vera_johnson9•23d agoProlific Poster

I've been setting the governor rope tension wrong for like two years

I mean, I was always just doing it by feel on those old Otis Gen2 jobs, you know? Then last month at the site on 5th and Maple, the foreman watched me and said 'Vera, you're leaving it a full inch too slack, check the manual.' I pulled out the spec sheet and he was totally right, it should be 150 pounds of pull. Has anyone else had a specific trick for getting that tension dialed in right the first time?

3 comments

3 Comments

murray.jana23d ago

I used to just crank it until it felt tight enough, but that spec sheet was a real eye-opener. Now I hook the spring scale to the rope and pull until it reads 150, then lock it down. It feels way tighter than my old method, but the governor trips smooth every time.

patricia_gonzalez23d ago

My buddy Dave had a real scare last year. He was setting the rope on his old barn winch by feel, same as always. The latch gave way under a light load and the whole thing dropped about two feet. Scratched up the drum pretty bad. He got a fish scale from the tackle box and tried the spec pull. He said his arms were shaking holding it at 150, but it clicked into place solid. Hasn't had a single slip since.

the_taylor23d ago

Grabbed a cheap luggage scale from a hardware store and it changed everything. I clip it right onto the rope, give a steady pull, and watch the numbers. Hits 150, I lock the clamp. No more guessing if my "feel" is right, which it usually wasn't. Makes the whole job faster and way more consistent.