Need Help With a Club Car Oil Leak and Engine Removal

S

Strugglin

New Member
I have a 99 Club Car gas golf with a ferocious oil leak I need help with. It seems to be pressure related. It only leaks during and right after each use. Can this be fixed without engine removal? I have worked on and repaired many "strange" things, but this critter is totally different. Is there a common oil leak location? I looks to be coming from the crankcase on the belt side (i guess that's what it's called). Is there a top secret to working on these things or do I have to completely pull the engine? What's the catch? Should I try to remove the body or something? I am really at a loss and we use this thing DAILY so I can't be down long. Any suggestions? Special tools? Recommendations? This has been one of the more reliable pieces of equipment I have so I don't know how to act without it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please, Please, Please
Thanks,
Brad
 
Welcome to the forum, one of the guys that are familar with the 290cc, which i think you have will be along shortly. :yes:
 
If a little expenditure is not an issue, go to an autoparts store and get dye which is compatible with the type of oil used in the engine-motor oil, trans fluid. Then run the engine and use a black light to pinpoint the leak. Most of the better parts stores sell black lights as well. You might want to clean the old oil off first, but it isn't critical. Remember that under normal circumstances gravity causes leaks to go down, so the leak is at the top of the trail. Just thoughts of an old autoteacher
 
Wow I replied last night, but it isn't here for some reason. Must've been too late for me to be typing.
Anyway, I assume an FE290 is the motor? Did they all come with that one? I don't think it is the seal (I wish it was). It seems to be coming from the top of the crankcase.
Is yanking this motor out a big pain? It almost looks easier to drop it out of the bottom or just pull the body off. Which works the best?

Thanks and keep em coming.
Brad
 
The top of the crank case? You have a gasket there. But is it near the point where your dip stick tube enters the crank case? Could be leaking there.
 
I don't really know what you call it, but it is running down from the top of the cover (where it meets the block) behind the drvie clutch. It runs down right next to the dipstick. I wish it were the dipstick, but it starts higher than that. I will check one more time tonight. I sure would like to be wrong.

If I have to pull it, what easy mods are recommended? I thought I would change the spring, but isn't that on the driven clutch? Any other quick, cheap, and easy things you recommend?

Thanks again,
Brad
 
It could be the side case gasket. It can be replaced in the cart without pulling the engine. I'd suggest cleaning all the oil off the engine and running it again until you find the leak before pulling the engine.
 
That's it. That's where it is coming from, but it is at the top not the bottom. Do I still need to pull the clutch to change it? If so, won't I still need to loosen the motor to scoot it over?
 
Hey Strugglin, I have not worked on a Club Car motor. I got my Club Car with the engine missing and went right to a Briggs 18. But, until someone with some knowledge gets here. HRC talked about a side cover. Can you see this cover? Can you get to the bolts without pulling the clutch? You might want to pull the rear body off the cart. If you have a roof on your cart and the cart in a garage, you can hang the rear of the top off something on the ceiling. Then you do not have to take it all the way off and you can handle things alone.
 
I guess I'm just too stupid to see how all this comes apart. You can take just the back off? Are you saying to hang the top from the shop ceiling? These things don't make any sense to me at all. NONE! I don't think I can get to the bolts without yanking the clutch, but won't I have to move the motor over the get the clutch off? I guess I need to get a clutch puller on the way.

You have a Briggs in yours? Now how does that work? Are there some conversion kits or something? Just kinda curious. I have got to get this fixed.
 
The best thing to do is remove the engine. You are just going to make a simple job way to hard if you leave it in the cart. I would buy the service manual. Worth every penny. Clutch will need to come off. You should replace both the crank cover gasket and the main seal. I have a post somewhere describing step by step on the engine pull. It comes out the top with out removing the body. It will have to tilt 90* to remove. It is much easier with the body off. That is not hard to do either. Patience is a must. If you don't feel comfortable doing it, take it too a small town Lawn mower shop. They don't know mhow to pull it either, but they will be more confident. If you never done it, its about 1 hour to pull the engine. I have pulled one in 12 minutes with air tools. You will need a few custom tools. Like the clutch puller tool and pre 96, clutch alignment tool. I am not going to reccomend any hop ups. If you don't know squat about a cart, it will be hard to explain how to do it. If you are interested in fixing this your self, I will try to help you through it. But it is so hard to do it typing. I would have to be on the phone. I am not on forums much any more. PM me and we can set up a time to talk. I will try and find the engine pull post. I wish they were made stickys but I guess some don't find them useful.
 
Club Car Engine Removal:

1. Disconnect battery

2. Disconnect ground wire going to engine(should be on dipstick 10mm nut)

3. Remove 1, 1/2" carriage bolt under starter and the 2, 9/16" mounting bolts. Ty up starter out of the way.

4. Remove muffler clamp around the BIG part of it. Remove 1/2" bolt that bolts the muffler bracket to the engine block. Remove the 2, 1/2" nuts and washers from engine block exhaust port and remove muffler.

5. Remove throttle cable from governor arm on both sides.(on tranny)Bring the trottle cable out the front and out of the way. The one on the carb can stay where it is.

6. Remove yellow wire plug from oil sensor(below starter on passenger side in back.

7. Un plug the RPM limiter(should be around the dip stick area low) And thread it back to where it comes out of the wiring harness. So its out of the way
8.Remove fuel lines from carb, and pulse line from block below dip stick.

9. Loosen 4 bolts that bolt the engine to the mounting plate(not the rubber mount bolts) they should be 1/2" bolt heads and nuts.

10. Bring it foward as far as you can. Remove 2, 1/2" bolts that hold the muffler clamp bracket to the block.

11. Finish removing the 4 engine mount bolts.

12. Remove clutch using clutch tool. Now that the engine slides around, you should find a long extension to reach the 9/16" tool bolt head. Run it in with a HS impact gun. WARNING! Don't hold the impact gun on. If it does not pop off, back it out and run it in again. Repeat till it pops. If you hold the trigger, you can ruin or break the tool. Or if no impact is available, run the tool in tight, take a 2x4 about 5' long and stand on drivers side and tap it HARD,. Place 2x4 on clutch face and use the hammer to hit the wood, rotating the clutch frequently till it pops.

13. Tilt engine up and pull out through the seat hole.

These directions are for 92-96 carts. I never pulled the engine from the newer style. They bolt to the tranny some how. Not that hard to figure out once your looking. If you pull the body, Don't forget the 2 bolts under the bagwell mat.

Let me know when you got the engine on the bench. At this point, you will need to order these parts.

1 exhaust gaskets
1 crank case gasket
1 clutch side seal
clutch tool if you haven't got it already.

I will find the torque settings for the side cover bolts. Best to take lots of pictures so you know how things will go back together
 
Thanks for the info Jerry. :cool:

I usually put a copy of "useful" technical posts in the corresponding tech forum so they're easy to find. I don't recall seeing a post here on Club Car engine removal or I would have put a copy in the Club Car tech forum. I may have missed it.
Thanks for posting the how to...
 
I just hope I didn't leave anything out. I should of did step by step pictures all the times I pulled engines.
 
I can't possibly say thanks enough. Mine is a 99 model, but I can make it from here. This is the stuff I was looking for. I wouldn't dare take it to anyone. I'm one of those "gotta do it yourself" kinda guys. I figure if I can keep the "ol' heap" (as John Force calls it) runnin' surely I can handle the cart. Anyway, I'm not scared to do any mods, but I don't know which ones are worth the trouble, but it looks like the replacement spring on the driven clutch is a good one. Anybody know the best place to get these gaskets. Not really anybody local. I will check some of the sponsors' sites.
Thanks again and I will keep you all posted. I gotta get this running so I can get to the track!

Brad.
 
The driven spring will give you a little more low end but your going to loose 2-3mph top end. I don't care what they claim. I have tested both BU and CPP. Your best bet is the drive clutch spring. But if you don't put in an extra thrust washer, it will jerk. Not enless you have a BRAND NEW clutch.

The very best hop up for me was the rebuild with boring and machining. All my hop ups were self thought of. Just simple throttle adjustments can gain more out of the hole. You got to remember what life your cart had before you. The first thing a golf course does is tune them down and slow. They last longer. So when we get them, we have to push the pedal 1/2 way down to start it and move. You should only barely press the gas and it should start and idle without moving. A little more gas moves the cart and WOT should open the carb all the way. This is all done with a 10mm wrench to the cable in the black box and also the rod under the cart that goes from the pedal to the black box. Play with them. I lengthened the rod, shortened the cable and bent the micros some so once mine starts, it idles at 900rpms. I can shift gears. To kill it, put in nuetral or turn off key. You will figure it out. Its how I learned. YEARS OF TRYING TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THEM WITHOUT SPENDING MONEY.
 
Okay. Update.

Got the gaskets and seal and puller. Not sure exactly what the allen head jam screw is for on the puller, but the clutch came right off with a few pops from the impact. Yep the side cover gasket had been sucked in. Anyway, I put it all back together. I installed the clutch, but I didn't want to strip anything out with the impact so is there anyway to find out if it's on far enough? I guess I can just see if the belts align. Ummm, y'all are right - nothing to this thing.
Question: What exactly does the governor arm do in the rearend? There must be something on that shaft that it is turning.
I thought while I had the motor out, I might put a toggle switch (hidden) on the rev limiter ground wire (just for me). Does this sound like a bad idea? And does anyone know exactly which wire it is? Do they sell just a higher RPM limiter that I can put on? I thought I would adjust the rod, cable, and bypass the governor. Then the rev limiter comes into play. I want to avoid the backfires as much as possible.

Thanks again for all the help.
Brad
 
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