I have a governor question…
I was searching the non-IH cub section for governor info on the Kohler v-twins, but didn’t find a entry like my specific question. My later model 3225 Cub Cadet, with a 22hp Kohler Command engine (with the mechanical governor system) has a bit of a sticky governor.
It did it only occasionally when I first got it, with what was supposed to be about 250hrs on it (and I believe that, given the overall condition of the mower). It usually did it after running an hour or so, and I’d encourage the misbehavior by bringing the throttle down to an at-or-near-idle setting (or shutting it down for a moment). Then, I’d fire it up, it’d run fine, but it wouldn’t come up above idle, even if I’ve put the throttle at max. If I left it idling in the shade a while, it seemed to finally unstuck on its own and be running at correct full throttle. Then, while mowing, the governor was working correctly, upping the fuel at heavy load, and backing off in light load (all seemed normal). So, I was trying spraying the linkages down (with silicon lube) for several weeks, thinking there was some sticking there (and it would seem to free up after a bit of that, but I think my spraying was immaterial and it was time elapsing that was the encouragement of un-sticking).
Finally, in the last few weeks, it wouldn’t come up on its own from cranking cold. Idles fine, runs good, no smoke, no knocks, choke works great, but it’s just idling. What I’ve done the last few weeks is to simply override the governor while standing there, to see if I could force the governor lever on the shaft over into an actuated spot. Sure thing, it’s bound, I keep pushing gently, then more, and then it frees and works back and forth fine, revving the motor as it does. Once I’ve done this, I just keep working it back and forth, and the stickiness at the totally-un-actuated point of travel seems to work its way out, and then I mow and it correctly comes in as greater load (on hills and tall grass) comes along, and backs off at light load (it never over-revs).
I mentioned all this to somebody at work, saying that I wondered if there was a shaft or hole size issue that’d been there since it was new, and they suggested it might be a worn shaft or hole that allows a binding. I didn’t think of that, and that makes sense also (if not more so). But, no leaking of oil around the shaft hole goes on. So, next weekend, I thought about trying to see if I can’t get a little light oil around that shaft while its cold, and work it back and forth to get the oil down in that shaft-to-hole area. I was thinking against the use of penetrating oil (like liquid-wrench), even though you’d think that’d de-gunk any sticky stuff in there were, just from thinking I’d not want any of that down in the crankcase (I’m guessing I don’t). And, I thought, if I had a way of forcing some white lube down in that shaft-hole area, that’d be good. Of course, this whole issue may be more internal that that shaft-hole region… but, as I say, once I’ve gotten it pushed out of the totally-unactuated location, there’s no stickiness.
Any suggestions?
I was searching the non-IH cub section for governor info on the Kohler v-twins, but didn’t find a entry like my specific question. My later model 3225 Cub Cadet, with a 22hp Kohler Command engine (with the mechanical governor system) has a bit of a sticky governor.
It did it only occasionally when I first got it, with what was supposed to be about 250hrs on it (and I believe that, given the overall condition of the mower). It usually did it after running an hour or so, and I’d encourage the misbehavior by bringing the throttle down to an at-or-near-idle setting (or shutting it down for a moment). Then, I’d fire it up, it’d run fine, but it wouldn’t come up above idle, even if I’ve put the throttle at max. If I left it idling in the shade a while, it seemed to finally unstuck on its own and be running at correct full throttle. Then, while mowing, the governor was working correctly, upping the fuel at heavy load, and backing off in light load (all seemed normal). So, I was trying spraying the linkages down (with silicon lube) for several weeks, thinking there was some sticking there (and it would seem to free up after a bit of that, but I think my spraying was immaterial and it was time elapsing that was the encouragement of un-sticking).
Finally, in the last few weeks, it wouldn’t come up on its own from cranking cold. Idles fine, runs good, no smoke, no knocks, choke works great, but it’s just idling. What I’ve done the last few weeks is to simply override the governor while standing there, to see if I could force the governor lever on the shaft over into an actuated spot. Sure thing, it’s bound, I keep pushing gently, then more, and then it frees and works back and forth fine, revving the motor as it does. Once I’ve done this, I just keep working it back and forth, and the stickiness at the totally-un-actuated point of travel seems to work its way out, and then I mow and it correctly comes in as greater load (on hills and tall grass) comes along, and backs off at light load (it never over-revs).
I mentioned all this to somebody at work, saying that I wondered if there was a shaft or hole size issue that’d been there since it was new, and they suggested it might be a worn shaft or hole that allows a binding. I didn’t think of that, and that makes sense also (if not more so). But, no leaking of oil around the shaft hole goes on. So, next weekend, I thought about trying to see if I can’t get a little light oil around that shaft while its cold, and work it back and forth to get the oil down in that shaft-to-hole area. I was thinking against the use of penetrating oil (like liquid-wrench), even though you’d think that’d de-gunk any sticky stuff in there were, just from thinking I’d not want any of that down in the crankcase (I’m guessing I don’t). And, I thought, if I had a way of forcing some white lube down in that shaft-hole area, that’d be good. Of course, this whole issue may be more internal that that shaft-hole region… but, as I say, once I’ve gotten it pushed out of the totally-unactuated location, there’s no stickiness.
Any suggestions?
