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Onan govenor problem


old_nodaker

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Trying out my new to me 9020 Powermax today using the 60" mower deck. It seemed that it didn't want to pull at all, just kind of slowed down as the load got heavier. Is there a common problem with the governors on these 20 horse Onan's?
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Most likely not the govn. With the age on these engines the HP tends to drop off sharply due to several things. First check the fuel supply. There should be a heavy flow from the pump and it should be capable of spraying if you block the end off with a finger. The carb. adjustment is fairly sensitive and a clean air filter is a must. Before you condem anything else on the engine replace the points and condensor and set the timing to the recomended 20 degrees BTDC. The ignition and timing are critical on these engines for stout performance. These engines wear the valve guides pretty badly and 40 years of service will result in the valves closing off center and having to raise the valve to properly seat. This causes a loss of compresion and a loss of some power.
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Thanks for the reply, first off I'll do a compression check but I don't have my gauge right now. Someone had recently remarked about "another Onan governor problem" so I was wondering if it's a common problem. This tractor supposedly sat for 15 years so I suppose it could have stuck rings too.
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It could be something simple. Being it sat so long was there a mouse nest in the engine?C Check the points. Gas flow. These are great little tractorssm06. Did you get any attachments with it? You’re not to far from me 107 miles.
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Dave's got the right idea... Keep it simple & cover the bases. These tractors are 'almost' bullet proof! They are real sensitive to points/timing & other basics. The biggest issue I find with them is getting the maintenance 'caught' up. When that's done, BOTH you & your tractor will be happier! JP
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So hello neighbor. Interesting looking saw, do you build it from scratch? I'm not one to sit by a little hole waiting for food to swim by :) but that sure looks like a better deal then an auger. With this tractor I got the deck and a tiller. The deck is hardly used, nor does the tiller look used much. I also have a 4041 that came with a deck, snow blower and a metal cab. I built a blade that mounts onto the snow blower mule drive. I went to Jim's and picked up one of his 23 horse Vangards for the 4041 so I have a spare Onan for parts or whatever. It still ran fine but burned lots of oil and only had 60 lbs compression on each cylinder. For now the 9020 will just be used for light work pulling a utility trailer around the farm so I have time to tinker with it.
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Did a compression check today, 70 and 80 lbs. Very disappointing. I think I'll try some oil additives and see if it helps.
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