Engine got very hot.

[JoeRodriguez]

So I was driving around town the other day and I went a little farther than I normally go, after maybe 45 minutes I started to smell like burned oil, I looked in the engine compartment and I didn't see any leaks but it was very hot in there, I wouldn't know how hot but I got concerned and went back home, so I guess my question is: How far can I go without overheating the engine? or maybe: How hot is too hot for a gas powered engine?

(The cart it a 2010 Gas powered Club Car DS with a Kawasaki FE290D motor)

[Fairtax4me]

If you don’t have a temp probe or an infrared thermometer then we really don’t have much to go on.

Smells hot, just doesn’t quantify anything.

Things you can check. Fuel delivery. Are the fuel filters clean? Have you ever removed the carb to clean it inside? A lean fuel mixture will lead to higher engine temperature.

Is this cart modified in any way? Bigger tires/wheels? Lift kit? Clutch mods? Has anyone messed with the governor spring or throttle cables to make the cart go faster?

These engines are air cooled so it’s important to make sure the inlet/cover to the fan housing is clean, not covered/ stuck on leaves or grass or mud.

[meimk]

"Smells hot" is usually a matter of something burning off he outside of the engine / exhaust. Doesn't necessarily mean the engine is actually running too hot. Oil leaks, splashing through puddles, leaves & sticks etc can often be the culprit. Did it run OK? No loss of power, engine knock, run-on?

[09MPT1200guy]

I blow out my cart engine on a regular basis with compressed air, and sometimes water, to get all of the dust out of the cooling fins and shrouds. That can help them to run a little cooler. You might be surprised by what gets stuck in there over time, especially in dusty environments.

[JoeRodriguez]

Thanks for the reply guys, I do have an infrared thermometer but I wouldn't know how hot is too hot. The cart is totally stock, nothing customized. The oil on it as a 10W-40, I'm about to replace it with SAE 40, maybe that helps!?

[meimk]

Originally Posted by JoeRodriguez

Thanks for the reply guys, I do have an infrared thermometer but I wouldn't know how hot is too hot. The cart is totally stock, nothing customized. The oil on it as a 10W-40, I'm about to replace it with SAE 40, maybe that helps!?

I don't think any manufacturer would recommend a straight 40 weight. I see you're in Florida, so "cold start" is a relative term, but 40 wt will not flow well on initial start up and could cause internal engine damage.

[JoeRodriguez]

Originally Posted by meimk

I don't think any manufacturer would recommend a straight 40 weight. I see you're in Florida, so "cold start" is a relative term, but 40 wt will not flow well on initial start up and could cause internal engine damage.

This is on the Maintenance manual:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lj5...ew?usp=sharing

[CP241]

I’ve always used 10w40 Walmart synthetic supetech oil and had no issues in my cars, mowers, or golf carts.

When I was in hot Georgia summers at 100+ degrees I still frequented long drives. Yea the motor and stuff under there gets hot. That’s what engines do. But I’ve never experienced any issues from it, as mentioned above just keep the fan shroud clean and clear as it tends to accumulate grass and mud. But aside from blowing it all out once per month or so (we used the carts daily there) I never had to do anything extra on top of that.

[slonomo]

Small engines get hot in hot weather. In our landscape business we ran our air cooled mowers in 95 degree plus full sun humid and dusty conditions daily in the summer. Never had one overheat. We ran manufacturer recommended oils, don't remember the viscosity, I want to say probably a synthetic 5w30 in the Kawasaki engines, and 10w30 in the Kohler, if I remember. But the oil change intervals were short in the heat, twice a month, that's about 80 hrs or so. Never had anyone ever recommend a 40 weight oil.

There are different temps to check on an engine with a laser.
1. Oil Cooler in/out
2. Oil filter (to compare)
3. Head temp, center
4. Cylinder temp, through spark plug hole
5. Exhaust flange temp

Oil temp will tell you most of the story, that's where we checked. An oil temp at 300 degrees is HOT! I'd want to see under 300, in the 220-260 range (on a hot day). Under heavy load you will get really hot oil for a short time, but the oil coolers will do their job and non load/idle running will cool it off.

Remember, the engine parts are made to withstand much higher temps, but the oil is the key. If you have a high quality clean oil, temps in the 300 range won't kill an engine. The problem is, if the oil is dirty and flow is down, or if the level of oil is down.....that combined with the heat....disaster.

One thing you can do: use a deep fryer oil temp gauge in the dipstick. If the dipstick tube is shorter than 10" most 12" fry thermometers will work. I have one in the shop, cost me about $12.

Some engines have a temp shutoff sensor, but those are usually liquid cooled.

[JoeRodriguez]

Originally Posted by slonomo

Small engines get hot in hot weather. In our landscape business we ran our air cooled mowers in 95 degree plus full sun humid and dusty conditions daily in the summer. Never had one overheat. We ran manufacturer recommended oils, don't remember the viscosity, I want to say probably a synthetic 5w30 in the Kawasaki engines, and 10w30 in the Kohler, if I remember. But the oil change intervals were short in the heat, twice a month, that's about 80 hrs or so. Never had anyone ever recommend a 40 weight oil.

There are different temps to check on an engine with a laser.
1. Oil Cooler in/out
2. Oil filter (to compare)
3. Head temp, center
4. Cylinder temp, through spark plug hole
5. Exhaust flange temp

Oil temp will tell you most of the story, that's where we checked. An oil temp at 300 degrees is HOT! I'd want to see under 300, in the 220-260 range (on a hot day). Under heavy load you will get really hot oil for a short time, but the oil coolers will do their job and non load/idle running will cool it off.

Remember, the engine parts are made to withstand much higher temps, but the oil is the key. If you have a high quality clean oil, temps in the 300 range won't kill an engine. The problem is, if the oil is dirty and flow is down, or if the level of oil is down.....that combined with the heat....disaster.

One thing you can do: use a deep fryer oil temp gauge in the dipstick. If the dipstick tube is shorter than 10" most 12" fry thermometers will work. I have one in the shop, cost me about $12.

Some engines have a temp shutoff sensor, but those are usually liquid cooled.

Great advise, thanks, I will get a thermometer for sure, regarding the oil type, the manufacturer recommendation for hottest weather is SAE 40, take a look in this link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lj5..._DH1g788K/view
I'm not saying is the best option but I am trying to make my engine last longer and work cooler, what say you?