Just a guess, but if it's spring loaded and flattens as engine speed increases I'd guess it's a governor, that opens a valve to release pressure as speed increases. but that's just a guess.
Bob
Sorry, no '80 - '86 Ford trucks "Oswald": 1997 F-250HD crew cab short box, 460, E4OD, 4.10 gears "Pluto": 1971 Bronco, 302, NV3550 5 speed, Atlas 4.3:1 transfer case, 33" tires "the motorhome": 2015 E-450-based 28' class C motorhome, 6.8L V-10 "the Dodge": 2007 Dodge 2500, 6.7L Cummins |
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It's called a flyball governor and throttles steam to the cylinder.
When running, the lift of the spinning balls will lessen the orifice that steam has to pass into the engine. This is where we get the term "balls to the wall" when flat out. It's also why The Hartford Steam Boiler corporation became The Hartford Insurance corporation. All along the rivers in Connecticut water power gave way to steam I'm the mills and factories. Unscrupulous owners or foremen would lash the balls down to make machinery run faster. But this increased pressure and steam boilers would regularly explode with catastrophic results to life and property. The boiler company had to protect itself from legal actions, this Hartford became the Defacto seat of the insurance industry in the US.
Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake. Too much other stuff to mention. |
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There are other types of governors. The 50 Chevy pickup we have has one in the intake under the carb.
The pic on the left shows the inner workings of it, although I don't know how it worked. And the one on the right shows the plate in the intake that the governor closes or opens. ![]() ![]()
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile
Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
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In reply to this post by ArdWrknTrk
I've also heard that "balls to the wall" came from aircraft, circa WWII. In cars we talk about "flooring it" meaning push the throttle pedal to the floor. In aircraft the throttle is a lever that you push forward to open it up. All the way forward would be to the firewall. I've heard the term "firewall it" meaning open the throttle all the way comes from this. And since there was typically a ball-shaped handle on top of the lever, and there'd be multiple levers (and therefore multiple balls) if there were multiple engines, "balls to the wall" was also said to come from that. But that's just what I've heard, I have no way to verify it.
Bob
Sorry, no '80 - '86 Ford trucks "Oswald": 1997 F-250HD crew cab short box, 460, E4OD, 4.10 gears "Pluto": 1971 Bronco, 302, NV3550 5 speed, Atlas 4.3:1 transfer case, 33" tires "the motorhome": 2015 E-450-based 28' class C motorhome, 6.8L V-10 "the Dodge": 2007 Dodge 2500, 6.7L Cummins |
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Pardon me, the term is "balls out'
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_governor
Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake. Too much other stuff to mention. |
Aaaahhh... thanks Gentlemen, for this educational pause. I love it, and like the feeling of being a little smarter at the end of the day.
Not to mention I'm a bit proud to have noticed that these spinning balls seemed to go up an down in the YouTube video. ![]() Centrifugal Governor, yeah, nice engineering. ![]()
Jeff / 1984 F350 Crew Cab 4x4/5.8L w351 4V/ T18/ D50 4.10 front/ 8' bed.
Restored 2019-2022. Nicknamed «Big Brother 1984», due to its soooo-looong shape & nod to George Orwell's 1984 famous novel. |
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In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
Gary. it's a velocity governor, note the off center throttle plate. When the airflow reaches the set value, it closes most of the airflow off. It has the wrong gasket on top of it, the correct gasket has a hole that allows the power enrichment vacuum source to come from under the governor, otherwise it would run dead rich when the governor came in.
Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile
"Getting old is inevitable, growing up is optional" Darth Vader 1986 F350 460 converted to MAF/SEFI, E4OD 12X3 1/2 rear brakes, traction loc 3:55 gear, 160 amp 3G alternator Wife's 2011 Flex Limited Daily Driver 2009 Flex Limited with factory tow package Project car 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible 2.2L Turbo II, modified A413 |
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Good to know, Bill. We aren't using any of that as the 235 comes as a complete unit, inc carb, starter, and generator.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile
Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
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HEART ATTACK! 💔
I'am preparing to reinstall the C610 connector, and beginning to examine the various wires there... During a second or two, my heart ceased to beat: The exhaust manifold was splitting!!! ![]() ![]() «Ok Jeff, don't panic, take a closer look and see what's going on. Why didn't you hear Big Bro raging as a sports car ?!?» I told to myself. Hahahaha! I'm stupid! This is just the heatsink! ![]() ![]() ![]()
Jeff / 1984 F350 Crew Cab 4x4/5.8L w351 4V/ T18/ D50 4.10 front/ 8' bed.
Restored 2019-2022. Nicknamed «Big Brother 1984», due to its soooo-looong shape & nod to George Orwell's 1984 famous novel. |
Thats the heat shield that we were talking about a couple weeks ago
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Vivek
- 'Big Blue 2WD' - 1984 F350 RWD 460/C6 - 1978 Bronco with a 460 from an 86 Bullnose/C6 |
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In reply to this post by BigBrother-84
![]() ![]()
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile
Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
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This post was updated on .
Got my little rolly cart for the laser today. Getting this room squared away and my parts warehouse sorted and out so family can have a place to stay next week. I need to hook up the laptop and see if I can get a tag knocked out in a test run today.
![]()
1985 F-350 XL | 460 | C6 | "Rufus Maximus"
1986 F-150|Standard Cab|4x2|300Six|C6Transmission w/3.08 rear|Name:TBD 2021 Ranger XLT Super Crew | Cactus Grey | black out package | max tow |
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In reply to this post by BigBrother-84
Jeff, there was an early automatic transmission that used a variation of a flyball governor, it was a Detroit Gear unit originally developed for Studebaker. It was used by Mercedes-Benz before 1961 when they developed their own, Jaguar in the sedans and XK 140 and XK 150 models. The mechanical governor operated a shift valve mounted in the extension housing which then went down to the main valve body to actuate the valves controlling the servos and clutches.
The unit has three bands, two one way mechanical clutches, one multiple disc clutch and one converter lock up clutch. The Studebaker version started in intermediate and upshifted to direct via the converter clutch. Hudson used that transmission after the Hydramatic transmission plant fire. The Hudson versions used all 3 forward gears I don't have any real information on the Mercedes version, the Jaguar ones were similar to the Hudson versions using all three forward gears, but had an intermidiate hold solenoid to keep from shifting into direct if desired.
Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile
"Getting old is inevitable, growing up is optional" Darth Vader 1986 F350 460 converted to MAF/SEFI, E4OD 12X3 1/2 rear brakes, traction loc 3:55 gear, 160 amp 3G alternator Wife's 2011 Flex Limited Daily Driver 2009 Flex Limited with factory tow package Project car 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible 2.2L Turbo II, modified A413 |
I love this kind of pre-computerized engineering.
Looks to me as some beautiful artworks. Like some old precision watchmaking, descendants of the Antikythera mechanism. Pressure, speed, vacuum, friction, temperature, synchronization... Mechanical engineering at its best.
Jeff / 1984 F350 Crew Cab 4x4/5.8L w351 4V/ T18/ D50 4.10 front/ 8' bed.
Restored 2019-2022. Nicknamed «Big Brother 1984», due to its soooo-looong shape & nod to George Orwell's 1984 famous novel. |
In reply to this post by Danny G
Danny, the picture didn't load:
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Jeff / 1984 F350 Crew Cab 4x4/5.8L w351 4V/ T18/ D50 4.10 front/ 8' bed.
Restored 2019-2022. Nicknamed «Big Brother 1984», due to its soooo-looong shape & nod to George Orwell's 1984 famous novel. |
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He's obviously chopped off the closing tag.
You can see there's no ">" at the end, and none of us have any way to guess...
Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake. Too much other stuff to mention. |
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I tried to guess what it should be but couldn't.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile
Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
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Danny can go back and edit his post...🙄
Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake. Too much other stuff to mention. |
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In reply to this post by viven44
Not a heat shield, it's the stove for the heat riser into the air cleaner snorkel....
Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake. Too much other stuff to mention. |
In reply to this post by ArdWrknTrk
I fixed it lol. My pictures have a mind of their own on if they come in sideways or not.
1985 F-350 XL | 460 | C6 | "Rufus Maximus"
1986 F-150|Standard Cab|4x2|300Six|C6Transmission w/3.08 rear|Name:TBD 2021 Ranger XLT Super Crew | Cactus Grey | black out package | max tow |
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