“But if the governor does not act as I have described, and the stem seems to be perfectly free and easy in the box, and the governor still acts queerly, starting off and running fast for a few seconds and then suddenly concluding to take it easy and away goes the engine again, see if the governor belt is all right, and if it is it would be well for you to stop and see if a wheel is not loose. It might be either the little belt wheel or one of the little cog wheels. If you find these are all right, examine the spool on the crank shaft from which the governor is run, and you will probably find it loose. If the engine has been run for any length of time, you will always find the trouble in one of these places; but if it is a new one, the governor valve might work a little tight in the valve chamber, and you may have to take it out and use a little emery paper to take off the rough projections on the valve. Never use a file on this valve if you can get emery paper, and I should advise you always to have some of it with you. It will often come handy.”
This is good advice in regard to any trouble you may have with an engine. Watch the affected part closely; think the matter over carefully, and see if you cannot locate the difficulty before you even stop your engine. If you find the trouble and know that you have found it, you will soon be able to correct the defect, and no time will be lost. At the same time you will not ruin your engine by trying all sorts of remedies at random in the thought that you may ultimately hit the right thing. The chances are that before you do hit the right point, you will have put half a dozen other matters wrong, and it will take half a day to get the matter right again.
As there are many different types of governors in use, it would be impossible to give exact directions for regulating that would apply to them all; but the following suggestions applying to the Waters governor (one widely used on threshing engines) will give a general idea of the method for all:
There are two little brass nuts on the top of the stem of the governor, one a thumb nut and the other a loose jam nut. To increase the speed, loosen the jam nut and then turn the thumb nut back slowly, watching the motion of the engine all the time. When the required speed has been obtained, then tighten up as snug as you can with your fingers (not using a wrench). To decrease the speed, loosen the jam nut as before, running it up a few turns, and then turn down the thumb nut till the speed meets your requirements, when the thumb nut is made fast as before. In any case, be very careful not to press down on the stem when turning the thumb nut, as this will make the engine run a little slower than will be the case when your hand has been removed.
If your engine does not start with an open throttle, look to see if the governor stem has not been screwed down tight. This is usually the case with a new engine, which has been screwed down for safety in transportation.
WATER FOR THE BOILER.
There is nothing that needs such constant watching and is likely to cause so much trouble if it is not cared for, as the supply of water. Hard well water will coat the inside of the boiler with lime and soon reduce its steaming power in a serious degree, to say nothing of stopping up pipes, cocks, etc. At the same time, rain water that is perfectly pure (theoretically) will be found to have a little acid or alkali in it that will eat through the iron or steel and do equal damage.
However, an engineer must use what water he can. He cannot have it made to order for him, but he must take it from well, from brook, or cistern, or roadside ditch, as circumstances may require. The problem for the engineer is not to get the best water, but to make the best use of whatever water he can get, always, of course, choosing the best and purest when there is such a thing as choosing.
In the first place, all supply pipes in water that is muddy or likely to have sticks, leaves, or the like in it, should be furnished with strainers. If sticks or leaves get into the valve, the expense in time and worry to get them out will be ten times the cost of a strainer.
If the water is rain water, and the boiler is a new one, it would be well to put in a little lime to give the iron a slight coating that will protect it from any acid or alkali corrosion.