06 precedent fe350 rpm limits?

Coleocole

Hey everyone. Went from electric ezgo to precedent gas. Have an 06 that has an fe350. I bought it lifted on 26" tires. I have installed an equus 8680 tach and on one cylinder setting, it shuts off at 6000ish rpms which I thought was not right.

I changed it to the 2nd second and rpms seemed corrected. It is shutting off around 3000 rpms. I've searched the forums and it seems like the best next step is to remove the limiter and set the governor.

I have a few questions:
1. Should I remove the limiter to increase speed?
2. What is the best rpm top end to keep from damage?
3. Does the tach seem to be set correctly?
4. Would changing to 8:1 gears be overkill?

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

Coleocole

2 days and no replies. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

CP241

How fast does it go on the 26" tires?

I would REALLY recommend against 8:1 gears on a FE350 with 26" tires. You'll lose so much torque I dont think the cart will even be driveable anymore.

Keep it under 3k RPM for best engine longevity. You can go higher but the engine will wear faster and anything over 4k you'll probably break the counterweight links and cause big $ damage.

Coleocole

Thanks for the response. I'm testing it out with GPS tomorrow but seems sluggish. I dont like the 26" tires, I'd prefer dropping back to 23". The 26" dont seem to want to align correctly and causing steering to feel a little weird. The throttle response feels like as soon as it gets to moving, the limiter is killing it.

lockman1

There's something you'll need to keep in mind, the FE350 is just a "one lung" 11.5 hp engine,
and golf cars were designed for a max speed about 14 mph stock for safety.

That being said, they are capable for a bit more speed, BUT... if your looking to get 35 mph out of it? ... don't bother!
it's not gonna happen with a stock FE350. (even with 26" tires)

I used the speed calculator in the quick links on here, (it's actually pretty accurate!) and figured your speed...

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/speed-calculator.php

Full governed speed in maintenance mode: 3100 rpm
Gear ratio: 11.7:1
Tire size: 26"
Should get you to about 20.5 mph.

IF... you zip tie the governor spring (loosely) and disable the rev limiter, you can go a little bit higher than 3100 rpm's,
but, because this IS the internet, and following CP241's safety outlook,
4200 rpm's is about the max your FE350 can run safely, and consistently.

Note: I've experimented with my stock FE350... and at around 4900/5000 rpm's is when the valves start to float,
and THAT'S when things can go horribly wrong! (I heard it, and backed off) so... DON'T DO THAT!
Another note: IF... you get above 25 mph, you better look into better brakes, because the stock brakes won't stop you very quickly!

Be safe!

CP241

Agree 100%

I have 25" tires on my carryall (FE350) and run around 21mph. I have no desire to go any faster than that, and honestly rarely ever go that fast. I just like the ability to "put around" at 12-14mph with the engine basically just idling along happy.

Anything above 25mph in a golf cart and it starts to get sketchy quickly. Steering, braking stability all pretty much go out the window.

lockman1

Same here, 25" tires!
With that experiment, I topped out at 32 mph just 2 times... asphalt, straight, and slight downhill... it gets pretty scary!

Especially when the valves start to float! (the engine may explode under your butt!)...
you lose almost all steering capabilities, and the stock brakes don't work that well... IF... at all!

CP241

The electric DS in my avatar would do around 30mph on 25" tires on flat pavement. Didnt do that for very long, and only did it once just to see. That was enough for me to never want to go that fast again in a golf cart! Lol

Coleocole

That is for the info. I'm really looking at topping out at 25mph, avg 21/22 on the road. If it was a lowered cart, I wouldnt mind faster but with the lift and tires, it's too hairy at those speeds. My electric ezgo with a series motor tops at 30 mph and honestly never want to do that again. Hover around 23 to 25 driving around town, so just trying to stay in that range.

I didnt get to mess with it today, will post current mph tomorrow. I'm thinking of dropping to a smaller lift (current looks like a custom made 8" lift, not the 6") and reduce down to 22 or 23" tires to reduce stress on motor.

Thank you both for the input. Im probably going to bypass limiter tomorrow, and zip tie the governor for 4000 rpms max.

Would it be worth it to machine the clutch (read on the tips on here) and replace the clutch spring with the HD spring?

Coleocole

Also, I know there is a small adjustment on the arm that can bypass the governor (the small piece some people turn slightly). How can i make sure it's in the stock position?