Poulan Pro PR45Y22SB Throttle/Governor Issue

[MowerPro2]

Hi there! I am either missing a part on my mower, something is loose, broken, or detached, or something is out of adjustment. I've attached a picture of the throttle/governor linkage for you to see. I recently replaced the carburetor, and everything is hooked up exactly the way I found it. Nobody else has worked on this mower since we bought it. The engine will only either not start, or will start on full throttle, but the throttle control lever (the tortoise/hare lever) does absolutely nothing to control the engine speed. When it does start, it runs well, but only at full throttle. BTW - It ran before I changed the carb, too, but not as smoothly as now. That spring in the pic is VERY small and super-light, and doesn't seem to do anything. In all of the pics I've seen of similar B&S engines, there is another, much larger spring connecting the throttle lever to the throttle body. Could this be what I need? To makes things worse, B&S's own parts diagram doesn't completely match my engine, so they were no help on the phone and couldn't give me a part number for such a spring, if it exists. My engine model number is 10G902 0260 B1. Maybe I just don't understand how this all works, but it sure seems to me that the throttle lever should move the throttle plate, eh? Ha! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Hi lilychef.
I just joined the the Forum, and I just wanted to say hello from Michigan The Great Lakes State. I've been a mechanic for 40+ years. I have a Poulan PR45Y22SA 4.5 hp I don't know what the diff is between the two is. But looking at the governor linkage mine has a loop 2-3 inches from the throttle yours does not mine has one spring just like yours does Briggs part number 698719. After 10 years of service it finally started to act up rough idle, surging and blowing black smoke. I went out and bought a diaphragm kit part number 795083 also a primer bulb kit part number 694394 mite as well put it on while I have the carb off and get it over with. This is leading up to the spring. I read some of the other posts and here's another solution possibly. When I took the carb off I removed the spring first and when I did I must have pulled a little to hard on it and stretched it. 10 years of heat and weather and rust takes tension out of springs must have been time to replace it cause when I put it back on and started it up it run on full open throttle not good to run on OP you could blow a rod. You may want to check that. Check the linkage to make sure it's not binding in the throttle to. Where the spring hook on the bracket it's made in such a way that you can bend it ether way in or out to adjust the idle. Let me know how it goes. :smile:

 

[lilychef]

You have the mechanical governor, not the air vane governor.

Hello again! Ok - I did find some binding in the governor arm linkage. I must have bent the link slightly when installing the new carb. (Duh) It was butting up against the blower housing... BUT - I straightened it out, adjusted the static position of the governor, checked for further binding, found none, and the engine still runs at a pretty high rpm, but lower than before. I also replaced that tiny governor spring. Adjusting the throttle control does very little to lower it now, but it does lower it some where it didn't at all before. I adjusted the governer in the opposite direction thinking I had it backwards, and it would barely idle, so moved it back. Is there a "middle adjustment" for the governor? Can the governor itself go bad? Honestly, it sounds really good to me, but it's my girlfriend's mower, and she insists it runs too fast. She's had it ten years, and maybe she's just not used to hearing it run this well (new carb - hello?), but it does seem odd that I can't adjust the throttle down to a low idle. Any more ideas? Should I check the RPM with a tachometer? Thanks again!

 

[lilychef]

Hi lilychef.
I just joined the the Forum, and I just wanted to say hello from Michigan The Great Lakes State. I've been a mechanic for 40+ years. I have a Poulan PR45Y22SA 4.5 hp I don't know what the diff is between the two is. But looking at the governor linkage mine has a loop 2-3 inches from the throttle yours does not mine has one spring just like yours does Briggs part number 698719. After 10 years of service it finally started to act up rough idle, surging and blowing black smoke. I went out and bought a diaphragm kit part number 795083 also a primer bulb kit part number 694394 mite as well put it on while I have the carb off and get it over with. This is leading up to the spring. I read some of the other posts and here's another solution possibly. When I took the carb off I removed the spring first and when I did I must have pulled a little to hard on it and stretched it. 10 years of heat and weather and rust takes tension out of springs must have been time to replace it cause when I put it back on and started it up it run on full open throttle not good to run on OP you could blow a rod. You may want to check that. Check the linkage to make sure it's not binding in the throttle to. Where the spring hook on the bracket it's made in such a way that you can bend it ether way in or out to adjust the idle. Let me know how it goes. :smile:

Hi there, and thanks for replying! Sorry took so long to get back! And good question, what the difference is between our two may never be known! Ha! If you read my latest reply to ilengine, you'll see that I did replace the spring as well as doing all that other stuff... Also, if you look at the picture of my linkage, you'll see that there doesn't appear to be a way to bend the linkage to accomodate a spring tension change... or IS there? Maybe THAT'S the difference between the A and B models? I noticed in the exploded parts diagram for the 10G900 engines they show THREE different throttle linkage/governor spring configurations.... There's nothing binding the throttle itself, and it's a new carb, so.... I still think I just need to test the RPM at a no-load idle to see if it's really all that high.... Like I said, it sounds great to me, but I'm a hot rodder, so.... HA! Thanks for the input! I won't quit til I got this licked!

 

[MowerPro2]

Hi there, and thanks for replying! Sorry took so long to get back! And good question, what the difference is between our two may never be known! Ha! If you read my latest reply to ilengine, you'll see that I did replace the spring as well as doing all that other stuff... Also, if you look at the picture of my linkage, you'll see that there doesn't appear to be a way to bend the linkage to accomodate a spring tension change... or IS there? Maybe THAT'S the difference between the A and B models? I noticed in the exploded parts diagram for the 10G900 engines they show THREE different throttle linkage/governor spring configurations.... There's nothing binding the throttle itself, and it's a new carb, so.... I still think I just need to test the RPM at a no-load idle to see if it's really all that high.... Like I said, it sounds great to me, but I'm a hot rodder, so.... HA! Thanks for the input! I won't quit til I got this licked!

My lawn mower was not made to run at low idle it runs at a little less than quarter, and most likely yours to since you have one spring. The ones that were made to run at low idle has two springs one is for the governor and the other is for the idle the systems use the Pulsa Prime Carb. You have the same configuration throttle adjustment that I have. The throttle control is made so you can adjust the rpm's. Where the spring hooks on to the loop you can bend it in towards the carb for more rpm's or bend it away from it for less. It's soft metal so bend it at a little at a time and don't break it. Briggs makes a special tool to bent these parts but I just use a pair of sharp nosed pliers
Steve.

 

[MowerPro2]

My lawn mower was not made to run at low idle it runs at a little less than quarter, and most likely yours to since you have one spring. The ones that were made to run at low idle has two springs one is for the governor and the other is for the idle the systems use the Pulsa Prime Carb. You have the same configuration throttle adjustment that I have. The throttle control is made so you can adjust the rpm's. Where the spring hooks on to the loop you can bend it in towards the carb for more rpm's or bend it away from it for less. It's soft metal so bend it at a little at a time and don't break it. I don't know if I can post pic's here or not since I'am a new member. If you can send me the pic of your throttle control I can circle it and send it back to ya. My email is s243220@yahoo.com
Steve.

I copied your photo to show you where to bend. Please read my last post before you do this. Hope this helps. Like I said these mowers were not meant to run at at low idle. Unless they have a two spring configuration.
Steve. :smile:

 

[lilychef]

View attachment 16888

I copied your photo to show you where to bend. Please read my last post before you do this. Hope this helps. Like I said these mowers were not meant to run at at low idle. Unless they have a two spring configuration.
Steve. :smile:

Wow. That makes so much sense... Thank you!!!! Like I ssadi, I don't think it sounds that high, but my girlfriend does... (ahem... ha!) Now, should I adjust the idle while the engine is running, with the air cleaner off? Also, I spoke with B&S, and they said the normal idle rpm for this motor is 3100... Does that sound right? Should I tach it to make sure? Or should I just make sure it's not running at full-out throttle? Thanks again for your help!

 

[MowerPro2]

Wow. That makes so much sense... Thank you!!!! Like I ssadi, I don't think it sounds that high, but my girlfriend does... (ahem... ha!) Now, should I adjust the idle while the engine is running, with the air cleaner off? Also, I spoke with B&S, and they said the normal idle rpm for this motor is 3100... Does that sound right? Should I tach it to make sure? Or should I just make sure it's not running at full-out throttle? Thanks again for your help!

I've been doing it so long that I do it by ear. But to be on the safe side please use a tach, 3100 is right. 3100 rpm's is your top governor speed. Ok here we go. 1. Worm up the engine to normal operating temperature then turn it off. 2. Take off the air cleaner. 3. Set your tach up start the engine. 4. You have a manual throttle. Set it to high. 5. Look at the tach Bend it a little at a time. Bend it in ether direction as shown in the picture that I circled. That's all there is to it your done. Like I said in the previous post these engines were not meant to run at low idle. Once you have set the top governor speed you are done. Make sure you have the throttle adjustment setting to high before you bend the linkage. Now go cut some grass LOL :thumbsup:

 

[lilychef]

I've been doing it so long that I do it by ear. But to be on the safe side please use a tach, 3100 is right. 3100 rpm's is your top governor speed. Ok here we go. 1. Worm up the engine to normal operating temperature then turn it off. 2. Take off the air cleaner. 3. Set your tach up start the engine. 4. You have a manual throttle. Set it to high. 5. Look at the tach Bend it a little at a time. Bend it in ether direction as shown in the picture that I circled. That's all there is to it your done. Like I said in the previous post these engines were not meant to run at low idle. Once you have set the top governor speed you are done. Make sure you have the throttle adjustment setting to high before you bend the linkage. Now go cut some grass LOL :thumbsup:

Awesome... Thanks so much! Sounds very straight forward! I will report back with the results.... Won't get to it for a while, though, as we are going out of town.

 

[lilychef]

I've been doing it so long that I do it by ear. But to be on the safe side please use a tach, 3100 is right. 3100 rpm's is your top governor speed. Ok here we go. 1. Worm up the engine to normal operating temperature then turn it off. 2. Take off the air cleaner. 3. Set your tach up start the engine. 4. You have a manual throttle. Set it to high. 5. Look at the tach Bend it a little at a time. Bend it in ether direction as shown in the picture that I circled. That's all there is to it your done. Like I said in the previous post these engines were not meant to run at low idle. Once you have set the top governor speed you are done. Make sure you have the throttle adjustment setting to high before you bend the linkage. Now go cut some grass LOL :thumbsup:

Ok - I'm back. Well, I got the idle down, but in a not-so-orthodox way, and in a way which I don't think is correct, even though the mower is running at the correct idle speed now. It was idling at around 3850, way too high, so I started bending the tang. It wouldn't really run without the air cleaner on, so I would start and stop the mower and bend a little in between. It wasn't really making a difference until I bent it so far that there was actual slack in the spring, and then some. Well, I got it down to around 3100, but not without bending the tang so far that the throttle lever now operates in reverse! Ha! And -- the throttle lever makes only about 200-300rpm difference when moved back and forth... So - my thinking is that the governor is still not in the correct static position. But I adjusted that thing several times exactly as instructed to make sure I got it right. Is it possible that I need to adjust the governor a little bit away from the static position? Because when I first adjusted it I went the other way to see if I had it adjusted it in the wrong direction, and it would barely idle... Or can something go wrong with the governor to cause this high idle speed? I'm starting to get frustrated now, even though It's probably something really minor. Thanks again so much for your help!!

 

[MowerPro2]

Ok - I'm back. Well, I got the idle down, but in a not-so-orthodox way, and in a way which I don't think is correct, even though the mower is running at the correct idle speed now. It was idling at around 3850, way too high, so I started bending the tang. It wouldn't really run without the air cleaner on, so I would start and stop the mower and bend a little in between. It wasn't really making a difference until I bent it so far that there was actual slack in the spring, and then some. Well, I got it down to around 3100, but not without bending the tang so far that the throttle lever now operates in reverse! Ha! And -- the throttle lever makes only about 200-300rpm difference when moved back and forth... So - my thinking is that the governor is still not in the correct static position. But I adjusted that thing several times exactly as instructed to make sure I got it right. Is it possible that I need to adjust the governor a little bit away from the static position? Because when I first adjusted it I went the other way to see if I had it adjusted it in the wrong direction, and it would barely idle... Or can something go wrong with the governor to cause this high idle speed? I'm starting to get frustrated now, even though It's probably something really minor. Thanks again so much for your help!!

Wow!! Now you have me a little confused. Throttle is working in reverse ? Humm.....The only way I know that the throttle will work in the reverse position is if the throttle lever has jumped the throttle stop on the carb. See the attached photo. As for it not wanting to run with the air cleaner off puzzles me mine runs perfect with or without it. Check make sure the throttle hasn't jumped the stop on the carb, and let me know. Take another pic on the carb I would like to see it. Don't get frustrated that's when we start to make mistakes :thumbsup: