105 Throttle/Governor Setup
 

I recently replaced the governor spring on my 105 and I cannot get the throttle cable set right. It is the correct P/N ordered from Cub Cadet but it must be a little longer. When I pull the throttle handle to idle, the engine is still running fast. If I move the governor arm to the right with my finger it idles down and is fine. In the picture the spring is not in the factory position. This me trying different settings. I have set the governor arm's position per the manual. I cannot find anything about setting the throttle cable in relation to the spring and pivot plate in between them. Do I need to re-set the throttle cable? Thanks for your help.

My first question has to be: Why did you feel that the spring needed to be replaced?

Does it feel like the governor is actually working?

When the throttle is pulled all the way back there should be no tension on the spring.

1. When the engine was idling the spring was flopping around. At the time
I was ordering some other parts and felt it would be good to replace.
2. Yes, I believe the governor is working.
Do I need to adjust the throttle cable?
Thanks for your help.

Just loosen the throttle cable up in the clamp and re-position it so it works. The spring SHOULD "flop around" at idle. Now, you are going to have to reset the High-idle, no load too. You will need a tach to do this. Either a photo-tach, or one that works off of the ignition system. Some timing lights have this feature.

Thanks for the info. Can you point me to the section in the manual or another thread that might help. I've never used a tach light. I see the "Ignition Timing" on page 1-33. There doesn't seem to be all the info I need to do this. When you say High-idle, no load, are you talking about the carburator settings?
Thanks again.

High-idle, no-load is a governor setting. It will be in the governor section. Start with adjusting the governor "Initial settings" and go from there. Page 6.29-6.32. Read it all, then do it.

Here is an article on setting timing.
http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=33461

The article on the timing looks great! On the governor, I must be in the wrong manual. What I'm looking at only has 3 sections, no number 6. I'm looking at the 1x4-5 service manual. Help?

Kohler "K" series service manual.

http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=4646

Thanks, disregard the last message. I hit resend. I'll check out the engine manual. That's what I've been missing!

J-Mech, while I'm getting ready to set the timing, would it be a good idea to change the points? I would bet they are the originals from 1969. If so, where would you suggest to buy them? I've bought everything in the past from the MTD/Cubcadet website. Thanks again.

Can if you want. I'd look at them at least. I get mine from Prime Line. Part number's:

Points: 7-01029
Cond: 7-01338
Cover Gasket: 7-02525

You can get Prime Line parts from O'Reilly's.

J=Mech, thanks for all your help. I finally have new points, condenser, digital tach, printed manuals and am ready to start on my 105. The way I see it is, first set the governor/ throttle cable. Second, install points and set using your static timing procedure. Third, adjust carburetor and set max and idle rpms. I hope I got that procedure right. I started today setting the throttle cable. Section 2 says to move throttle to open position. I take that as WOT. I then tighten the screw holding the cable. Governor spring is in the hole locations shown in the manual. Governor is in the correct position on the governor shaft per the manual. When I pull the throttle back to idle, the cable bends and the throttle plate pushes past the governor spring. See pic 3. I hope I've explained the situation correctly. What am I missing?

I failed to mention, I pivoted the stop bracket out of the way so it was not interfering.

I took a photographic image for you to compare the whole setup.

Thanks for the pictures. I guess I need to relocate the throttle cable in its clamp for the idle position first. Governor spring loose. Next move the the governor to WOT and tighten the screw on pivot plate screw for the cable wire. Does this sound right. And then follow the procedure I outlined above? Thanks for your help again.

This is kind of hard to explain how to set but I'll try.....

The throttle should be attached in a way that lets the engine go from idle to WOT within it's range on the dash. Setting it usually takes a couple try's. The governor spring should be loose and not doing anything at idle. The position of the spring in the throttle rod (The short one that the throttle cable hooks to) doesn't matter as far as the governor is concerned. In other words, it can be in the bottom hole, or the top hole and the governor works the same. The position is so you can adjust how the throttle on the dash works. It's the lever principle. If you don't understand what I mean, then try it in both extreme locations and you will understand.

Yes, disconnect throttle and set the governor first. Then points and timing, then throttle cable which you will have to set it and carb setting with it running. I tune the carb first and set idle and WOT speeds last. It takes a while to do even after you've done it several times. :beerchug:

J-Mech, thanks for the help. I'll be working on the 105 this afternoon. The points I got from O-Reilly had a small clear vial of black grease with them. Is it dielectric grease for the contact points or lubrication for the pivot point? Or do I discard? Sorry for all the newbie questions, I'm still learning.

You don't need the grease on this application. It's for points that ride on a cam lobe like in a distributor. You would use it on the lobe the points ride on. I know it looks like a little pill, but please, refrain from eating it. Just discard. :biggrin2::biggrin2: :beerchug:

J-Mech, thanks for the help. We followed your procedure above and it worked great. With the throttle at each end of its physical limits the engine is running pretty close to 1200 - 3580 rpm. I figured a little under 3600 was pretty close. Next we moved to your static timing procedure and that where I've run into problems. We installed the new points. Looking at PTO end, rotated shaft CCW until we found the compression stroke, points open when passing the "S". Next we went to the engine manual, page 8.2, and followed the procedure to set the gap at .020" at TDC. Next, using the test light, rolled the shaft back to the "S" and little bit before. Turned the key on, rotate the shaft back to the "S" the light is on, contacts are touching. Continue rolling and the contacts break and the light goes out. Your instructions say when the points break open the test light will light. I've got the opposite. What am I doing wrong? :bigthink:

how do you have your test light hooked up?

Alligator clip to negative battery terminal. Touching probe end to screw head on the wire going to the points.

I haven't read Jon's tech article but I'm thinking when he does it he hooks it to the clip to the pos and touchs the wire to the points. that way you don't need the key and you won't burn the points if you forget to turn it off

He hooks clamp of test light to negative battery terminal and touches negative side of coil/points wire.

Steve, not sure how you have the opposite result? You're saying when the points open your light goes out? Do you have everything wired correctly? Positive potential flows through the coil when points are open, from pos side to neg side, this happens because there is no ground from the points being closed. Your test light becomes the ground path which makes the light come on.

Both ways is correct. For the record, the article says to turn the key on. Don't know why I wrote it that way.... the other way makes more sense. (Like dvogtvpe said)

Alvy is correct. You may need to file your points. Not uncommon for new points to need filed. Run a point file through them. If you don't have one, a fingernail file works good. If you don't have one of those, sandpaper (like 400 grit) folded in half so that it's rough on both sides works too. Run a dollar bill through the points after your done. That will clean them. Then check it again. :beerchug:

Sorry, I missed your call again. Been busy farming.

I'm at work now so I can't file the points and check again. I wanted to throw a couple of things out to you before I get back in the shop. I'm wondering if my uncle from 20 years ago had done any rewiring. This is my first time doing anything with the electrical. Going from bat. neg. to the wire on the points the test light works like I described above with the key on or off. No difference. I will verify this later and run the test from the bat. positive to the points and see what happens. I also have not put in the new condenser. I will do that also. Is there anything else I can check to give you more insight into this situation? Is there possibly another path to ground that would cause the test light to go out when the points open? Thanks again.

that sounds like your battery cables are hooked up backwards, it is a negative ground system

Uh-oh. What does that mean as far as the operation of the cub and working on it? What would I check to see if it has been switched to a negative system? Can it be switched back easily?

its supposed to be negative ground. look at where your positive + cable goes to. if it goes to the frame its backwards

Thanks, I'll check it out at lunch. Have you heard of this happening before?

Yes, it just means the battery was installed backwards. No one "switched" anything. They goofed. Might have to re-polarize the regulator.... other wise it should be fine.

I think this might help. The battery neg. was hooked to the black wire on the left and the pos. to the white wire on the right. Looking at the electric starting wire diagram 1-33, the pos. should go to the magnetic switch. The white wire is negative. Exactly opposite from what I have. So if I switch the battery around or buy another if the leads are too short, what do I need to do next? You mentioned re-polarize the VR? I'm including pictures of the VR and S/G.

While I'm studying the schematic, what does the magnetic switch do?

the magnetic switch is a starter solenoid , you only have to worry about re-polarizing if it won't charge. get it running first

Bear with me for another question. If battery pos. goes to the magnetic switch, that appears to be bolted to the tower, is that not a positive ground? You previously said it was a negative ground system. It might be the terminology that is confusing me but the battery was definitely hooked up backwards from the schematic 1-33 part 5 and 6. Thanks again!

The system is for sure a negative ground.

The solenoid is bolted to the tower, but that doesn't have anything to do with it. The wire attaching to the negative terminal of the battery runs to the frame. That is what is meant by negative ground. Yes, we are sure the machine is negative ground.

yep it bolts to the dash, the studs are isolated so they don't contact the outer housing.

I finally got back in the shop this afternoon. Swapped the battery connection, filed the points, gapped them to .020. Followed J-Mech's timing procedure and it worked perfect. I ended up gapping to .018 to get the "S" centered in the window. My Grandfather's 105 is running right at 1200 rpm's idle and 3580 rpm's WOT at the physical limits on the dash. .030 gap on the spark plug. She purr's like a kitten. The battery switch also solved something that I had on my question list that I had not brought up yet. The battery charge meter on the dash previously fluctuated back and forth between neg. and pos. Now it stays constantly in the positive. I've still got several items to address but that's what the winter is for. I just want to thank all of you that have put up with my newbie questions. Believe me, every question I ask has been thought out before I hit send. Most of the time when I you guy's answer back it's been like darn, that makes sense. Thanks again.
:Thanks:

Make sure that when you swapped your battery that the terminals are toward the dash and not toward the gas tank, you don't want the battery hold down to arc across them

Thanks for looking out for me. When I tested everything, I tilted the battery to make the connections. After everything worked, I went to Autozone got a new battery. So now I have an extra battery, but not a problem. My ZTR or Snapper always seem to need a new one when I least expect it. Thanks!