Tecumseh H50 Snowblower Governor Question

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threeputtpar

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Hello all my internet friends!

I've been resurecting an old 5hp snowblower recently and have actually used it a couple of times this week. After fixing all of the rusted parts and putting a new axle and wheels on it, a new carb had it running great.

One problem has cropped up yesterday. The governor has decided to stop working. I was half way through the driveway when I noticed that under load the engine would not pick up revs and the snow would dribble out of the chute and eventually clog if I didn't stop moving forward and let it catch up. I pulled the heater box and verified that at idle the governor lever was moving a bit to keep a steady idle but would stop moving when I'd engage the drive and when it loaded up with snow.

I found it odd that it worked just fine for 20 minutes before and just stopped. I checked the linkage and all was normal with the spring hooked up. I could also maunally operate the governor and it would throw snow just fine.

For the L-head experts: Does the governor inside the engine just get bound up all of a sudden and stop working? Would a stronger spring help me out at all? Is the governor in the oil bath and will the wrong oil cause it not to work right? I've done a couple of oil changes on it since it sat for so long and I'm using NextGen MaxLife 10W-30 because it was cheap at Autozone.

It seems that when it's not running the spring pulls the governor arm towards the carb and that opens the butterfly wide open. When it starts up, the governor kicks in and the governor arm goes all the way to the front of the machine and closes the butterfly. This is why I thought that a stronger/shorter spring would possibly help. There are also other holes on the governor arm above and below where the spring is now attached. The governor arm is vertical with the pivot point at the bottom. The spring is in the middle of the arm, so should I move it up or down?

Thanks for any advice or help that you can provide.
 
Have you or anyone else fooled with the governor? In engines I have had where there was a governor problem it was a linkage issue caused by dried grass or leaves. But that really should not happen in a snow blower. Mouse nest?
 
Does the unit rev up to, and hold full (max goverened) RPM when not under load? If it does, it's not a governor issue.
 
Originally Posted By: JTK
Does the unit rev up to, and hold full (max goverened) RPM when not under load? If it does, it's not a governor issue.


I think the answer is yes. When running with no load and the throttle at max it runs at the correct rpm range according to my ear and experience. As soon as it hits a load of snow is slowly drops rpms and throws the snow less and less the more it loads up. If I don't back it out of the snow it will clog the impeller and stop it from turning but it doesn't kill the engine. It will just keep running at a lower rpm and stay clogged.

Does this mean that it's not an internal governor issue? My SIL's blower has had this same problem for a while now and I'd like to get her's fixed too.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Have you or anyone else fooled with the governor? In engines I have had where there was a governor problem it was a linkage issue caused by dried grass or leaves. But that really should not happen in a snow blower. Mouse nest?


I haven't changed the settings on the governor shaft, but I did replace the carb and put the link back in the same setting holes that it was in before. The whole machine has been cleaned out and lubircated.
 
If you've got full range of throttle, from idle to max governed speed, but she bogs when under load, I'd say carb issue. Clogged jet, possible contaminated fuel, plugged gas cap vent maybe as a start to troubleshooting.
 
Thanks JTK, I'll be starting with the carb jet. The gas cap is brand new and I just filled it with fresh gas without Ethanol.

As a WAG, would a loose auger/impeller belt cause these issues? The belts are older and the pulleys were a bit rusted so I just thought that maybe the rusted pulleys glazed the belts and they are slipping.
 
If it runs normal RPMs with no load and the engine just slows down (not cuts out and sputters) when under load, it's time to run a compression check. Might be dying.
 
yes, check comp. but the op said that he could make it run strong if overriding the throttle governor. so there seem to be somekind of governing/throttle issue unless there are dirt in the carb, like in the main jet which could cause a weak engine under load.
It could be really simple, like a weak throttle spring, unadjusted throttle arm or something, check this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSwSIA8qgR8
 
Originally Posted By: Roadkingnc
Is there a big screw in the bottom center of the float bowl??


No, I cheaped out and bought the non-adjustable carb.
 
For the new posts from overnight, yes, I am able to manually play with the governor arm and try to maintain operating rpms and it will throw snow quite well if I bury it in the snowbank and peg the governor. It just won't do it on its own all the time.

Every now and then it will govern itself somewhat, but not fully like it did a couple of days ago. The governor arm moves freely and easily, so I'm going to run some B-12 through the gas and look at moving the governor spring to a different hole or get a new one that has better tension.

With no load, I can get it to rev up pretty high by pegging the governor, so I don't think compression is the problem at this point.
 
Sounds like a linkage isn't hooked up properly or a spring is worn.

I'd do a google search for pictures of that engine and find out how the springs are connected. There is also a video on youtube under the username "donyboy73" and he shows you how to adjust the governor on a Tecumseh engine.

Don't over rev the engine by pushing on the governor arm. That is a great way to throw a connecting rod right through the side of the block.
 
If you could video tape the machine running at max throttle and post it, at least 10 people on this forum could tell you if it's running hard enough. You may just have to shorten the governor spring. OR, you can adjust the screw that rides along with the throttle linkage.

I've also had engines stick wide open or not run fast enough due to corrosion on the linkage rods making the works bind up.
 
A quick update for those that are following:

I invested a couple of bucks in a new spring and that has seemed to operate the governor is a quicker fashion, but it was still bogging down somewhat in moderate to heavy snow.

I pulled the carb bowl apart and stuck a pin in all the holes of the main jet to make sure everything was clean and clear. That did make a little difference, but still not up to par.

Eventually, I pulled the new fuel line that I installed and put another line in along with a new shut off valve and that appears to have fixed the problem 90%. I think with me turning the old shut off valve a couple of times it was partially clogged and replacing it with a new one supplied the appropriate amount of fuel. I'll probably add a small fuel fiter at some point this summer.
 
Well I found this thread on accident but ironically, I am having problems with my own 5hp Tecumseh snowblower that I bought last year as a project.

Previous owner says it "loses power under load".

First thing I noticed when I got it home and started playing with it, it revs WAYYYY too fast. Darn thing sounds like its turning 10000 RPMS at WOT. It definitely loses power under load - the second I hit some moderate snow, it bogs right down 1/4 the throttle it was set at before. Noteworthy to mention that the adjustment screw on the bottom of the carburetor drips fuel.

Im going to check out that video on youtube by the guy who shows the governor linkages. I wonder if my problem is in the governor.
 
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Yours sound like it's starving for fuel. You can verify that the governor is working or not by removing the heater box and watching the linkage when you hit a load of snow. If the governor shaft moves when the rpms drop and opens the butterfly, the governor is fine.

Mine was moving the governor and opening the throttle butterfly correctly, but didn't have enought fuel to keep the rpms up under load. I'm still messing with the new carb and might see if they'll warranty it for me and send me an adjustable one so I can richen it up. If not, I'll try to enlarge the main jet or replace it with an adjustable one.

Here's the non-adjustable carb I put on first:

http://www.outdoorpowerdeals.com/carbure...0-hs50-lh195sp/

This is the adjustable one:

http://www.outdoorpowerdeals.com/tecumseh-carburetor-632107a-632107-adjustable-high-and-low/

These are the best prices I found online.
 
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I had an older Tecumseh lawn mower that the governor quit working on. It was just like described. I was told that inside the motor is where the problem is.
 
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