Farmall B Governor rebuild

This message is a reply to an archived post by ScottyHOMEy on April 11, 2008 at 14:24:46.
The original subject was "Re: Farmall B Governor rebuild".

I am rebuilding a SA governor. I am not sure what you are referring to when you write "thrust bearing". I see "thrust spring" referred to in my IH Service Manual but not thrust bearing. Can you help me. The governor will not maintain engine speed. The Speed change lever is a bit sloppy in the casing and I think the needle bearings are badly rusted. The will turn with force but I will replace them. I am planning on boring and bushing the speed change lever port and replacing all seals and bearings.

I'll do my best to describe it,

If you're looking at an IH service manual (Ill. 44?), the thrust bearing consists of the three parts shown just to the left of the thrust spring and pins. It's basically a cage (the center piece) to hold the balls of the bearing, that is sandwiched by two races (the outer pieces) to hold everything together and in place under tension. It is in fact three separate pieces, not counting all those little balls. A new one comes packed in grease to hold it together and thats a good thing to do if trying to put a used one back in place. That bearing, and the thing that looks like a bushing to the left of it in the illustration I think you're looking at (called a sleeve in the parts book) wrap around the outside of the shaft of the governor pinion/gear. The thrust spring and pins fit into a recess in its center.

That bearing is notorious for being dry and worn out, so that when you remove the governor, taking the tension off of the thrust spring, the three parts open up and some or all of the balls fall out of the cage and go, like all small parts, to who knows where.

The only way that comes to mind (having learned my lesson) to avoid that, if it is going to happen, is to remove your distributor or mag first, then loosen the governor housing, and keep tension on the thrust springs as you wind the gear forward while keeping tension on the thrust spring as you move the housing forward.

Clear as mud, I'm sure, if we're looking at different illustrations. Let me know if I've missed your point or you need more.

If you do that it will perform like a new one again mite need a new spring on the plunger that keeps the assy pushed against the mag. I have a mill cutter thats been sharpened and is a few thous under size. Made a foxture to clamp the housing fast and then using the cutter on the milling machine does a great job oon that hole. I get the bushings at Lowes 1/2x5/8 trim a little of the end and the throttle response is like new again.

I've got an idea that if the needle bearing and bushing are as bound up as you say they are that getting them squared away will likely fix the problem you're having. The whole mechanism is designed to move with no more resistance than a throttle lever provides, which is not much. And it all works with weights and springs.

Following up on Gene's mention of the thrust spring, I found bits of one inside the governor on my SuperC when I first opened it up. It was still in place, but it was shorter than it should have been

A governor doesn't need to be opened often. If it were mine, I'd at the very least inspect and, if necesary, replace all three (governor, thrust and bumper) springs and the thrust bearing while I was in there.

HTH

Will do Scotty. All springs, bearings, bushings and seals will be replaced as well as drilling and bushing the speed control lever hole in the houseing with a 1/2x5/8x3/4 long bushing.
Thanks for the advice, all of you.

Good luck on a good job, Dean! Let us know how you make out.