How to get more speed from a 2013 TX Valor

[BlackKnight755]

Ok guys and gals, I am going to ask the age old question associated with golf carts... how do I make it faster? I have a 2013 Ezgo TX Valor with the kawasaki 13 hp engine. I have done absolutely no mods to the engine. It is lifted with 22x11-12 tires. The local golf cart sales and service center showed me how to adjust the throttle linkage to get more rpm's but all that does is make the engine spit and cough on top end. I have read on here that there is a governor and a rev limiter and my question is how to bypass these. I understand that the governor can grenade and lock the rear end up so I know that I would need to take that completely out. I can mount a tachometer and keep the revs down.

Also I would like to do something to make the steering more stable. At medium to high throttle the golf cart "wanders". I think that this is due to the cart being lifted and the stiff suspension. The lift kit is a brand new pre-fab kit (unknown brand) that was installed by the local Ezgo dealer. The wandering I am talking about is something like when you are going down the road and someone on the car shifts their weight around the cart will wander in one direction or the other to the point that the driver has to correct with steering. It acts as though the cart is too top heavy or something. It is very noticeable while cornering also.

The cart is presently a 22 mph cart and I would like a 28 or 30 mph cart. Taking into consideration that I may blow it up, what things can I do to achieve this and any input on the steering problem will be greatly appreciated.

[BrewCityMusic]

That's a tall order for a Kawi 13hp, even with removing the entire governor assembly ... There really is no "rev limiter" to bypass, valve float is right at the factory ignition rev limit anyhow (more often than not the valves will float prior to the factory rev limiter kicking in) ... You could go with a set of speed gears in the rear end to get more top end, but I have done it on a 13hp and even after swapping to a set of TEAM clutches (another $400) the poor thing just didn't have enough "oomph" for me, at least on the low end (it did go faster overall, but getting there became brutally and painfully slow after doing the speed gears).

Give it a few more years until a lot more of the 13's are out on the used market - I'm sure they will come up with new options for clutching, etc to get more low end (or at least enough to effectively support speed gears) as well as the componentry needed to allow the 13hp to spin a lot more freely (and of course, develop more HP) - I personally threw a bunch of different money at a 13hp this summer before giving up and picking up another pre-Kawi MCI cart. For what I had into the gears and clutches, belt, etc on the 2011 I was able to transplant a HP 373 Engine into the 2008, 28deg clutch, Pipe and Jet, speed gears, etc and I am now rolling at 34+mph and still breaking the 23's loose on gravel.

OR - talk to Geoff at Vegas Carts - see what he has for a 460/20hp cradle and engine kit available (unlikely as of yet due to the 13hp stuff - clutches primarily - all being on the wrong side of the cart, unfortunately) .... Maybe he has a solution, other than that though there is really a dearth of options for the Kawi carts, Sorry to say

[kgsc]

Mine will run 26 at 4K rpm on 21 inch tires with the team clutches and standard rear. It has no lift or rear seat. What did they tell you to adjust for speed ?

[BlackKnight755]

Thanks BCM for the reply. I was wondering about a stronger valve spring, if that would help with the valve float? I guess I will have to do like you said and wait for the add-ons to become available or opt for one of the older carts...

Thanks again, BK

[BrewCityMusic]

it would be interesting to actually get the results from someone trying a stiffer spring, MDS or similar ignition to defeat the rev limiter, etc - in theory, that engine should be capable of one HE77 of a lot more HP than it's putting out in stock form (look at what Plowmans routinely does w the Yamaha 401cc, or even some of the CC motors that people have built over the years).

It's a shame though that they changed the whole thing around side-to-side and the rotation, etc - it always seems that "re-adaptations" come along a lot more quickly than total "re-do's" in the Cart world, LOL. Just 4 or 5 years ago it wasn't considered cheap or easy to get an old Marathon 2-stroke to break 20mph, now it's a couple of hours and a few $ to get them up into the high 20's pushing 30 all the time.

I'm assuming the adjustment they gave You involved zip-tying the spring as well as adjusting at the pedal and rear end to get as close as possible to a full range of throttle, right? The drawback there is that it's finicky as can be - either your micro kicks in with the throttle open (jerky, surging, etc) or it won't open quite all the way, so if you outdrive it say going downhill it will pop and stutter, right? Be patient and stay with it - like KG said, there actually *is* a window there (albeit a very very small one) that will net You a good compromise and fairly acceptable performance - it's just hard to find and once You do, that's all she wrote, folks.

[BlackKnight755]

KGSC, sorry I missed your reply but I was replying from my phone and I guess that it didn't update in time for me to see it... anyway, they told me to adjust the accelerator linkage. Never said anything about a zip tie on the governor although I have read a little about that. I already get too many RPM's because I think the valves are floating. It will pull up to a point then its like the engine flattens out then starts spitting and sputtering. Hit a little hill going up it stops, runs smooth... go down the same hill and it sputters worse.

Thanks again, BK

[kgsc]

The linkage system is very finicky as bcm can tell you. If you already have it running at slow speeds like you want and can still float the valves I would leave it alone or maybe even back off some. I would also get a tach. I try to keep mine at 4k or below but can cruise at low 20s with no problem.