my bolens tractor 1984 eliminator has a problem when under load, it loses rpm, starts to run rough, when I take the load off, it seems to sputter and after a bit pick up rpms again.....the plugs looked sooty, as well as black soot on the end of the exaust pipe......any ideas?

thanks,

Ed

84? I'd try a good and cheap carb rebuild.... is the soot oily black or dry? A carb rebuild would consist of a relatively cheap carb rebuild kit, and the carb torn apart and soaked in carb cleaner for a couple hours and blown out with compressed air through all the little holes.

thanks for the "get back"

the soot is dry. I went through all the usual: carb kit, air filter, new plugs, fuel filter, and changed fuel to higher octane (i was using 87). it seems to run better, but it still happens under load.....i am wondering whether the goverenor is operating correctly....i dont hear the engine respond to the heavier load on going uphill or heavy grass, just the rpms start to drop, and then the engine starts to sputter, until I cut the mower deck out and/or stop pulling up hill, the revs slowly build back up until it sounds normal again.....p.s. i put the carb back together and am not sure I got the govenor linkage correct but if I advance the throttle plate manually past the point the throttle control lever opens to: the engine starts to rev up and then I see the govener slow the revs down: I just dont know if the govenor works the other way...increasing rpm to compensate for increased work load......

any ideas?

http://faqs.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/faqs.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3435&p_created=1098991687&p_sid=L-Ug2l9i&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=3443&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX 3Jvd19jbnQ9MTYmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPTAmcF9wdj0mcF9 jdj0mcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX 3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWdvdmVybm9y&p_li=&p_topview=1
http://faqs.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/faqs.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3425&p_created=1098405236&p_sid=L-Ug2l9i&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=3443&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX 3Jvd19jbnQ9MTYmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPTAmcF9wdj0mcF9 jdj0mcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX 3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWdvdmVybm9y&p_li=&p_topview=1

That should explain how it works and how to adjust.