Installing a tach

[TomStark]

My cart has I think 23 inch tires, and with the rear wheels off the ground, no governor, and foot to the floor it turns around 3800 RPM. Now that you have the background (oh and mine is an 87), the cart with me in it will top out at about 15 MPH. Not sure the RPM it is turning, but sounds like 3000 TOPS.
Tom

[Charles M]

With just me in the cart I have had it to 19 mph by gps have turn the governor down 2 turns since then don't want to lift the cart thank you can go to 20" tires with out lift

[cart around]

Originally Posted by TomStark

My cart has I think 23 inch tires, and with the rear wheels off the ground, no governor, and foot to the floor it turns around 3800 RPM. Now that you have the background (oh and mine is an 87), the cart with me in it will top out at about 15 MPH. Not sure the RPM it is turning, but sounds like 3000 TOPS.
Tom

Tom,
I have been meaning to revisit this with you. If you recall, I was getting an easy 15 mph, and then 17 depending on road conditions. Since then, I had to rivet the pressure plate back onto my driven clutch.
While I was in there, I cleaned the sliding parts with emery paper, and sprayed everything with a moly lube. There was an immediate difference. It now snaps right up to 17 mph, and holds it with no problem under any condition.
I acquired another set of knobby tires that I am installing today. They look a little taller than the current set. I will do some speed testing as I switch things around.

[cart around]

Ok, looks are very deceiving. The new tires looked taller than the originals until mounted on the cart. While mounted, new, and old measure just under 18" tall with the weight of the cart.

I performed three different speed tests that all had the exact same results.
Original set up was knobbies rear, regular golf tires up front.
Installed new knobbies with same front tires.
Replaced front tires with original rear knobbies. I also tightened some really sloppy front hubs.

All three tests were identical.
Smooth paved road that appears flat until you really look at it. The distance is 800 feet to the corner where I turned around.
The run up held a solid 17 mph the whole time. The return run jumped to 17, held 18 at the half way point, and then just touched 19 as I passed my drive.

If I was bracket racing, I would be a national champion, because the consistency was that good.

I'm a little surprised, but not disappointed with the results. My whole reason for changing the tires is to have steering control in the snow. I honestly don't think I want to go any faster on a golf cart with lousy brakes. These guys going 35, or more must be half crazy.

[TomStark]

I bolted my driven clutch, rather than rivet because I had all the tooling for threading, and not for rivets, and I used stainless steel button socket head screws, and was able to put a nylock on the back side of every other screw, and just threaded into the aluminum alone with red lock tight on the other three. The clutches work fine, with the cart in the air, both clutches open/close just fine (but I still plan on cleaning and servicing the drive clutch). I think my issue is air flow. Just not getting enough air through the motor to make it hit 4 grand under load. Not worried it works great for what I need, and when I have time I will put EFI on it, and will have a larger throttle body and all the air flow I need. I will also have an electronic governor, so it will keep it from going over 4 grand. Will probably make it retard timing at 3950, and cut fuel at 4050, maybe 4100. The most important thing is to keep it plowing snow! Also, I just opened a new shop with my son, Still making custom parts in my machine shop, and now I get to start a clinical trial for my cancer, and will be doing many 100 mile round trips to the cancer clinic! Oh, and I do not have a serdi for maching heads, so had to send a 6.7 Cummings head out to be machined was supposed to be back today, just found out won't be back till Tuesday morning, and it is for a customer's work truck, and I start my cancer treatment Wednesday, so I have one hell of a rough week ahead of me! Oh, and then next Saturday, I am at an all day seminar covering diagnostics, scopes, and shop management. That after cancer treatment on Wednesday AND Thursday! But at least Saturday I do not need to leave until 6am! Yeah for a guy used to getting up at 10, that will be rough. Not to mention that my Dr told me the Thursday treatment will cause some pretty heavy duty fatigue! Needless to say getting all I possibly can get done on Tuesday! For sure down to adjusting valves! Don't want to do anything that really needs much thought or feel after Tuesday, no idea what I will be like! LOL!
Tom