Do You Know How An Engine Governor Works?

Do You Know How An Engine Governor Works?

Posted by Admin on 14th Dec 2020

Did you know that without an engine governor you would need to manually adjust the throttle to prevent the engine of your lawn mower or other device from stalling? Governors, like the ones used at Ace Power Products, LLC are integral to making our lives easier and more convenient, but many users don’t even know they exist or how they work. Whether you want more information on Woodward governor controllers in the Wellington FL area or just simply yearn to learn about the miracle of the engine governor in general, read on!

What Exactly Is an Engine Governor?

A governor in essence is the way in which the speed of an engine is regulated in lawn mowers, generators, and other similar outdoor equipment. The governor typically consists of three components: The governor link, the governor spring, and governor gear all work hand-in-hand to modify the speed of the engine as needed. If your piece of equipment is experiencing fluctuating speeds, there may be an issue with one or more of these components that needs to be addressed and potentially repaired. 

The Innards of a Governor

As mentioned above, there are a handful of parts that make an engine governor work properly. The first is a governor gear, which includes a pair of fly weights that pivot in and out.  The gear is connected to the crankshaft which when turned produces the centrifugal force necessary to pull the fly weights outward. The gear can either be inside the engine block itself, or assembled and attached to the outside of the unit.

The next important piece is the cross shaft, which connects the governor gear to an arm located outside of the engine. The cross shaft has a tab that presses against the fly weights as well as an arm that connects on one end to the throttle linkage and the other end to the governor spring. When turned on, these components are engaged in a delicate tug of war to regulate the RPMs of your engine. 

How Do the Components Work Together?

When you turn on your engine, the governor gear instantly tries to close the carburetor throttle. At the same time, the governor spring works to keep the throttle open. This conflict happens in perpetuity while your equipment is on. The governor gear is constantly spinning and forcing the fly weights out. The cross shaft turns the arm to close the throttle but the spring is forever pulling the throttle open. This constant struggle between centrifugal force and spring power is what makes consistent RPMs a possibility! 

Contact Us

The next time you’re using your Woodward governor controller, you’ll have some sense of the mechanical process that is taking place underneath. The engine governor is a marvel of mechanical engineering, and without it our generators, lawn mowers, and other RPM-reliant tools would be much harder to use. At Ace Power Products LLC we take pride in our engine governor expertise, and consummate knowledge on all things related to replacement parts and supplies. Contact our location in beautiful Wellington FL today for more information.