Smoking 95 Club Car DS?

[LostinBaja]

I recently picked up a 95 Club Car DS with a FE-290 Kawasaki engine.
When the engine warms up, it starts smoking (oil) like crazy when accelerating away from a stop, it acually gets a detonation knock it's that bad.
The engine makes good power and has about 155lbs. compression. The spark plug isn't really wet with oil.
Anybody have any ideas?

 

[HotRodCarts]

Have you checked to make sure the engine isn't overfull of oil (check it with the engine hot)? What kind and weight of oil are you running in it?
The older Club Car golf carts with high hours have a tendency to carbon up the piston and the valves from burning oil and can cause the detonation also. You can try running some seafoam in the gas to help clean up the carbon.

 

[LostinBaja]

I pulled the engine out this evening. I'm going to check valve guides/seals along with the breather reed valve in the head.
I have even run the oil on the low side and it made no change in oil burning. the oil is 10w40.

 

[Nubs]

Sounds like the muffler may be full of oil, may have been on its side at some point.

 

[HotRodCarts]

Let us know what you find after you take the engine apart.

 

[LostinBaja]

I took the top end of the engine apart today. It looks like a reman engine is in my future. The cylinder/piston wear is amazing. I think all the oil in the bore is why it had such good compression. Does anyone have a recommended engine rebuilder?

 

[HotRodCarts]

@Nubs knows his way around the gas golf cart engines.

 

[Nubs]

I would think a place that works on landscaping equipment would be the safest bet, i would stay away from anything on ebay

 

[LostinBaja]

Doe anyone know where the best place to purchase Kawasaki engine internal parts? I was thinking about rebuilding my cart engine myself, but finding the correct parts is proving to be a bit difficult.

 

[Nubs]

You'll need to check but this should be what you need, have bought many parts from here and have been very happy. Doing the engine yourself is the best way to go


Kawasaki FE290D-BS22 - Kawasaki FE290D 4-Cycle Engine PISTON/CRANKSHAFT Diagram and Parts List | PartsTree.com

 

[LostinBaja]

The engine in my cart is a FE-290D-DS05 and nobody lists it. I'm sure it has to share parts with most other FE-290 engines, but which parts?

 

[HotRodCarts]

I believe any of the internal parts would be the same. I would ask whoever you order from before ordering. Buggies Unlimited carries FE290 engine parts or you could always get them from a Club Car dealer.

 

[LostinBaja]

I picked up a 0.50 mm oversized piston for my FE-290D from the local Club Car dealer. Does anyone know the Kawasaki specs. for the piston to wall clearance.

 

[HotRodCarts]

Club Car calls for .010 piston to wall clearance on the FE-290

 

[LostinBaja]

Thanks for the info. I just got the block back from the machine shop. All the parts are here, once we get some reasonable weather I will reassemble the engine and get the cart back on the road.

 

[LostinBaja]

I reassembled the engine Friday night after work. New oil pump, pressure relief, crank bearing, polished crank, 0.20 over piston and rings (I actually had to bore it to the 2nd oversize), resurfaced the head, 8 angle valve job (Looking for a little more flow), valve seals and new valve adjusters. Installed the engine Saturday morning and it fired right up. I've put about 3 hours on it this weekend. The old engine was quite worn, after the rebuild, it makes much more power and torque and no smoke!
Now I think I need to look at the clutch, it's making all kinds of noise.

 

[Nubs]

Glad to hear your gaining on it