Can someone explain the basics of how to remove a mechanical governor? I've built a go kart and put an 8 hp engine on it. I want to remove the governor, install a tach, and create circuitry that'll ground out the ignition when a certain high rev is hit(basically acting as a rev limiter). Any ideas if there is a product already out that'll do this for a small engine 4 cycle? Or does anyone have any ideas on doing this before i sit and design it. Help with gov removal though is the main concern right now... Thanks in advance

you should be able to just remove the governor arm. as for the other part, dunno

so by removing the governor arm and springs attached to it, that should do it? I don't have to take apart the engine and remove anything the arm attaches to inside the engine?

Would adjusting the governor to a higher rpm be basically the samething i'm trying to accomplish?

You should probably just change your governor spring. If you remove the governor completely, the engine is going to try and run wide open all the time. Even with the rev limiter installed, the engine is going to rev up, then cut off because of the limiter....something like this....rev, cut off, rev cut off, rev cut off, rev cut off.

you dont have to do anything but bend the tab on the throttle control plate but if you run it over 4000 its going to last about as long as it takes to change the oil on it its suppose to run at 3600 also a rod can hurt pretty bad in the back of the head i would change the gear ratio to make it fly , electronic rev limiter ? why ?

also, what engine is this? if its a tecumseh, don't even try it!

it's a honda... thanks for all the replies... just thought about it some and yea you're right it would just rev up as high as it can without the gov arm... Another question i had about it is.. while i'm riding, if i give it full throttle it'll bog down a bit and then slowly steady out at top rpm... Anyway to smooth this transaction out?

i would not do that with a honda or a tecumseh

yeah not to seem down on em, but reving a normal honda like that you'll end up with rods sticking out the side, or broken timing belt, or connecting rod, tecumseh, you'll end up with a broken connecting rod flying out. as for smoothing it out, the engine will do that if its under a load and then steady out.