Champion Generator

[PTmowerMech]

On most newer generators the only control the user has is the low idle speed.
The governor does the rest.
The low idle is set by the screw while measuring the output voltage and get cranked up till it measures then minimum line voltage.
Down here where we have 240V & 415 V they get set to 220 V
Then you hook up a heavy load & measure the voltage again as the generator accelerates.
If the voltage drops then you crank up the low idle a bit more.
If the carby throttle is sitting against the throttle stop & the engine is racing then some one has screwed it up.
Not uncommon to have one come in where the dopey owner has wound it up to 4000 rpm which burns up the output voltage regulator.

Also double check that the governor arm is set correctly on the governor shaft.
A racing engine will result if it is set up backwards.

I found the missing link. As someone else mentioned (maybe you) the spring on mine looks too thick for where it's located. My guess is the previous owner lost the thin throttle spring. I finally found a pic of what I think it's supposed to look like.

 

[PTmowerMech]

UPDATE: I swapped the spring over to the low idle arm. And removed the spring I added (behind the gov. arm) and that seem to work pretty good. Although, I'm sure the spring isn't the right length. Although it seems pretty close. Maybe idle's a bit too high. That's with the low idle screw back out. Anyways, it's close enough for me. (Now my personal generator)

When I plugged in my GCFI tester into the socket, it shows an open ground. Not sure if that's normal. I wouldn't think it is.

 

[bertsmobile1]

You may have something with that. This is, apparently a Honda knock off. Surely you have those.

I'm gonna move that spring first thing. And remove the added spring on the back of the gov arm, and see what happens.

Yes they sell them all over the place.
I do not fix Honda clones unless I get $ 100 up front to cover the cost of ferreting around to find parts that fit.
So now most of the too cheap for their own good types go annoy some one else.

This new plan started as of the beginning of the new financial year ( July 1 down here ).
It all came about because I was in one of our HF type shops looking for some tools when I overheard a conversation between a salesman & potential customer.
Actually I was eavesdropping on the conversation to be truthful.
The customer wanted to know if the shop had a mechanic who could fix the pressure washer if it broke down after the warranty expired.
I have fixed 30 or so of these puss piles over the previous 2 years & was interested in what he was going to say.
I nearly died when the salesman gave the customer my phone number telling them that this bloke can fix all of our stock.

When I got back to the workshop I rang around a few of the local independents and found I was the only silly mug who lost money attempting to fix throw away junk.
The salesman drives a $ 90,000 SUV & drive a $ 10,000 van so I decided that I was not going to subsidize them any more.

Any clone that comes in that needs parts now gets a $ 20 courier fee added to the bill and as previously stated $ 100 up front just like the big glass fronts do.
I hate doing it but last year was a financial dissaster and most of the losses came from fixing unfixablle throw away cheap Chinese rubbish.

 

[tom3]

UPDATE:

When I plugged in my GCFI tester into the socket, it shows an open ground. Not sure if that's normal. I wouldn't think it is.

I have a Honda EX generator that was built more for jobsite use. Had to change a grounding circuit wire inside the control section to use for house backup. Been a while, don't remember exactly what I did but you might look through the owner's manual and check the setup on your machine.

 

[PTmowerMech]

So I got some new linkages. All three of them. Put them all in the right spots, and the idle is way to high. So I tried to adjust the gov. And from what I can tell, is right. So I'm pretty much back where I started. I loosened the gov. arm, pushed them both towards full throttle, (with a little more pressure than I felt comfortable with). The gov. did move just a hair. And I mean a thin hair.

Since the gov. won't idle itself down, then there's gotta be a spring to do this. The spring that goes from the arm to the low idle bracket, Seems to me, if I bent it to make it a little shorter, it wouldn't change anything because there's nothing to keep the governor from going full throttle.

 

[tadawson]

The gov should pull the throttle *closed*, and the tension on the spring from the throttle control pulls it open . . . IE throttle should be at full with the engine shutdown and throttle at full. As the engine comes up to speed, the gov will *lower* the throttle to maintain speed. Gov link is typically hard from gov arp to throttle plate, and throttle control to throttle (or gov arm) is the spring. Anything else will likely end poorly . . .

The gov works by flying weights that pull more the faster it runs. If the gov isn't pulling as the engine speeds up, either you are doing the arm adjustment errantly, or it may be broken inside the engine. Remember: gov should pull the throttle *closed* as speed increases (well, unless this is some odd, ***-backwards engine . . . a).

Any idea (may have missed it0 who made the engine, or is Champion just selling it as thoer own brand?

 

[bertsmobile1]

The governor GOVERNS.
Ie it is what slows the engine down according to the engine speed.
When stationary the governor ALLOWS the throttle to open fully
When the engine is running it either applies the brakes to slow it or ALLOWS it go faster.
So the governor works AGAINST the throttle spring to regulate the speed that is why the connection to the throttle control is via a spring and not a solid wire.
If yo remove the throttle spring as was the case in your first photo & start the engine you can get a feel for the governor by working the governor arm with you finger.
What you should feel is the governor pushing back against you finger the faster the engine is spinning.

 

[PTmowerMech]

The gov should pull the throttle *closed*, and the tension on the spring from the throttle control pulls it open . . . IE throttle should be at full with the engine shutdown and throttle at full. As the engine comes up to speed, the gov will *lower* the throttle to maintain speed. Gov link is typically hard from gov arp to throttle plate, and throttle control to throttle (or gov arm) is the spring. Anything else will likely end poorly . . .

The gov works by flying weights that pull more the faster it runs. If the gov isn't pulling as the engine speeds up, either you are doing the arm adjustment errantly, or it may be broken inside the engine. Remember: gov should pull the throttle *closed* as speed increases (well, unless this is some odd, ***-backwards engine . . . a).

Any idea (may have missed it0 who made the engine, or is Champion just selling it as their own brand?

This is the confusing part. Both of my other generators, the gov arm extends on both sides of the gov. And there's a spring at the end of it, (opposite end of the throttle end of the arm) that's connected to something solid. That's OEM.
On this one, that spring is on the same side of the gov. that connects to the low idle arm. So if the governor itself is supposed to keep the engine from over revving, why put that spring on the same end of the throttle.

I'm gonna try bending (shortening) that heavier spring today. If that doesn't work, then I'll lengthen it. For the life of me, I can't wrap my head around that being the solution.

As @bertsmobile mentioned about the tension on the gov. arm, and holding it with my finger, it's easy to hold it in place. And I can feel the arm pressing against my finger towards the higher idle.

 

[PTmowerMech]

The governor GOVERNS.
Ie it is what slows the engine down according to the engine speed.
When stationary the governor ALLOWS the throttle to open fully
When the engine is running it either applies the brakes to slow it or ALLOWS it go faster.
So the governor works AGAINST the throttle spring to regulate the speed that is why the connection to the throttle control is via a spring and not a solid wire.
If yo remove the throttle spring as was the case in your first photo & start the engine you can get a feel for the governor by working the governor arm with you finger.
What you should feel is the governor pushing back against you finger the faster the engine is spinning.

This is probably a stupid question, but what exactly makes the gov. pull back on the throttle (apply the brakes, sort of speak)? Something, somewhere isn't telling the gov. to back off.

Is it that heavier slow idle arm? Because when it's over revving, it's pushing that arm as far as the throttle plate will go. Backing off on the slow idle arm screw doesn't do a thing.

 

[ILENGINE]

The governor gear with the flyweights inside the engine is what slows the engine down. The spring speeds it up. If the governor gear is set correctly in its static setting, and isn't working then I would say the governor gear inside the engine is broken. It looks like static setting on this engine would be with the rod going inside the engine to make contact with the governor gear should be turned all the way clockwise until it stops.