All Choked Up

[jikelly]

I had to get up at the butt-crack of dawn this morning to go to work. I ran out in the 10 degree weather and started my stang so it could warm up before I had to leave. Even thyough I let it run for like five minuets, it died on me before I got out of the driveway. The choke was closed and the engine flooded. I know you guys will probably laugh but I stuck a screwdriver in the carb to hold the choke open so that I could get my stang to start again. I have an electric choke on my carb but I have never hooked it up. I have some questions about how to wire it.

Do I just run a hot wire from like the ignition to one side and ground the other?

Do I need to add a resister or anything?

Would it hurt to put a switch in the circuit so I could leave it off during the summer or maybe run it on a timer so the choke is powered for only 5 min after the engine is started.

Thanks in advance.

 

[351pacecar]

An electric choke has to be hooked up and working or it blocks the carb and the car wont run, plus it has to be adjusted open a crack to let the right amount of air in when cold. It just needs a 12v power source that is only on when the car is, that way when u start the car it heats the coil and opens the choke and keeps it open until you stop the car then as it cools it closes again.

If you want to disable it, I think its like other electric chokes where you can loosen the 3 screws a little (or drill the rivits and put in screws) or whatever to loosen the plastic housing enough where you can twist it, it can be manually cranked over one way and will lock the choke plate open.

I dont see how you were driving the car with a permanantly closed choke, it would have no power.

You could go manual choke like I do but thats a bit of a process.

edit: just noticed you said it was a 2 wire choke, one of them should be a ground then yes, either it doesnt matter or it will be labeled.

 

[jikelly]

You could go manual choke like I do but thats a bit of a process.

That is basically how the choke on my car has been funtioning. It has a spring inside that controls where the choke open to. When the spring heats up the choke opens farther. I can adjust the maximum amount that the choke opens by loosening the screws in the choke's housing and turning it. During the summer there is enough heat in the spring from the ambient air temp that the choke is opened a little initially and the spring warms quickly opening the choke to the set amount after the engine is started. So I simply need the electric choke hooked up in the winter to warm the spring so that it opens faster.

I'm going to go try hooking it up now with a switch in the circuit since I know it is not needed for proper operation in warmer weather.