4/19/00

Since there seems to be an excessive number of questons regarding governors, this is a good time to touch on why I won't get involved trying to explain them.

Governors are very sensitive and being set wrong can cause great bodily injury as well as engine or equipment destruction. If you find a need to ask questions about governors, you don't know enough to do it. It's sort of like the old saying, "If you got to ask how much, you can't afford it".

First off, to be done correctly, you must have the right tools, including a tach that works for small engines. These tools aren't amoung the typical DIYer's arsenal.
Second, the difficulty in explaining in manner you will understand. Let's get this straight. I AM NOT calling you stupid.

Even when a person is right along side, watching how to do it, then un-doing it so they can try for themselves, the majority of trainees in the shop never seem to get the hang of it. Indeed, many othwise competent, long time shop repairmen still don't get it. While some things such as electrical problems can be a nightmare for me, the governors always seemed so simple. Perhaps that is why I have difficulty explaining it to others, I may be overlooking a better way to say it. In any case, "Doc", who authored "Docs" Survival Guide for Small Engines, chose to pretty much side step the governor issue in his software as well, so it ain't just me who finds explaining governors a lost cause.

Bottom line, Governors are just to important to be set correctly to risk being done by anyone not fully understanding how or not having the correct tools to get the job done. If the problem can't be corrected by clearing debris from hanging up the linkage, don't mess with it, take it to an authorized tech. There are things that the DIYer should not get involved in. You may be able to drive a car, but that doesn't mean you can drive one 200 MPH at Daytona.
LMRM; Bob :<=