How To Adjust the Governor on a Kawasaki Engine

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Want to learn how to adjust the Governor on a Kawasaki engine? Follow the simple steps below:

To start with it, the screw on the bottom of the governor’s arm must be loosened.

Push the governor’s arm so that the throttle will be wide open. 

After that, turn the clip (it is connected to the governor shaft) in a counter-clockwise form. This will set the governor shaft on top of the governor spool. It is important to mention that Kawasaki manufactures some of the best lawn mower engines out there.

Where is the Governor Located in an Engine?

Lawn-mower-governor

In a gas-powered engine, the governor is usually placed between the carburetor and the intake manifold.  The centrifugal governor is attached to the camshaft by a gear drive.

How Does a Small Engine Governor Work?

The governor system helps to maintain the speed of your mower. If the governor of your engine is adjusted properly, it will maintain a steady speed regardless of the engine load.

When powering the mowing machine, the load of the engine can be affected by the grass height or hilly terrain.

Without a governor, you will have to manually adjust the throttle every time your machine passes through a dense spot of grass. This might make the engine stall at some point.

A governor detects the changes in load and also adjusts the mower throttle

The small engine of your lawn mower contains either an electric governor, mechanical governor or pneumatic governor. 

The major difference between the three components is how they detect the speed of the lawn mower.

How Do Mechanical Governors Work?

This governor design makes use of flyweights to generate a force based on the speed of the crankshaft.

This process is balanced by the force of the governor spring. The top engine speed varies in the increasing spring force which makes it run faster or vice versa to run slowly.

Based on the force balance and the load, the governor spring and mechanical governor interact to keep the throttle at the correct engine RPMs.

How Do Electronic Governors Work?

This governor design consists of the stepper motor, controller and magnetic pick up (in some cases). 

The pick-up tells the controller how fast the engine runs while the controller tells the stepper motor to open the throttle more or less to keep on with the required speed.

In some systems, the controller can read the number of sparks from the armature to get the speed of the engine instead of the magnetic pickup.

How Do Pneumatic Governors Work?

The Pneumatic Governor uses one or two springs to pull the throttle toward the open position. 

As the load decreases and the engine speed rises,  air blown by the flywheel increases and causes the governor blade to pull the throttle plate towards the closed position to maintain a constant engine speed.

This governor design follows a simple process and its parts are easily accessible. 

Cooling fin and air intake cleanliness are very pivotal with pneumatic governors because a change in airflow can have an impact on the speed.

How Do You Adjust the Throttle on a Riding Lawn Mower?

Riding-mower-throttle

You have to set the throttle and start the engine of the lawn mower. Turn the high-speed screw clockwise until the engine slows down.

Turn it counterclockwise until it slows. To test the adjustment, find the center point where the engine idles best and move the throttle from slow to fast and back to slow.

Are Kawasaki FX Engines Good?

FX Series engines are very efficient and durable. They also offer top-of-the-line, commercial-grade performance and reliability for mowing tasks.

How Many Hours Will a Lawn Mower Engine Last?

A single-cylinder lawn mower engine can last for 500-750 hours while large engines can last up to 1000 hours. These hours are rough estimates and they only apply with the recommended maintenance.