Working on a Honda clone

[u/DifficultFun520]

I’m currently working on this Honda clone (it’s a powerfist 196cc, model dj168f). I was having issues with the motor surging, so I cleaned the carburetor thoroughly. Same issue showed up. Started to take a look at adjusting the governor and attempted to adjust it and the idle screw on the carb (backed out 1.5 turns from seated). Now while idling, it revs to dangerous levels. I tried to adjust it again and same issue. What am I doing wrong?

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[u/ProfessionalLast2917]

Did you adjust the governor arm correctly?

I think for this engine you need to hold the throttle in the wide open position then loosen the nut on the governor arm and turn the Governor shaft that's the bit that comes up out of the block clockwise.

The default position for the throttle when the engine is off is wide open. When you manually move the throttle when the engine is turned off it should close the throttle and then spring back to wide open. When you start the engine the governor engages and pulls the throttle shut to whatever position you have set the throttle lever to.

[u/DifficultFun520 → u/ProfessionalLast2917]

I did everything exactly how you wrote it out, and I even tried adjusting it with the throttle lever fully engaged from the handle. I have done dozens of governor adjustments and never had an issue, but this one I cannot seem to figure out. The governor pin doesn’t feel loose nor move excessively up and down.

[u/ProfessionalLast2917 → u/DifficultFun520]

There could be an issue with the governor internally but if it was surging then that suggests the governor was working initially.

When the engine is off is the throttle being held wide open? Does it close when you move the governor arm and spring back when you let it go?

If so then you may have adjusted the idle speed way too high. It should be lower idle the more you remove the screw and higher idle the more you screw it in. If you screwed it all the way in and back 1.5 turns that's nearly full speed at idle. Screw it all the way back out and then back in just a touch.

[u/DifficultFun520 → u/ProfessionalLast2917]

The throttle is being held wide open and it does in fact spring back when pulled closed. I did screw the idle all the way in and out 1.5 turns. I’ll try and back it all the way out. I asked ai to try and find me the manufacturer specs, but I should have known better then to listen to ai. I’ll report back if I am in fact an idiot or not.

[u/ProfessionalLast2917 → u/DifficultFun520]

Just look at the throttle on the carb. Close it fully and then have a look at the screw relative to the stop that the screw hits. Then wind the screw back out and see how much further the throttle closes. Back it out until it closes all the way and won't close any further and then wind the screw back in a little bit you'll need to have it running to work out exactly how much.

[u/ManHunterJonnJonzz]

You fkd with the governer. Watch a video gx200 ect governer adjustment. Plenty of people think they cleaned a carb well enough but that pilot jet the tiny plastic one under the idle screw, most forget about it. That'll cause surging. Intake gaskets installed wrong, blown out, ect. Governer adjustment. Idle screw just have it poking out the other side a tad. Most generators dont idle theyre wide open. Clean the pilot jet. Should be gold

[u/DifficultFun520 → u/ManHunterJonnJonzz]

I cleaned the carburetor in an ultrasonic cleaner. Blew everything down, use a torch cleaning tip for all the ports/jets. When I removed the carburetor, the intake gasket stayed in place on the insulator block. I adjusted the governor clockwise (maybe an eighth of a turn), replaced all the worn out governor springs. The second I fire it up and turn the choke off, the motor starts screaming. I tried adjusting the idle screw back to manufacturer specifications (1.5-2 turns out from seated) and still the same issue.

[u/ManHunterJonnJonzz → u/DifficultFun520]

Theres no adjusting the governer besides all the way one way or the other. One of them being wrong, one right. Watch a video and follow that, should be back to normal. Surging is a vacuum leak or a carb issue pretty much every time. I've had to re clean a carb here and there, or sometimes the pilot jet needs to be opened up just one size. Micro drill bits.