Lost, once again

[Dave Box]

89 should be 3PG but you say it has a vertical muffler which is 2PG hmmm. The 3PG is rotated 90 degrees from the 2PG so both the clutches are facing the side as opposed to the rear. Open up the image that madoc1 sent does your engine look like his?

[M.Gilbert3]

[M.Gilbert3]

thats what it looks like. sorry for the bad pictures they were off my cell phone

[Dave Box]

OK problem solved. You must have an early 89. I thought that they changed engine in 88 but in fact 88 was the last full year of the 2PG. You have a 2PG engine. Here is a little history of the PG engine

-In 1976 the so-called '2pg'--a 244cc, Fuji Heavy Industries/Robin Engine--with an internal starter generator (st/gen), became standard. Repair parts are still available except for the crankshaft assembly, the voltage regulator/starter relay and the internal st/gen stator & field.

-In 1980, an external, Hitachi brand starter generator was introduced and the engine was modified. The crank bearings, drive clutch, point set & condenser, voltage regulator and the engine frame all changed.

-1981 ushered in an electronic ignition system, which did away with the golf carts point set & condenser altogether, and the point activator lobe on the crankshaft soon went away too. Except for the addition of an oil injection system, this engine went virually unchanged until 1989 when the 3pg golf cart engine replaced it. Although the two engines are similar, many parts are very different.

-1983 was the oddball year for the 2pg engine. The muffler was placed behind the engine and it layed down instead of standing up. The '83 golf cart had a different engine frame, muffler & exhaust stack. It only lasted one year though...lots of problems.

In '84 the E-Z-GO golf cart went back to the old exhaust system & stand-up muffler on the driver side of the car.

1988 was the last full year of the 2pg engine. A larger golf cart carburetor and another change to the muffler & exhaust system were implemented trying to get more power for the car. The st/gen bracket also went through several changes as the incresed power caused the original bracket to break apart.

In mid-year 1989, (early '89 models had the 2pg engine) E-Z-GO changed to the '3pg' engine, leaving the old 2pg to history. The '3pg' engine has the spark plug turned upward, and the whole engine is rotated such that both clutches face the driver side of the golf cart. This rotation allowed for the differential to be changed from a hypoid gearing to a more efficient helical gear design, a change that persists to this day. The lay-down style golf cart muffler for the '3pg' engine is in front of, and slightly above the engine. The piston is about the only part that works in either engine. The crankshaft & clutches, the exhaust system, the carburetor, air intake & control cables all changed.

1992 is the generally accepted date that the twin-cylider 4-cycle engine became the standard power plant but in fact the 3pg engine can be found in golf carts as late as 1994.

Dave

[M.Gilbert3]

so any engine parts i order i should order the ones up to 1988? so i can be possitive i'm getting 2pg parts instead of 3pg parts?

[Dave Box]

Sounds about right

[M.Gilbert3]

cool, thanks for all the help dave, i'll be sure to keep you posted on my progress after i get my parts. I haven't taken the engine apart yet but i'm sure its a mess on the inside. I talked to my local machine shop and they said they'd bore it out for 40 bucks if i brought the new piston and rings. should be an option i will explore

[M.Gilbert3]

well i believe i found my problem... here have a look see






good old sized crack towards the bottom...guess i'll be looking into a new one of those. there was also only 1 ring on the piston. if i bought a standard sized piston and new rings would it sit tighter in the cylinder? it wobbled a little bit inside but the cylinder looks pretty good, no huge dings or anything like that

[Dave Box]

Snap, I had the same crack when I dismantled mine


As I always say it is your money and your cart and your call but I would urge you not to use your cylinder without reboring it. It will have a hard glaze to it which will prevent the new rings breaking in. If you have already bought a standard size piston you should at least scuff up the inside of the cylinder wall.

PS Before someone jumps on me, I know that I have written before on why deglazing is not a good idea but in this case needs must.

Dave

[rokcrlr]

To add a little to Daves post, If you have a ridge around the top of the cylinder that you can feel with your finger and don't want to bore it ,the ridge will need to be removed, or your new rings will break as soon as they hit it. Then you will be starting all over again, and will have to bore it as they will scar up the cylinder