Doodlebug governor

[Ibudd]

Hey everyone, I picked up a doodlebug and I didn’t run very well. Throttle would stick open and seemed under powered. It’s for my kids so not to concerned about going to fast, anyways when I started looking at the throttle set up it, it only had a linkage at the to of the governor arm. I tried using the linkage and a return spring but it doesn’t work it’s like it binds, you can see it in the first photo. In the second photo I used just the return spring and the arm moves as it should. I’m just wondering if I would get away with just the spring or should I run a linkage as well? Thanks in advance

 

[DaddyJohn]

You would only need the linkage, no spring. The governor spring is shown down low on the governor arm in your second pic. Most machines do have a very light duty spring mounted in conjunction with the linkage, but it’s just to take the slack out of the clearance between the linkage and the holes it mounts into. What you’ve got there is way too big and is likely at least one reason it’s not working correctly. So anyway, ditch the big spring and try it.

 

[Ibudd]

When I just have the linkage hooked up nothing works but if I use just the spring it all moves like it should, do you think I could use the spring as the linkage?

 

[DaddyJohn]

This is how it would have looked from the factory (did a Google image search for “Lifan 97cc governor linkage). Notice how the spring is only there to hold the mating parts tight to the linkage rod. All this does is prevent VERY minor possible variations in the throttle opening.

it looks to me like your linkage rod is homemade, and maybe doesn’t have the right geometry.

 

[sparkwizard]

Does your throttle stay wide open when the engine is not running? If so, don't worry about that.
Does it stick wide open when the engine is running?

 

[Ibudd]

Linkage is definitely different than the one in your picture. It was on the bike when I got it so not sure where it come from. I thought I read on a different post the linkage should be 1 5/8 centre to centre but will have to look to make sure. Might have to try and make a linkage out of a coat hanger or something

When I first got the bike the throttle would stick open when running. Hoping to try this evening and see what it does

 

[sparkwizard]

I would try tweaking and twisting that linkage until it quit binding. It looks twisted in your pictures.

 

[KMC1]

Looks like wrong spring and linkage if it's supposed to be like the pic DaddyJohn posted. Check the model# on the engine and look up the parts for comparison. You may get away with shortening that long section to the right end of that piece you have. That may be what's hanging it all up. Look for proper parts pic before you go to cutting though.