Champion Generator

[tadawson]

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.

One leg on the gov arm or two should not make any diff - it's still nothing more than a lever.

On yours, without touching it to be certain, it would appear that the gov arm shouldmpull to the *right* to close the throttle, andnthenspringnbias applied by the speed adjuster will pull it towards open tonthe *left*, thus setting up the balance that causes a governed speed. If the throttle itself is not openingnor closing accordingly, then you may be in the wrong holes on the carb *or* someone had the throttle plate off the shaft in the carb and put it in backwards for you . . . Regarding the fine spring over the rod, yes, I have seen those on numerous occasions, and the purpose is to make up for slop in the linkage . . .

 

[PTmowerMech]

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.

That's pretty much THE only thing I can think it could be at this point. I reset the gov. yesterday, and honestly there wasn't a frog hair difference in where it was and how far I was able to turn the gov. (clockwise).
If that be the case, then I'm gonna have a hard time tearing into this right now. May make it a winter project. Just to see for myself what makes it tick.

When adjusting the gov. I pushed the gov. arm towards the carb, loosened the arms nut. Then while holding the gov arm, turned the gov counter clockwise, and back clock wise. (Because it wouldn't go clockwise to start with). Then tightened everything back down.
Then I proceeded to cuss and holler at it. And threaten even threatened it. But none of that worked.

 

[PTmowerMech]

QUESTION: If the governor is bad, I can still control how high its revving with the turning the throttle plate back with my fingers, right?

 

[bertsmobile1]

Yes you can put your finger on the throttle rod and move it back & forth but you can not use the engine in that state
A check for an internally defective governor is to remove the rod that connects the throttle & governor arms.
Start the engine and work the throttle with one hand while feel the governor moving with the other.
If the governor moves in responce to the engine changing speed then the governor is functioning.
What most do wrong is to think that the governor makes the engine go faster.
It actually makes the engine go slower.
So at 0 revs the governor axel should be in the flat chat position ( throttle wide open ) so as the shat rotates it closes down the throttle.
Most common mistake is to clamp the lever on the shaft so the only way it can turn opens the throttle.

 

[PTmowerMech]

Yes you can put your finger on the throttle rod and move it back & forth but you can not use the engine in that state
A check for an internally defective governor is to remove the rod that connects the throttle & governor arms.
Start the engine and work the throttle with one hand while feel the governor moving with the other.
If the governor moves in responce to the engine changing speed then the governor is functioning.
What most do wrong is to think that the governor makes the engine go faster.
It actually makes the engine go slower.
So at 0 revs the governor axel should be in the flat chat position ( throttle wide open ) so as the shat rotates it closes down the throttle.
Most common mistake is to clamp the lever on the shaft so the only way it can turn opens the throttle.

I'll give that a go.

I double checked the gov. adjustment I made, and I'm pretty sure I got it right. So to double checked by adjusting it the opposite way, and gave it a pull. Holy hell, bent the throttle shaft rod from the arm to the carb. It was trying to open the throttle up farther that the throttle plate allowed it to go. Sooo, I readjust it back to where it was.

One thing, without taking the gov arm off, as you said, considering how freely the throttle shaft moves, shouldn't the gov back off anyways. You did say that the gov is supposed to work, if it's in not messed up internally. This engine doesn't back off at all.

 

[tadawson]

Only if: the gov is correctly adjusted *AND* the linkage is not dorfed such that the gov is actually opening the throttle. But yes, as you note, in a *properly* setup engine, not having the spring from the gov arm to the adjuster will result in either very slow speed, or a no start condition. (And I'm not convinced that your setup and linkages are correct yet . . .).

 

[PTmowerMech]

Yes you can put your finger on the throttle rod and move it back & forth but you can not use the engine in that state
A check for an internally defective governor is to remove the rod that connects the throttle & governor arms.
Start the engine and work the throttle with one hand while feel the governor moving with the other.
If the governor moves in responce to the engine changing speed then the governor is functioning.
What most do wrong is to think that the governor makes the engine go faster.
It actually makes the engine go slower.
So at 0 revs the governor axel should be in the flat chat position ( throttle wide open ) so as the shat rotates it closes down the throttle.
Most common mistake is to clamp the lever on the shaft so the only way it can turn opens the throttle.

So I disconnected the arm off the gov. Fired it up, pushed the throttle to full throttle. And the gov. wasn't even trying to back off. Not in the least.

Thanks for your info. I guess I can take off the new tank, carburetor and other new stuff I bought to get it going, and save them for the next victim.

 

[tadawson]

or spend likely less than ten bucks and replace the gov gear inside. Crack thr case open, and it should be obvious, and might even be easy to see what the problem is. On Hondas, the shaft that sticks out has a little paddle on the end of an L that rides on the gov . . .the gov is a gear with two weights that pushes on a center shaft that then pushes the paddle, causing it to turn. If you turned it the wrong way, when you setup the gov, it won't make contact. Typically on the Hondas I have worked on, you push the lever to make the carb gomwide open, and rotate she shaft in the same direction (so that it makes contact with the gov). The gov itself is only 3 parts or so, and if this is amHonfa clone, a Honda part may well drop right in.

https://www.jackssmallengines.com/equipment/list/small-engine/governor/Governor-Gear/254:HONDA

 

[Scrubcadet10]

And replace the crankcase gasket and seal

 

[PTmowerMech]

And replace the crankcase gasket and seal

I've replaced a few on briggs before, if it's as easy as that, then I'll probably give it a go. I've got about $120 in new parts for this already. It was a real mess when I got it.
But what do ya do? Got for nothing. It had spark and compression.

Would hate to let all that go at this point. Carb, fuel tank & cap, gov to carb linkages, repaired the motor mounts, sanded and painted some of it.

There's gotta be an end to what broken sometime. Right? he he he he he

It does make electricity. It ran my drill. Although when I plug my circuit tester into it, it showed an open ground. I'm hoping that's normal. Or an easy fix.