gcv160 gjaea stl1

[38racing]

It's on my neighour's lawnboy mower. He just dropped it off while I was out. I didn't speak to him about it since last fall and memory is vague. Just getting back to puttering after a few months medical issue. I check oil and add gas to just start it. Of course it has the automatic off choke although he had control lever taped down. Also noted he had choke wired partly closed. It needed choke to run so just in case it was easy fix I added lots of seafoam to the gas to let it run a while. With it running on part choke the rev were 3700+. With 21" blade the max should be about 3450 and found manual saying that engine should run max 3250. Governor spring goes from lever forward to a tang on a control plate. I figured I could just bend it and slow it down. No success. I even tried a wire loop between the tang and spring to slack it off a bit. I decided to static adjust the governor. Did exactly as per manual. Usual way, loosen nut, lever to open throttle , shaft in same direction. The result was I could not get the rpm over 2400. If I redid adjustment and left shaft not fully turned I got revs back up but that should not be how to do it. With governor as per manual and spring in normal position I could not bend tang enough to increase rpm. In fact I find a lot of governor resistance if I try to manually move the governor lever to increase rpm. My plan is to deal with the carb first and try to get it running with choke fully open and hope governor is then happy with that.

[KE4AVB]

38, with someone else monkeying with it you might try a new governor spring. Btw the STL1 type is going to a be GCV160A

When working of anything that someone has jury rigged expect anything can be wrong. I had a Robin last year that had had rigged up with field fence wire and the air cleaner was off a string trimmer.

[38racing]

I pulled the carb and although the bowl was clean I found that neither main jet or idle passage seem to let carb cleaner fully through. Seems good after cleaner and air blasting. The jet is .065 and I actually got my .065 cleaning rod stuck in it. just got carb on when i got the call to supper. i do have a new governor spring coming.

[Fulltilt]

This could help you : http://www.honda-engines-eu.com/documents/10912/31055/1480/cb2c546e-cf89-48f5-aee5-11182f91814c

[38racing]

This could help you : http://www.honda-engines-eu.com/documents/10912/31055/1480/cb2c546e-cf89-48f5-aee5-11182f91814c

thanks. good info. going try the engine this morning

[38racing]

so it runs fine with choke fully open and runs worse if i close it now. but with governor spring in normal position ir still only reaches 2400. if i move spring to another hole on gov lever it gets to 2800 and bending tang to an unnormal position gets me to 3050. and spring is well stretched. i can see governor failing to pull lever but over pulling?

[38racing]

i put a new carb on it and new governor spring.old one looked like the new one except for being a bit stretched.
now runs at 3100 with spring in spec position. and 3100 spec according to a Honda manual.

[38racing]

So my neighbour called for an update. And guess what he told me. Yes, they had played with the governor as it was the only way to get the speed up. So I told him I could not get it right by cleaning the carb and that I had it running now with a new carb and proper governor adjustment. Then he tells me the carb on it was new! Well it was not passing the fuel in my opinion. And now he has me concerned that I have the carb spacer on backwards. I was sure I was replacing it as I found it but I did notice the passage was beveled and I'm thinking the wide part should be out to channel the air/fuel mixture, almost like a venturi effect and yet I think it was the other way around. Think I am going out to pull carb off another one I have in the shed. Those are a pita to get all gaskets and cover base all lined up to bolt on.

[KE4AVB]

Probably going say some choice words like I did putting that PP295 back together when the plate kept falling off the screws. I felt like taking it out back and let my Commanche III have a say.

[bgsengine]

So my neighbour called for an update. And guess what he told me. Yes, they had played with the governor as it was the only way to get the speed up. So I told him I could not get it right by cleaning the carb and that I had it running now with a new carb and proper governor adjustment. Then he tells me the carb on it was new! Well it was not passing the fuel in my opinion. And now he has me concerned that I have the carb spacer on backwards. I was sure I was replacing it as I found it but I did notice the passage was beveled and I'm thinking the wide part should be out to channel the air/fuel mixture, almost like a venturi effect and yet I think it was the other way around. Think I am going out to pull carb off another one I have in the shed. Those are a pita to get all gaskets and cover base all lined up to bolt on.

Spacer should only go on one way. Also a tip: if you can find an old junker engine, save back the carburetor bolts and cut the heads off (or find long metric studs) and use those to line up gaskets and carb and everything - then hold it in place and remove one stud, install the carb bolt, snug it lightly to hold things in place then remove the other line up stud and install second bolt. - piece of cake


BUt the spacer (and gaskets) should only fit properly one way - I have had many of them come in when someone else "fixed" it and couldnt get it to run right where they had the spacer or gasket(s) installed wrong way, allowing air leaks.