Plowman's Performance Kit Experience

[kclaiborne]

Wanted to provide my experience with Don Plowman's Yamaha Gas Performance Kit for the 2012 1/2 and Newer Performance Kit.

This is the kit I purchased for my newly acquired 2014 Yamaha YRDA G29 Drive Gas Carbureted cart: http://plowmanscarts.com/carts.cgi?R...1415908579&v=2

After I acquired my cart from a local Yamaha Authorized Dealer that had 7 2014 gas carts off course fleet lease, the first things I did after cleaning it up was to change the oil, change the transaxle lube with recommended Yamaha lube carried by local Yamaha motorcycle shop, new properly gapped plug, new fuel filter (don't buy a fuel filter as Don's kit comes with one!), since I had body off I removed fuel tank and dumped old fuel as I did not know what it was or how old it was, install a Rhox 3" spindle lift kit (I had no problem with reverse full turn locking in either direction that is discussed here by one other member, RHOX does NOT have a turn radius issue that Jake's 3" lift does AND I got the Rhox 3" lift kit for $200, $100 less than Jakes's 3" lift), 12" SS Tremor glass black wheels with 12x22" Sahara Classic AT tires and an OEM-like light kit.

So, I'd read nothing but rave reviews of Don's kits, performance and Don's customer service. I found this to be absolutely TRUE! You'll find you can't order kits online. This is because Don want's to make sure you get the right kit. Mainly jets and clutch springs are customized to your cart's lift, wheel diameter and your planned usage. So, you call Don, answer his questions, then send your secondary clutch to him. My clutch got there about 3:30 pm on day, he called me back to break the news that my old clutch (only 2 years old, but hammered daily on a Midland, TX golf course apparently - clutch shot, engine rock solid). We agreed I'd buy and receive a brand new clutch worked over by Don with new spring, etc. He packaged everything and shipped THAT DAY as promised on the website! He ships 2-day, so I received 2 days later. No the fun begins!

Be ready for no experience you've ever had buying and installing any parts for your powered toys! Note: There are a few things that aren't 100% clear as to how all this works until you go through it. I'll try to describe the steps and experience here.

First, key things you'll need to complete install and mods:

1) 1 1/2 inch hole saw (for airbox mod)
2) 1/2 inch drill bit (for airbox mod)
3) 12/64 drill bit for metal/steel

1) Receive kit

2) Install new clutch and belt (as a unit, with belt ON both clutches as you slip secondary clutch bolt back in). You do NOT roll belt over secondary clutch as you do with stock belts. Don documents this clearly. You should be able to read lettering on belt standing on drivers side and looking down at belt.

3) Perform air box mods and install new filter

3) You should have removed airbox and carb before you receive kit and THOROUGHLY clean carb. Install new jets and strictly follow Don's printed instructions here to remove plastic idle mix screw and adjust, install idle and main jets a and ensure idle screw is not touching stop.

4) Now you call Don to schedule next OR remaining steps. Once you agree on a time, he will have you start and run cart to get HOT. He asked me to run approx 25-30 min in 65 degree weather. Note: My cart behavior here once run with new clutch, belt and jets was VERY NICE! Much improved and smoother acceleration and deceleration with engine compressions breaking speed to stop. Engine didn't die nearly as easily without pedal pressure. Speed was about the same as before performacne kit, about 20-21 mph with 22" tires. Once you get engine HOT, you will remove spark plug and valve cover, then call Don to adjust valves. He will walk you through getting engine to TDC on compression stroke. He instructed me to set both intake and exhaust valves to .008 on HOT engine. You want a very "light" drag on feeler gauge once lock nut is tightened. It will take several attempts as setting changes once you tighten lock nut. I used .009, then once lock nut was tight I had perfect .008. You should have light drag with .008 and NOT be able to insert .009. After about 20 minutes, once I got this right I called Don back.

5) Next Don will walk you through disabling governor. His method is to use a 21/64 drill bit to just barely "over-drill" or enlarge the governor spring assembly housing and nylon bushings that sits on the vertical shaft on top of the transaxle and back off lock nut so that governor shaft spins freely inside this assembly so that it has no effect. The beauty of this method is that you can easily tighten lock nut in the future to re-enable the governor! Genius Don! ;^)

6) Last, Do will walk you through making sure accelerator cable is properly adjusted. You will need to pull back floor mat in order to remove the pedal cable floor cover. You will be asked to use a tape measure, held horizontally from top of gas pedal to "firewall"/floorboard. 1st step to to hold tape measure while slowly pressing gas pedal to see when engine starts to turn over (not start). Mine was 1/2-3/4" which was fine. Next, you'll be asked to measure from that point to where the engine starts. Mine was another 3 1/4"" BAD? Don had me adjust the accelerator cable twice to get to the point where pedal moved ONLY 3/4-1" from the point where engine starts to turn over and where the engine will start. Now, I press pedal 1/2-3/4" and engine starts to turn over. Another 3/4-1" engine starts.

7) Now Don asked me to start cart, get it warm, then run cart on level ground, preferably 1/4 mile, windshield down, only me in cart 6 runs same direction using GPS. I used free app on my iPhone. He wants to know top speed of 1st run and 6th run. I didn't have 1/4 mile. perfectly level ground or time to run back and forth to measure speed in same direction. I ran back and forth 3 times and measure 6 runs. Slight wind and fairly but not perfectly level. My first run was 26-27 mph. My 6th run saw 31mph! Freakin FAST for a golf cart IMHO! Note that everything you read and Don will tell you that the cart will only GAIN 2-3mph as clutch and belt creak in!!! I expect to see 33mph, maybe 34! Call me DELIGHTED!!!!

Like you will read here in many posts, customer service like Don Plowman's is very rare. He want sot make sure the kit fits your needs and works with you over the phone as long as it takes to get everything installed and adjusted properly. We probably spent a couple of hours all together on the phone, maybe more. Most of this was on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day when most guys would have taken the day off! I encourage you to try Don's kits. Everything else is a piecemeal mod that could cause issues. Don's is a total solution for air intake, exhaust, carb jetting, valve timing and clutch operation.

Since I had body off to ease install of lift kit and governor disable procedure, Now I'm on to putting everything back together, including new floor mat, new side protector panels and new Madjax rear flip seat kit. I'll see if I need stronger springs with passengers on the rear.

I'll try to post a few pics of my cart once I get it together and post updates on repeated speed runs.