Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Gov spring ?'s

[Heepdriver]

Over two and a half years of owning this truck I have watched the idle rpm and overall max rpm's drop. Fuel cut out where egt's and boost fall off is about 2100 rpms and I mean fuel cuts out. Idle is now in the neighborhood of 650 warmed up used to be about 800. I know there is an idle adjustment screw but with the loss or lack of high rpm ability could I have a worn set of Gov springs?



I am saving for the 4000 gov springs and valve springs, but am trying to think this through before I do anything.



Any info on how the gov springs and governor in general affect performance, such as what conditions are usally associated with different governor failure's.



And as a side note how far up and down the cam plate face does the governor lever travel? I am just cutting my profile in the plate above where the gov lever contacts instead of adjusting the lever to the bottom of the plate face.

 

[hemijustin]

im no expert but from what you say about the idle droping and power falling off you may want to check you fuel lift pump



justin

 

[JGheen]

Any info on how the gov springs and governor in general affect performance, such as what conditions are usally associated with different governor failure's.



.

Well, first off, governor springs do not "wear out. " You can adjust your idle with the set screw on the pump, but I would not blame the lower idle on the stock gov. springs.

As for performance of the springs, well, they basically just cut back on fuel @ either 2800-3200 for a 3k kit and not sure on a 4k kit but I would assume it would mechanically fuel cut around 3600 or so. You can adjust the gov. lever to ride on the profile of the plate however you want but it depends on the plate profile as to where it will start to really fuel. You can make it fuel hard on low end and de-fuel sooner, or just the opposite, whatever you prefer. Never heard of a "governor failure" other than from those running no plate for the lever to ride on, but if you don't set the gov. lever in the proper place for a given plate it can come forward and ride under the plate profile and not give you any fuel. A quick lever adjustment can fix that or a different plate, such as a #10.



Joe

 

[AndyJohnson]

how do you adjust the gov arm? is that just by moving the afc housing forward back? thanks.

 

[Heepdriver]

Joe, thanks for the response.

My Gov. lever hits about a 1/8" up from the bottom with the plate slid all the way forward. It hits on the stock profile and I cut at the top of the plate just a little below the square bump, cuting the bump off. Fuels hard on top but only the amount slid forward on the bottom. leading to one of my other questions. How much does the arm move up and down, more with more boost maybe? Wondering where to cut for more power maybe tuned to where I want it.



Justin I have a fuel pressure guage and if anything have to much fuel pressure. put a new lift pump on last year when I found pieces of metal in my fuel filter and had a loss of power, and yes rpm's.



Andy if you go to piers web site: http://piersdiesel.com/TechLeverAdj.htm

It should help. I figuered that if I was cutting my own plate from pics off of here that I could just cut it where I needed and not do the adjustment. Maybe a shortcut I shouldn't take but I like to tinker.



As far as my thinking of the gov springs as being worn out. Some of the threads on here that talk about the idle changing with instilation of governor springs. Some where I read that the governor springs are always trying to push the gov lever forward and that throtle input adjusts its overall position. the flinging of the weights with increased rpm's moves the gov lever back and defuels. Am I right on this? So as gov springs age the amount that they would hold under increased rpm's would decrease and lower the rpm that they defuel. Is the inner one the weekest and controls idle? How? I have one of the none rpminest trucks out there. And before I start in on doing the springs and trying to tune them in I would like to understand what I am working with.

 

[AndyJohnson]

I'm with ya on the tinkering, thats what i did and for the most part i'm happy with it. Thanks i think that is just my problem though. I think i'm hitting just under my lip by what that said. Off the bottom i have very slight hesitation then takes off like a bat out of hell.

Heepdriver After you cut the nub off did you leave it like that or did you grind the kind of moon shape in it. If you didn't that would help you alot. Thats like a #10 plate. Mine has way more power know and i'm getting about 18 mpg and hasn't exactly been easy. this may be a dumb ? but what is the free flow bumper in your signature. Thanks again.

 

[Heepdriver]

AndyJohnson,



my cam plate is just a gradual slope from the stock flat surface, slide all the way forward, tapered to the flat surface above the bump. the governor lever's travel while holding the fuel cut off lever up and moving the throttle rod hits of the stock camplate surface about a 1/8" up or so from the bottom, but it has been a while sence I was in there.



The free flow bumper is home made. It consists of a 3" top tube bent to the shape of the nose of our truck and 2" other tubes to form a sorta generic copy of some of these tube offroad bumpers, with built in brush guard. I formed 1/8" plate steel to cover the openings on the outside corners and two layers of expanded metal over the center section where the intercooler is. While i made it I put a scoop in the bottom to force air up and through my radiator and intercooler. The whole bumper area in front of the intercooler from top tube to bottom tube and from bumper bracket to bumper bracket is open for air flow. and the bumper is maybe an inch less in size top to bottom of the stock dodge.

 

[AndyJohnson]

ok i see i was thinking of something else. what are you running on pyro and boost? And if you pull anything what then. Thanks.

 

[Heepdriver]

Highway cruising up to 1000 lbs in the bed, here in the hills of NC, 65-70mph 450-600 egt 4-12 or so boost. I have not towed anything in a while that had any weight to it but I have not seen any temps more that 750 egt with 33 lbs of boost doing what ever. Except for when I was playing with my wastegate opening pressure. If my waste gate opens my temps go up fast, so I just closed my adjustment screw.



My biggest complaint of my truck is the lack of rpm's. I am a gas motor tech who works on some diesels. so I don't know and have never been trained for or had any schooling on alot of this stuff. while it is fun to learn if can get frustraiting. I baught a book on diesels, well i baught a couple this is the good one.

Troubleshooting and Repairing Diesel Engines 3rd edition By Paul Dempsey

i forgot where i was going with this but the book is good if anyone needs some general theory and basic test procedures. For specifics we turn to the TDR.

 

[AndyJohnson]

wow those numbers are way lower than mine. Are you running your probe before turbo or after. Yeah i know what you mean on lack of rpm's i don't have the same problem as you but i've always drove gas pickups tell this. But when i get frustrated with it i just pull up to my friends hauling there horses in gasers or power chokes and i feel alot better about my 3k max rpm.

 

[98slushbox]

Heepdriver,

Would it be better to have no plate, or have a ground one and adjust the lever? Especially when running a large single charger?