To make adjusting the governor per the factory manual a lot easier, here is my solution that works great. The governor shaft had no friendly way to grab it so once I moved the control panel out of the way, I cut a slot in the end of the shaft with a thin cut-off Dremel wheel and then reinstalled the panel, next a drilled a hole in the panel to allow access to shaft with a flat blade screw driver. Luckily, drilling the hole is where the panel is flat and does not damage any moving levers. Here’s where a lot of DIY’ers are experiencing rev climbing after setting the governor. The cause is the shaft can move a tiny bit clockwise when tightening the pinch bolt. You can now hold the shaft in the full counterclockwise position by using the access hole and using the screwdriver to apply a little counterclockwise force as you tighten the pinch bolt. I also found a stubby screwdriver with a soft rubber handle that I used to push under the governor arm to hold it in the fully up position while I set the governor shaft. My 19 year old FH580 engine now runs better than ever and the governor works perfectly. The engine has 1,400 hours on it
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FH580V governor issue solved info
- Thread starter Boit4866
- Start date
I started with a 7/16 and then used my Dremel with a metal cutting bit to wallow out the hole so that a #2 flat blade screwdriver would fit correctly onto the slot I made on the end of the governor shaft. I will never have to remove the control panel to check/adjust the governor again. Does that help?What size drill bit did you use?
As another note, when I did this , I also checked and adjusted the valve lash. Over the years, I have checked/adjusted the valve lash to a slightly loose .004” (snug .005”). 3 valves had not changed in 150 hours of run time. One exhaust valve was at a snug .006” so, being the picky guy I am, I adjusted it to exactly where I want it. I did a few other maintenance items in preparation for the upcoming mowing season.I started with a 7/16 and then used my Dremel with a metal cutting bit to wallow out the hole so that a #2 flat blade screwdriver would fit correctly onto the slot I made on the end of the governor shaft. I will never have to remove the control panel to check/adjust the governor again. Does that help?
Yep. I have a background in motocross racing and always performed all repairs, maintenance, and modifications on my own machines. I also have a Suzuki Vstrom 650 with cams from a SV650. Same basic engine but the SV is tuned for more midrange/higher RPM power. After researching the SV cam lobe profiles, I ordered 4 SV exhaust cams and installed them in my engine. I had to do some measuring to get the cams correctly timed(DOHC) because the normal timing marks on the intake side were useless because now I have exhaust cams installed on the intake side. The results were better than I expected. I have put over 80,000 miles since the cam mods. The valve lifters are the shim-under bucket design. If the lash needs adjusting, the cams have to come out. Much much more involved than the simple screw type adjusters.I check all mine every spring. Keeps a 1-2 pull start every time. Only takes a few minutes per mower.
Thanks. It was a great learning experience and boosted my confidence in doing the cam timing that was not factory stock. Before starting the engine, I checked and rechecked my work 4 times because I kept doubting whether I had the cams timed. Once I kept getting the same results, I went with my measurements. It was worth it to get it right.You would have to degree those in to match the intake cams. Found some adjustable cam gears, wow nice job. Normally the intake cam is larger if you wanted more power. Figured with your new setup the mid and low end torque must be wonderful. Nice job!!
BTW, back to the FH580 engine, part of the maintenance that I did while setting the governor, I removed the housing to clean the engine cooling fins and discovered that the breather cover was leaking oil which made a big mess. I pulled the flywheel and gave it a thorough cleaning of the magnets plus replaced the coils with new OEM coils. The results are phenomenal. Even when new, the governor never held the low idle speed steady. It does now and this at 1,400 hours run time. I will add that I have done two simple mods to the engine to help it perform at its peak.You would have to degree those in to match the intake cams. Found some adjustable cam gears, wow nice job. Normally the intake cam is larger if you wanted more power. Figured with your new setup the mid and low end torque must be wonderful. Nice job!!