TheSamba.com :: View topic - Yee Haw, got my governor working/adjusted! *Video!*

Sun Oct 12, 2014 9:35 pm

No, yours is loose.

Sun Oct 12, 2014 9:47 pm

EverettB wrote: No, yours is loose.

Thank you for the reply Everett. Do you know if this cover being loose could cause a vacuum leak? I do not see a seal on it just some crimped areas at the base.
Any possible ideas for a fix?

Sun Oct 12, 2014 9:58 pm

curtis4085 wrote: Do you know if this cover being loose could cause a vacuum leak? Any possible ideas for a fix?

That is something I wondered myself as I have a few that are loose and I had not noticed any sort of seal either. I feel like it would suck a little extra air in, leaning out the mixture, but the actual valve itself is a pretty tight fit in there so as long as all those parts are there maybe it's minimal.

I haven't tried to fix one myself but I have one where the rivets were replaced by screws. It's really poor work though - they just screwed in some small sheet-metal type screws. I think tapping it for actual threaded metal screws would work fine with some locktite or small lock washers.

Or maybe you can just tap the rivets tighter?

Sun Oct 12, 2014 10:20 pm

Quote: Or maybe you can just tap the rivets tighter?

Maybe I will try this to see if it helps.

I'm curious for those that have governors currently in service if they have experienced vacuum leaks due to this cover being loose.

Thu Oct 16, 2014 6:01 am

curtis4085 wrote: Quote: Or maybe you can just tap the rivets tighter?

Maybe I will try this to see if it helps.

I'm curious for those that have governors currently in service if they have experienced vacuum leaks due to this cover being loose.

Just to update. I did take a cooper drift to the pins/rivets on the side cap on governor at a attempt to fix how loose the cap felt, worked great. Feels nice and right now!

Thank you Everett for the suggested fix!

Wed Mar 11, 2015 1:02 am

Here is a recently acquired poster that likely hung on a dealership wall at some time. It is dated 1956, slightly before these became available as the M 178 option.

Wed Mar 11, 2015 8:27 am

That looks to be rotational rather than vacuum. I wonder where it came into play.

Wed Mar 11, 2015 11:30 am

Maybe it worked with the distributor?

I have to say this has been a great read as I never really understood how the governor worked. After reading this I went and picked one up from the classifieds to give it a try when I piece together my motor.

Wed Mar 11, 2015 4:22 pm

You know, I didn't really take a good hard look at it. The left hand side doesn't look real familiar while the right hand side does look a lot like the speed governor that we all know and some of us love.

I'm reasonably sure that it isn't connected to the distributor directly.

Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:17 am

The output is on a shaft of the apostrophe. Technically, it could have been mounted in series with the generator/pulley and controlled the throttle with that output shaft. Don't know why it would have a bulletproof seal, though.

Wed Aug 24, 2016 9:19 am

I just saw this in the classifieds:

"MSM" seals?
I wonder if that's been re-sealed as they usually have the VW emblem.

One I have that I believe is NOS

Tue Aug 30, 2016 4:20 pm

Zundfolge1432 wrote: Eaallred wrote: Half the time I can't get past the semi's because of the air coming off the front end of them. Getting past them pretty good until I hit that wall of air coming off the front of them, LOL.

Hey I like these too and felt left out as everyone around here just looks at me like I'm crazy .... Most of them went in the S can a long time ago...... I put one back on when I did my resto of a 67 deluxe and I got 2 more govs but I need the long studs for the carb.... They are about 2 & 1/2 inchs long and I cant find them anywhere.... As you know VW studs have rolled threads ....

My question who has these or where can replacement stock be found now? Hey anyone wanting a factory look? I got lead seals and can safety the screw heads using .030 stainless wire or give you a good how to ... PM me I'd be interested in buying the studs if anyone has them ..

I was given one of these for free last Saturday,and I found a source for the studs. Ace hardware sells metric all thread in size 8x1.25. It would work for this and other low torque applications.

In the second photo you'll notice I've installed new safety wire, actually a stainless .040 which will never corrode or discolor.

Sun Sep 04, 2016 1:53 am

Back in the day you could buy a kit from the dealer that had the lead, wire and little VW stamp for your governor installation. I remember seeing it listed in a technical bulletin some time ago. I would suspect that the MSM is a company abbreviation.

Tue Sep 06, 2016 5:31 am

Here's an early governor mounted to a 36 hp. This was not a factory application. They were actually made in Michigan USA. Internally they look just like the APG governor.

Tue Sep 06, 2016 6:24 am

Will a govenor fit an alternator equipped engine?
It does look to be quite flush to the generator.

Also, with it installed, how much higher does your carb sit?
Any issues with the air cleaner elbow?

Tue Sep 06, 2016 1:04 pm

All of your questions are answered on the first few pages of this thread- it's a good read.

I know that the Handy governor will not fit with an alternator installed. It would look kinda funny IMO for a 1920's-30's device to rest next to a 1970's device at least for VW.

There will be air filter fitment issues with the stock intake manifold, that's why there were special short neck manifolds available for the bus.

Fri Sep 23, 2016 5:16 pm

finally came across an apparently, very rare 40 hp bus governor. It still has the twisted lock wire and lead seals in place.

Dealerships had sealing kits for sale over the counter that included the wire, some lead for sealing the lock wire and a tool to form the hot lead into a round seal. Some of the seals have a VW stamped into them and others have initials. This one is blank.

How can you tell it's a 40 hp governor? Visually and internally they are the same as the 1500 governors. The later governors have the nuimbers 1,5 (1500 cc ?) stamped into the aluminum cover. The 40 hp governors are blank where this stamping should be. The other indicator is the manufacturing date stamp. This one is stamped 072 which translates to July 1962.

note the long studs with the acorn nuts for mounting to the intake manifold. These also came with a steel spacer but I have found they tend to create vacuum leaks. Not sure why they are necessary.

Sat Sep 24, 2016 12:14 am

I have this one at home, so if someone might be interested.... :wink:

Sat Dec 17, 2016 2:22 pm

tasb wrote:

Here is a recently acquired poster that likely hung on a dealership wall at some time. It is dated 1956, slightly before these became available as the M 178 option.
It's an industrial governor (seen between crank/gen pulleys)... this is a 1958 photo: (rear face of governor matches the right side of diagram, above)

PS: get a load of those hats :o

Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:04 pm

easy e wrote:
PS: get a load of those hats :o

Very cool! Got one of those hats and did not know that they were that early. It might have come out of the Buffalo NY dealership that was closed about 1960 due to conflict between dealership owner and VOA. Bill D. bought out the entire contents back in the early 1990s.