of the 2 stroke engine, most people today don't want that because of the noise, oil, and smoke. But for the right person it's a gem.

The engine in all G1's is 215cc. I've never heard of a special S215 engine, not to say it doesn't exist, just never heard of that. Most G1's with a well cared for engine would run as you describe, very quick and could climb hills well. That engine was based on a Yamaha snowmobile engine, a 250cc to be exact. It was obviously "de-tuned" for golf course use. But the snowmobiles could reach speeds over 50 mph and would climb hills really well. The Enticer 250 is such a close match to the G1 engine that it leads me to believe that was the parent engine. Yamaha also made a Bravo 250 which is also similar. Both of those powerplants were rated around 20 hp or so, where the G1 was rated at 8-9 hp, but that seems low to me. On mine I installed the Plowman's power kit and it really woke it up. I've also heard that with an upgrade to the reed valve and a carb change it can make a huge difference. With an Enticer 250 jug, piston, and carb that engine really make's quite a bit of power!

[joesnuffy]

Thank you for your input. I agree the value of the cart I would guess would be around 2K and it would have to be someone that wants a G1 cart. For me it's worth more than 2K it would take something way more expensive and probably more bulky to do what I do with it here going up hills etc.

I would really like to find out why my motor serial starts with S215 maybe some one here will know.

I have thought about putting the Plowman exhaust on mine if the muffler ever became to restricted to run correctly or maybe have the end cut off my muffler to inspect it for blockage. I try to make some long runs per week with it and get the muffler hot I think that helps keep it clean along with good 2 stroke oil which has improved a lot since 1981 lol.

When I was like 15 which would be around 1980 a small 2 stroke moped was given to me I worked like crazy on it I just couldn't get it to run. I don't remember why but I had the muffler off of it and tried starting it and bam it started up and ran like a champ. I took a hacksaw and cut the muffler in half and it was full of carbon it looked like charcoal in there so much so it would not run. I got it all out and bolted up what I had left of a muffler and it ran great for a test drive. A buddy of mine had the muffler brazed back together and we rode it for at least that summer and traded it I believe for a Go -Cart.

Thanks,
Joe

[slonomo]

2 strokes will definitely clog up the mufflers if they are over oiled and driven for short periods. I've seen some G1 mufflers like that. For the G1, if you premix, a good ratio would be 125:1 with a good synthetic air cooled 2 cycle oil. The factory oil injection mixes between 150:1 and 300:1 depending upon load. Lots of people mix 50:1 and thats just way too much oil for this engine, and will surely clog up the muffler. Most of us disconnect the oil injection due to lack of confidence and just premix instead.

[mikeasis]

Originally Posted by joesnuffy

Thank you for your input. I agree the value of the cart I would guess would be around 2K and it would have to be someone that wants a G1 cart. For me it's worth more than 2K it would take something way more expensive and probably more bulky to do what I do with it here going up hills etc.

I would really like to find out why my motor serial starts with S215 maybe some one here will know.

I have thought about putting the Plowman exhaust on mine if the muffler ever became to restricted to run correctly or maybe have the end cut off my muffler to inspect it for blockage. I try to make some long runs per week with it and get the muffler hot I think that helps keep it clean along with good 2 stroke oil which has improved a lot since 1981 lol.

When I was like 15 which would be around 1980 a small 2 stroke moped was given to me I worked like crazy on it I just couldn't get it to run. I don't remember why but I had the muffler off of it and tried starting it and bam it started up and ran like a champ. I took a hacksaw and cut the muffler in half and it was full of carbon it looked like charcoal in there so much so it would not run. I got it all out and bolted up what I had left of a muffler and it ran great for a test drive. A buddy of mine had the muffler brazed back together and we rode it for at least that summer and traded it I believe for a Go -Cart.

Thanks,
Joe

From what Ive seen the S215 serial numbered engines have all been in early chassis 79-80.(they are all 215cc engines) Im unsure however if they are the factory engine or if they were Yamaha replacement engines. youll notice the last portion of the engine serial matches the chassis and is just a production number

[joesnuffy]

Thanks for your input. I do notice in my picture that the S215 and my factory production numbers 031194 are not in-line with the S215. The factory production numbers are a tad lower like they may have been stamped later?? not sure just an observation. Maybe Yamaha kept blocks on hand with the S215 and would stamp the production number in if it was a replacement engine? Who knows I have never seen other numbers stamped in an engine so I don't know if their all in-line since this is the only G1 I have.

Thanks,
Joe

[mikeasis]

Originally Posted by joesnuffy

Thanks for your input. I do notice in my picture that the S215 and my factory production numbers 031194 are not in-line with the S215. The factory production numbers are a tad lower like they may have been stamped later?? not sure just an observation. Maybe Yamaha kept blocks on hand with the S215 and would stamp the production number in if it was a replacement engine? Who knows I have never seen other numbers stamped in an engine so I don't know if their all in-line since this is the only G1 I have.

Thanks,
Joe

No I didnt notice your chassis didnt match your engine. Ive parted out a few of these and have several engines that start with S215 and some matched their respective chassis. These things are over 30 years old and who knows what happened to them on the gol course let alone afterwards. Look at us making lift kits and adding lights. Things the factory didnt do back then

All the early carts Ive had, had the S215 serial engines

[joesnuffy]

Sorry if I confused you my chassis numbers do match the engine numbers. I was noticing where the S215 is stamped in my motor is a tad higher than where they stamped my chassis numbers on the motor making me think they may have stamped chassis numbers later after the S215 into the motor that might mean it would be a replacement engine? Just something I noticed.

The chassis numbers are nice and straight.

Joe