Adjusting rpms- Kohler 8hp K241s engine

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

30 minutes ago, Joe 77 B100 said:

If there is a "right" hole, why are there the 5 or 6 in the arm? 

 

Things change over years... springs lose tension, linkages get worn.

 

I believe that the 'factory' setting is the third hole from the bottom on both arms.  The 'sensitivity' adjustment is the series of holes on the governor arm.  Higher up on the governor arm is more sensitive.

I had to move my K301 to the 4th hold up to keep the engine speed from dropping when loaded.

If it's not sensitive enough, the engine speed will drop when you put it under load,  If it's too sensitive, you'll get 'surging', the brummm..., brummm..., brummm..., effect.

Sometimes you have to accept a little surging at idle in order for the top end to be good.

 

I just edited my post about the high speed stop, I had it backwards.  I found on the K301 that I've been working on that the high speed stop really didn't matter because with the throttle all the way at the top end of the slot (RABBIT) that I was right at 3550 RPM so I just set the stop so it just touched at that point.  Loosen that bolt a bit to turn the stop if needed.

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[Joe 77 B100 84]

I am sure the manual in the tach I ordered will tell me but what numbers should I be shooting for as a reading?

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

17 minutes ago, Joe 77 B100 said:

I am sure the manual in the tach I ordered will tell me but what numbers should I be shooting for as a reading?

 

About 1200-1300 at idle and not more than 3600 at top end.  3600 is 'red line' on these engines, unless @Snoopy11 or @RED-Z06 or @Greentored and a few more guys here get their hands on them.

 

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[Joe 77 B100 84]

Here are a couple picks with the throttle all the way down. 

[Joe 77 B100 84]

And here with the throttle up or high.

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

 

Pretty much where mine is set.

 

I believe this is the 'factory' setting:

If the engine holds steady RPM when going from no load to load, leave alone.

If engine bogs when loaded, move left up one hole.

 

Heat damaged throttle cable caused by too close to cylinder/exhaust.

 

Could have been avoided by PO if he had put more 'slack' in the cable by clamping further out on the solid center wire:

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[Joe 77 B100 84]

Full throttle with pto on.

https://youtube.com/shorts/GCn_0IU4n9U?feature=share

[Joe 77 B100 84]

Running on low and high throttle. 

 

[Joe 77 B100 84]

54 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

Pretty much where mine is set.

 

I believe this is the 'factory' setting:

If the engine holds steady RPM when going from no load to load, leave alone.

If engine bogs when loaded, move left up one hole.

 

Heat damaged throttle cable caused by too close to cylinder/exhaust.

 

Could have been avoided by PO if he had put more 'slack' in the cable by clamping further out on the solid center wire:

 

I think it WAS lower on the wire.  About where you pointed.  But, I moved it trying to get it to run at a higher rmp while I was using it.  I thought it seemed like a quick fix.  Put back to where you are pointing?

But, yes, the muffler installed when I got it sits about 1" away from all of those fuel lines and plastic parts and exhausts down to the lower left as you sit on the mower.  Down where the hood clamps to the frame.  Is that right? 

[pfrederi 18,654]

None of my big blocks have three holes in the bell crank. Try moving your to the outer hole...

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

1 hour ago, Joe 77 B100 said:

Put back to where you are pointing?

 

My suggestion is to move BOTH of those points in order to move the cable away from the cylinder.  

[Joe 77 B100 84]

1 hour ago, pfrederi said:

None of my big blocks have three holes in the bell crank. Try moving your to the outer hole...

Sorry buddy, but you can't use technical lingo with me.  I cannot follow.  Can you use one of the pics I posted and be more direct?  

[Joe 77 B100 84]

37 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

My suggestion is to move BOTH of those points in order to move the cable away from the cylinder.  

Ditto.  Too technical for me and I am not sure what you're talking about.  I don't know what a cylinder is.   Keep in mind I am a biology professor who happened to be given a Wheel Horse.  I have a strong desire to fix it and learn but I might be called what you folks call an "idiot" when it comes to engines.   You gotta talk to me like I am a kindergartener. 

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

1 hour ago, Joe 77 B100 said:

Sorry buddy, but you can't use technical lingo with me.  I cannot follow.  Can you use one of the pics I posted and be more direct?  

 

 

Joe, I believe Paul is referring to this and suggesting that you move the rod to the next hole up, but I have no idea why.

It appears that the rod has always been in the lower hole from the factory, there's no evidence that it was ever in the top hole.

 

And here's my  1980 K301, not in the top hole, never was.

Pay no attention to the length of the cable, the one on my machine has been replaced and whoever installed it either bought one a little too short, or cut it too short.

 

 

That bar with the holes is referred to as a 'bellcrank'.

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

36 minutes ago, Joe 77 B100 said:

I don't know what a cylinder is

 

The cylinder is the thing that the piston runs in.  It's surrounded by the cooling fins.  It dissipates a lot of heat.

 

 

On top of that is the 'HEAD'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

1 hour ago, Joe 77 B100 said:

move BOTH of those points

 

That cable is real close to the engine cylinder in the area circled in yellow.  The cable plastic sheath is already melted so it's sorta a moot point, but if you move the entire cable up by loosening both clamps, you will have more distance between the cable and the engine:

 

 

If you loosen both and move the cable away from engine and don't change the relative distance between the two points, there will be no change in operation.

 

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

4 hours ago, Joe 77 B100 said:

the muffler installed when I got it sits about 1" away from all of those fuel lines and plastic parts and exhausts down to the lower left as you sit on the mower.  Down where the hood clamps to the frame.  Is that right? 

 

Sounds right.  Muffler was mounted vertically at the front of the engine, right?  In at the top, out at the bottom?

 

Like this:

 

 

 

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

52 minutes ago, Joe 77 B100 said:

what you folks call an "idiot"

 

Fortunately for you, in general, the folks around here are well above calling anyone an 'idiot'!  This is one of those rare places on the net that kinda behavior doesn't happen!

 

They might THINK it, but they won't SAY it !  

 

 

 

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[oliver2-44 10,706]

@Joe706 You’ve got lots of good help, so hang in there with those guys. As Jeff said no idiots here. This is a good refresher for me as I need to work on my C160 to do the same. PS. You start talking Biology. A bunch of us would have that “deer in the headlight stare” too. 

[Joe 77 B100 84]

14 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

 

 

 

Well.  I see your muffler has some plate it attaches to at the bottom. Mines doesn't have that so the bottom/terminal end is loose.  Is that a part I can get or should I just configure something myself?  Would you take a couple more pics so I can see how it fits?

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

32 minutes ago, Joe 77 B100 said:

Well.  I see your muffler has some plate it attaches to at the bottom. Mines doesn't have that so the bottom/terminal end is loose.  Is that a part I can get or should I just configure something myself?  Would you take a couple more pics so I can see how it fits?

 

Here's a closer up of the bottom bracket.  Your machine is a few years older than this one... 1980 C-125 ... so it may or may not be the exact same, but yeah, there's probably supposed to be a bracket of some sort down there.

 

 

And here's from the other side:

 

[Joe 77 B100 84]

The tachometer read 1400 at the bottom and 2900 at the top.  Thoughts?

[Jeff-C175 7,206]

2 minutes ago, Joe 77 B100 said:

The tachometer read 1400 at the bottom and 2900 at the top.  Thoughts?

 

Bottom is ok at 1400.  

 

Top could come up a little, but 2900 is fine too.  If you turn that stop bracket a tad clockwise can you get a few more RPMs out of it?

[Joe 77 B100 84]

I'm gonna Google "stop bracket".  😃

[Joe 77 B100 84]

I'm gonna Google "stop bracket".  😃

Ok.. do you mean loosen that bolt and move the arm I'm pointing to to the right so it allows the piece the springs attached to to move even further to the right?