I am going to be swapping the old 2 barrel carb and manifold out soon and need help on carb selection. Do I need an electric choke or can I get away with a manual choke? Since I am in Fl. cold starts are not usually a big problem. If I go with either what is required to hook each up? Thanks!.
electric choke v. manual choke
- Thread starter qwk dust
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pastortom1
Well-Known Member
I've had both Edelbrock and Holley elctronic choke set-ups in Florida, and I CANNOT find a sweet spot for them........they change like the wind.......one day it is near perfect (after monkeying with it and fine tuning the setting), and the next it's back to square one with too rich, too lean baloney.....
I have NEVER seen a reliable aftermarket cold-start electronic choke.....and I seriously doubt that I'm the only one who has ever had trouble with them, or that I'm the one who always gets stuck with a bad one from the factory.......
In my estimation, they are miserable at best.
Give me my old A-Body heat riser spring operated choke ANY DAY over this new trash.
If I were you, I'd save your own day by going manual.
Just my experienced opinion. :wav:
I have NEVER seen a reliable aftermarket cold-start electronic choke.....and I seriously doubt that I'm the only one who has ever had trouble with them, or that I'm the one who always gets stuck with a bad one from the factory.......
In my estimation, they are miserable at best.
Give me my old A-Body heat riser spring operated choke ANY DAY over this new trash.
If I were you, I'd save your own day by going manual.
Just my experienced opinion. :wav:
WOW! Sounds like a Fla. problem!? Well, a thousand miles north, the electric choke is fine for winter useage. Other things like a choke stove with the snorkel air cleaner help warm up. Things you more likely don't need.
A manual choke is fine for everyday use. There is no performance gain with them.
An electric choke just needs to have a 12 volt wire hooked up. Splicing into a wire or existing choke wire is the common mehod. The wire should be live only when the key is on.
On a manual choke, the cable must be purchased sepratly and run from the engine compartment to inside the car and mounted.
A manual choke is fine for everyday use. There is no performance gain with them.
An electric choke just needs to have a 12 volt wire hooked up. Splicing into a wire or existing choke wire is the common mehod. The wire should be live only when the key is on.
On a manual choke, the cable must be purchased sepratly and run from the engine compartment to inside the car and mounted.
redfastback
Don't ask me... my garage is empty
out here in cali, i set the electric chokes on eddys to 2 notches to the lean side of center. they come off within 2-4 minutes. never had a problem with them not working right.
mr.318
Well-Known Member
Mabey it's a fla. thing cause i never have luck with elec. choke either, One day it'll be at 1400 rpm on choke next 1800 never the same tried 3 of em i always buy no choke carbs now pat the gas once fires right up i don't like my motor to rev high on startup anyway
needsaresto
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I've had both on my eddie 650 thunder. Much prefer the electric. Less hassles hooking it up,easy to use and dont need to remember to shut the friggin thing off! And yes an electric choke kit will work on a manual choke carb.
speedyb-cc
speedyb
I agree with manual choke, here in So TX one good pump and it fires and runs fine,we have alot more humidity here and in FL than CA, don't know if that make a difference or not but I don't have a problem with the manual.
Bruce
Bruce
The electrical drain of the battery due to the electric choke is a joke to mention.
Mr.318, the rpm should have a slight variance to it and should not be of any real concern. DUDE!, There carbs, a mechanical item designed to confuse and confound! Want stabilty, go F.I. he he he.
Redfastback has it set up right. From his position, you just adjust fast idle speed on a med. temp that the engine see during the year.
Mr.318, the rpm should have a slight variance to it and should not be of any real concern. DUDE!, There carbs, a mechanical item designed to confuse and confound! Want stabilty, go F.I. he he he.
Redfastback has it set up right. From his position, you just adjust fast idle speed on a med. temp that the engine see during the year.
pastortom1
Well-Known Member
I doubt it's a Florida thing guys............Temp & Humidity changes radically anywhere in the country.
I'm telling you this.....when you spend a half hour or more fine tuning that choke, and get it dead on, then a week later it's just not right again (for absolutely no reason that is humanly discernable, it would seem that the entire design is a bit undependable.
I NEVER had a problem with the old spring chokes......but with the new intake systems we put on these cars, they just aren't an option. And I'm not saying that the choke "won't work".........they just won't work CORRECTLY. The choke should have a setting for that particular motor's needs whereby it starts the car nicely without pumping (except to set the choke and high idle), and then gradually open to keep the motor idling smoothly during the initial warmup.........the problem is that they DON'T........or rather, they DO, and then they change like the wind and you're back to square one.
INCONSISTENT.
When we ran brackets in the late 70's, we looked for a car that would run consistent from stage to trap, in Drive (auto), and every time you went down the strip. .......and we found them. One was a 70 Ford Wagon with a 429 in it, and it was incredible.......probably close to an all time best overall at the Valley back then........THIS is the way an electric choke SHOULD work, but they just don't....they're not consistent......they either starve your motor for gas and stall, or they send gas out your tail pipe at some point, and JUST when you thought you had it "dialed in".
Manual...........Go manual............Think Luke Skywalker heading down the shoot toward that famed exhaust port.........."Trust your feelings Luke"...........OK, a bit dramatic, but you get the idea.......................:rock:
I'm telling you this.....when you spend a half hour or more fine tuning that choke, and get it dead on, then a week later it's just not right again (for absolutely no reason that is humanly discernable, it would seem that the entire design is a bit undependable.
I NEVER had a problem with the old spring chokes......but with the new intake systems we put on these cars, they just aren't an option. And I'm not saying that the choke "won't work".........they just won't work CORRECTLY. The choke should have a setting for that particular motor's needs whereby it starts the car nicely without pumping (except to set the choke and high idle), and then gradually open to keep the motor idling smoothly during the initial warmup.........the problem is that they DON'T........or rather, they DO, and then they change like the wind and you're back to square one.
INCONSISTENT.
When we ran brackets in the late 70's, we looked for a car that would run consistent from stage to trap, in Drive (auto), and every time you went down the strip. .......and we found them. One was a 70 Ford Wagon with a 429 in it, and it was incredible.......probably close to an all time best overall at the Valley back then........THIS is the way an electric choke SHOULD work, but they just don't....they're not consistent......they either starve your motor for gas and stall, or they send gas out your tail pipe at some point, and JUST when you thought you had it "dialed in".
Manual...........Go manual............Think Luke Skywalker heading down the shoot toward that famed exhaust port.........."Trust your feelings Luke"...........OK, a bit dramatic, but you get the idea.......................:rock:
So in the late seventies when the factory engineers decided to route the choke power through the oil pressure switch so it wouldn't begin to open unless engine is running... that means this is a very old joke.
My favorite quote from the wizard of oz movie, "Ignore that little man behind the curtain." Thats me
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