90 DS Hitting rev limiter and hard to start

dremmick

I have a 1990 club car that is very hard to start when cold and still have to crank for a bit when warm. I replaced the carb and fuel pump. I put the engine in service mode and adjusted idle and max rpm according the manual and noticed when testing max RPM it would bounce of the rev limiter then the rpms would drop 300-400 rpm. is this normal?

BGW

__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum

meimk

If you get to the RPM's where the rev limiter kicks in then yes it is normal. The rev limiter cuts out the ignition (spark) to bring it down below max RPM's.

dremmick

Then how do you properly set max rpm and idle?

meimk

The rod between the governor and the carb is adjusted with a set screw in the back where it mounts to the governor. 5/16" (or 8mm) head. You have to work around the driven clutch pulley to get at it. It's a lot easier to reach if you can go through the back access cover area. Small movements can make a big difference. it's not the "textbook" way to do it, but once you're close you can dial it in to some extent by putting a little bend into the rod. It's not too much thicker than an old wire coat hanger so it bends pretty easy. I try to set the cable from the box to the carb so it allows the throttle to start opening just barely after the micro switches engage the starter & ignition. Some people set it to "tight" and have the throttle opening before the ignition engages and that means you are already part way into the throttle travel before the ignition starts to fire. That leaves you with hard, jerky starts and an inability to go slowly when you want to. Yes I know everyone wants their cart to go faster, but you don't really want to live with a throttle that's all or nothing like an on/off switch.

dremmick

It states in the manual to loosen the set screw on the governor rod and push the throttle to floor then move the governor all the way forward and retighten the set screw.

meimk

That's a good starting point, but if you're still having the rev limiter interrupt you need to back it off just a hair. I've always found it to be a bit of "trial and error" to get it just right.

dremmick

what should I set the max RPM to? Thanks for your help!

Springbok

Yes the factory (slow) governor setting is actually to push the throttle arm on the carburetor all the forward, then also push the governor arm on the transaxle forward, and then tighten the setscrew. On my cart I don't even run the governor, the rod is disconnected. I just have a trained ear and I know the motor's limits. I can easily put the rod back if I were to let someone else drive the cart without me (which is rare).

Springbok

My '87 doesn't have a rev limiter, and even on the 1990-1991 carts that do I've never heard that the rev limiters are adjustable.

dremmick

I'm just confused that I set the governor to the factory setting and when I push the pedal to the floor it hits the rpm limiter and the rpm instantly drop then stable out.