# Predator 212 governor shroud



## LB522r (Feb 20, 2016)

Today I installed this on my predator to try and keep governor linkage from icing up. I still need a guard on top between the muffler and air box. I will be working on that next.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

nice work !


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## LB522r (Feb 20, 2016)

The front half is my old license plate.


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## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

Nice work! A green machine in more ways than one. I a working on my own shroud and it is a work in progress. I will post pics when complete.


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## Rob711 (Feb 5, 2015)

Looks good, I did something similar. Do you have plans to cover the top?


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## LB522r (Feb 20, 2016)

I do have plans to cover the top. I built a box that covers the muffler and air box but I may not use it in fear it might get to hot. I may just cover the linkage and leave everything else uncovered


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## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

From some of the prototyping I have been doing I have noticed when I covered the complete top of the muffler some exhaust gas would blow back under the muffler shield and then out the top vents. It did warm the area some but I did not run it enough to get a real good feel for how it would do under a variety of outdoor conditions. What persuaded me to not totally cover the vents was that I did not want a lot of exhaust gas getting under the shroud, leaving soot and ultimately being sucked into the air intake. I am running with out the filter. It seems like having water freeze in the carb is a rare event or possibility.

So far I have found that as long as I keep the linkages free of snow and water they run just fine. Water and slushy snow hitting the gas tank and running onto the linkages has been an issue. I am working on that as well.


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## Mr Fixit (Nov 19, 2013)

I live in an area where we can be blowing snow at -30 F or colder. The carburetor intake ideally needs warm air between 70-100 F. The heat radiating from the exterior of the muffler is all you need to warm the area inside the "stove" as we call it. With no air cleaner, I frown upon any exhaust gas going near the carburetor intake. Exhaust equal flame, so any backfire,,, Well that can't be good. I've put out air cleaner fires in vans from backfires. Happens!
So cover up those holes?


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## Waterlooboy2hp (Nov 29, 2011)

Mr Fixit said:


> I live in an area where we can be blowing snow at -30 F or colder. The carburetor intake ideally needs warm air between 70-100 F. The heat radiating from the exterior of the muffler is all you need to warm the area inside the "stove" as we call it. With no air cleaner, I frown upon any exhaust gas going near the carburetor intake. Exhaust equal flame, so any backfire,,, Well that can't be good. I've put out air cleaner fires in vans from backfires. Happens!
> So cover up those holes?


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Here is what I did and it has worked out very well. This was my prototype and I found , that the hot air intake adjustment was not needed. Construction of the unit, was to complicated to be considered an easy fix. This one is on a 212cc Predator. Found that I could leave the heat flow control wide open and only plug 2 of the 4 original cold air intake holes. The mix of the cold and hot air works well. 


















I decided to see if I could simplify the unit, with off the shelf parts. I was going to make a 2ed unit, to use on my 346cc Predator powered blower. Noticed that the plastic carb cover on the 346cc is only a single wall, while the 212cc engine has a double wall cover.

Came up with this version. Just a 1" conduit connector and a short piece of 1" conduit pipe. Simple and pretty easy to do. It works on the double wall 212cc engine also, but the location of the hole in the plastic cover is important, to make use of the supports, between the 2 walls. ---- John

This is the one on the 212cc engine with the double wall carb cover.










Inside the carb cover ---










Tube stops just outside the muffler cover.










Used a 1 1/4" hole saw for both holes.


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## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

Here is what I have come up with so far. I have left the rear open so far. This way I can monitor what is going on in there. the top cover is Made from galvanized 26 Ga sheet steel. The cover is held on with 3 #10 screws which makes it easy to remove. The side/front governor cover is a .100 thick steel bar with a 90 degree bend. It is a bracket for a wood fence that you can buy in any fine hardware store. I sealed the gas tank to the cover with strips of foam weather stripping. Two layers. 

heat does build up but does not seem to be too much.

Hopefully I can give it a field test tomorrow.


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## LB522r (Feb 20, 2016)

Nice work Waterlooboy2hp and Toro 8-2-4.


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## LB522r (Feb 20, 2016)

I ended up getting a Honda air cleaner and top governor cover off eBay.


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## Toro-8-2-4 (Dec 28, 2013)

Looks good LB522r!

I was curious and got some temperature measurements of the air cleaner housing and governor linkage under the home made shroud. The outdoor temp was 38 Deg f.

I let the engine idle on high for 10-15 minutes and used a non-contact IR thermometer. It looks like the air cleaner housing rose about 40 deg F and the governor linkage rose in temp by about 30 deg F.

The hottest area on the stock muffler shield was on the top and it was about 349 deg F.

I am pretty happy with the set up so far although I still consider it a work in progress. It does not vibrate much and my only concern now is how long the weather stripping will hold up. I am careful to not get any gas on it. I don't know but I assume gas may break it down.

I doubt I will get to field test it again this season.

Thanks to every one who shared on this topic as it all helped me to formulate what i ended up with. In return I hope my pictures help someone else to come up with something better.

See pics.


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## LB522r (Feb 20, 2016)

That looks good toro 8-2-4. That should work good. The Honda air cleaner pulls air in from back by the spark plug now. Hopefully it pulls in air slightly warmed off the cylinder. I may have to take some temp readings. Thanks.


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## kbell (Mar 17, 2013)

LB522r would you please post the part numbers for the honda air cleaner and governor cover. Thanks in advance!!


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## LB522r (Feb 20, 2016)

I don't recall the part numbers. I just searched Ebay for Honda gx 160 parts


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