ELECMAN

I had the mech disconnect the choke from the rochchester carb.it was taking to long to open.i was going to switch to the elec choke but he said you dont really need the choke because the car is stored in a garage.before i had a loss of power when i stepped on the gas know there is alot more pickup.is this good 0r bad pros and cons thanks

BlackGold

A properly operating choke is a thing of joy, even on a summer-only car. But if you're happy with the way it starts and drives without a choke, it's yoru call.

Lady72nRob71

If it runs good as is, I would say leave it alone.
Do make sure that he secured the linkage so that the choke flap cannot accidentally close for any reason.

It is possible the car is running rich if you do not need a choke for cold starts and any choking on a cold engine causes roughness and opening the choke causes it to run smooth.

joe_padavano

I vote BAD idea. Improper air/fuel mixture can cause internal problems. For example, if you need to excessively pump the accelerator pump to get the car to start without the choke, that gasoline runs past the rings on a non-running engine and washes the oil off the cylinder walls, leading to excessive wear. Why not just fix it right? The choke coil is adjustable and if it's bad, it can be replaced for less than $20.

Oh, and find a new mechanic.

trainfixer2

I agree with Joe It may be as simple as a bad choke pull off cheap & easy fix

ELECMAN

Joe the problem i was having is i still have the old choke stove connected but it was taking about 20 -40 minutes for the choke flap to open i had my carb rebuilt should have changed it to an elec choke i purchased a elec choke and never installed it.should i connect the elec choke because with having no choke connected i have more pickup and less blowing black smoke when i step hard on the pedal and not buring as rich what do you think joe BEFORE DISCONNECTING THE CHOKE IT WOULD TAKE ME ABOUT 4 TRIES TO START THE CAR IS THAT BAD

joe_padavano

Again, it sounds like you just need a new choke coil. $9.62 at RockAuto:



Other things to check are the metal tubes that feed warmed air to the choke housing. If they have rusted shut inside the intake manifold crossover, that would delay choke opening. Obviously it should not take five minutes for the choke to open nor should the car belch black smoke. The hot air choke is not a complicated system.

dan2286

Can you try holding a propane torch up to the hot air lines and see if that opens it up faster? I don't know if that is a proper way of diagnosing it, just throwing it out there.

joe_padavano

I'm not sure holding a propane torch next to a carb full of gasoline is a really good idea.

dan2286

Good point I doubt many people have this, but I have seen a tool you hook up to an air compressor and blows really hot air. That would be perfect for checking that. Less flammable also.

Destructor

I drove a 72 Eldorado all year (my first car in the 90's). the Quadrajet choke and warmup system worked flawlessly during the coldest New England weather. Granted it was a bit different system but every car I've owned with carburetors gave no winter start up or warm up problems. My 70 Cutlass has an Edle but the only cold weather running is in December if the snow hasn't flown yet. I do want to get all the parts to eventually convert back to a stock type iron manufold and Q jet.

Olds64

I agree with Joe. It should only take 5 minutes to set the choke properly.

Blk71SX

in situations like this I want to find out why the system isn't working properly, fix it rather than disable it.

from you avatar you should have a hot air choke

1. check for unobstructed air flow in the air tube from the rear of the carb to the choke housing. being certain the entire tube is intact.

2. check for vacuum at the choke housing where the tube attaches. is the choke coil gasket in place?

3. test for choke coil operation. immerse the coil in boiling water or use a heat gun to see in the coil moves when hot.

switching to an electric system is an option. many aftermarket manifolds have no provision for hot air systems

with either system be sure the coil is installed properly by engaging the lever inside the housing.

with the choke butterfly fixed in the open position will require several pumps on initial start up but shouldn't be any danger in washing down the cylinder walls.

ELECMAN

Thanks guys for the posts.

ELECMAN

All right guys installed the new electric choke works beautifully.holy cow the pick up i got now is fast.what a difference compared to original choke.

Blk71SX

there's no greater satisfaction than the satisfaction of a job well done!!

joe_padavano

I couldn't agree more. One of the things I like most about working on cars is the instant gratification of fixing something that didn't work before. This is a big change from working in the aerospace industry, where it's years (or in the case of NASA, decades ) before any progress is seen.

Blk71SX

several people have asked me why I went to all the trouble of pulling the steering wheel to fix the key buzzer. I reply, because it didn't work!