Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - Adjusting governors on Briggs & Stratton
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PeeDee
05-12-04, 09:56 PM
I could use any help or advice on how to properly adjust the governor on a Briggs Engine. Thanx
Terminator20
05-12-04, 10:05 PM
In order to adjust a governer you must first know how it works and weather or not it need adjusting.
When you put the engine under load the governor should advance the throttle perhaps to full depending upon the extent of the load. The governor is two flyweights that move out due to centrifugal force and pushes against a spring that is connected to the throttle linkage. You should ,for sure, see the throttle linkage move by the governor when going between no load and full load. That might be hard to see directly on some engines. If there is no movement it could be that the flyweights are stuck or the little thimble is frozen on the shaft it rides on. Before you start the engine the throttle linkage should be holding the CARB at full throttle and when the engine starts the governor will close off most of that throttle to run the engine at a reasonable no load speed by the centrifugal force acting against a spring on the throttle linkage. When you advance the throttle manually you are only changing the tension of that spring which the governor pushes against. If the governor ISN'T working for some reason you could expect a radical change in speed between no load and full load. If the engine is running at a reasonable speed at no load and the governor is stuck you could expect the engine to bog down and almost quit when a load is applied because the governor can't advance the throttle to maintain constant speed in the face of the increasing load. So let us know if you still think that your govoner is the culprit and needs adjusting.
Others will respond to your post with advice. Let us know how it goes. :)
When you put the engine under load the governor should advance the throttle perhaps to full depending upon the extent of the load. The governor is two flyweights that move out due to centrifugal force and pushes against a spring that is connected to the throttle linkage. You should ,for sure, see the throttle linkage move by the governor when going between no load and full load. That might be hard to see directly on some engines. If there is no movement it could be that the flyweights are stuck or the little thimble is frozen on the shaft it rides on. Before you start the engine the throttle linkage should be holding the CARB at full throttle and when the engine starts the governor will close off most of that throttle to run the engine at a reasonable no load speed by the centrifugal force acting against a spring on the throttle linkage. When you advance the throttle manually you are only changing the tension of that spring which the governor pushes against. If the governor ISN'T working for some reason you could expect a radical change in speed between no load and full load. If the engine is running at a reasonable speed at no load and the governor is stuck you could expect the engine to bog down and almost quit when a load is applied because the governor can't advance the throttle to maintain constant speed in the face of the increasing load. So let us know if you still think that your govoner is the culprit and needs adjusting.
Others will respond to your post with advice. Let us know how it goes. :)
PeeDee
05-12-04, 10:17 PM
Thanx Bud. I value the info. My problem is the engine is hunting & surging. I put in a carb kit as it need one, I don't think there are any fuel restrictions. & there is no vent on the fuel cap to worry about. My best guess is the governor. I am contemplating changing the governor spring but before I do I hope to get more info.
Thanx for the help God Bless ;)
Thanx for the help God Bless ;)
jughead
05-12-04, 11:16 PM
Before you mess with the governor, try adjusting the high speed mixture screw on the carb. That's probably the reason the engine is hunting. Changing the governor spring won't help that.
cheese
05-13-04, 12:02 AM
Hello PeeDee!
I agree...the governor is not the cause of engine hunting. The governor is set at the factory, and should never need adjusting again unless it gets replaced. The surging is caused by a lean fuel condition.
I agree...the governor is not the cause of engine hunting. The governor is set at the factory, and should never need adjusting again unless it gets replaced. The surging is caused by a lean fuel condition.
puey61
05-15-04, 01:46 PM
I agree, the hunting will be carburetor related. You stated you put a carb kit in it, but didn't mention if you soaked the carb in a quality cleaner before installing the kit. If not, you will need to...I recommend NAPA #6401 Carburetor Cleaner. Use caution when using this solution as it is very strong. Remove all rubber and plastic parts from the carb, use hand and eye protection and let the carb soak for 20 minutes in this cleaner. Then go ahead and wash the carb off with a spray carb cleaner, then reassemble and, walah! You should be good. Let us know how it goes.