A reproduction Woodward PG-EG governor was recently sent to our facility for testing and evaluation.
The fact that this was a reproduction unit with its own manufactured motor may have been the reason why the marine operator was unable to secure help with this governor elsewhere.
However, as we already had the governor, we wanted to see if we could help.
We conducted a series of tests on the unit and found several issues to be addressed.
The minimum speed was found to be well outside of the amount stated on the nameplate and the maximum speed was also lower than on the nameplate at 974 compared to 1100. Additionally, the unit has no droop and would only operate in one direction, making it non-bi-rotational.
Further inspection found that the unit was hunting at full speed, caused by several issues.
The drive shaft had worn around the area of the oil seal land, the power lever pin hole was worn, the power lever pivot pin was very worn, and the links were also worn.
These items needed replacing to stop the hunting. Additionally, the terminal shaft had worn in the area around the needle bearings running area, which would also make the unit hunt.
Unfortunately, the replacement spares required cannot be brought “off the shelf” as it is after-market manufacture, which is why we made them bespoke.
Our machinist manufactured new links, pins and bushes.
We dismantled the governor for further inspection and cleaning.
The shut-down wiring had broken away from the cannon plug, and unfortunately, all of the governor’s wiring needed to be replaced as it was very brittle.
During the dismantling process, we also found signs of rust, possibly caused by the oil filler cap flap being loose.
After installing all available parts and testing, the governor has been reinstalled on the vessel ensuring the settings were the same as before removal, and it will be tested again once the vessel leaves the dry dock.
