Carburetor

[torpedo]

A few weeks ago I had to get a new carb so I just got a replacement for my old one (a generic Holley 1850). The guy that did it shortened the choke cable a little bit, on the old one it wouldn't open quite all the way so he put a spring on it to open it once you pushed it back in. On the new one you literally can't shut it by pulling the cable in the cab, you have to open the hood and push it shut. So I took the spring off and all it did was make it easy to shut but once it was shut it wouldn't open at all. I've tried different sized springs (ones I had left over from when I had to replace the throttle spring) but that didn't help. The cable isn't bunched up anywhere and I'm completely stuck on how to get it to open and shut smoothly.

[MikeB]

Is the cable housing secured on both ends?

With the cable disconnected from the carb, is the total fore-to-aft cable movement enough to move the choke lever from fully closed to fully open?

Sounds to me like either the housing isn't secured on both ends, or the cable is binding in the housing.

[torpedo]

Originally Posted by MikeB

Is the cable housing secured on both ends?

With the cable disconnected from the carb, is the total fore-to-aft cable movement enough to move the choke lever from fully closed to fully open?

Sounds to me like either the housing isn't secured on both ends, or the cable is binding in the housing.

I think i get what you're saying, are you I don't have enough cable? It has plenty of cable but with the spring on its all but impossible to shut and without it you can shut it but it won't open again

[geezer#99]

Burn us off a pic!

[motornut]

So it's off when pushed in?choked when pulled out?
your control sounds backwards
Its best not to have the control sit flush to the dash,when pushed in/off.

[torpedo]

The choke plate is shut when you pull the cable out, the choke plate is open when you push it in, so choked when out regular when in

[torpedo]

Originally Posted by motornut

So it's off when pushed in?choked when pulled out?
your control sounds backwards
Its best not to have the control sit flush to the dash,when pushed in/off.

The choke plate is shut when it's pulled out and open when pushed in, that sounds right to me

[motornut]

Originally Posted by torpedo

The choke plate is shut when it's pulled out and open when pushed in, that sounds right to me

yup ok
my 78's Holley is Electric choke,seems to need fiddling in the spring and fall.
I'm going back to stock carb and a manual choke.
Been real hard to start this winter

[torpedo]

Originally Posted by motornut

yup ok
my 78's Holley is Electric choke,seems to need fiddling in the spring and fall.
I'm going back to stock carb and a manual choke.
Been real hard to start this winter

I thought about getting an electric choke but honestly I don't want to mess with wiring it up haha, plus I like the manual choke more, you can control it yourself and on mine if I had the cable pulled out just a little bit going down the road I've noticed it gives it more power, but it probably drags down my mpg's

[torpedo]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

Burn us off a pic!

Hopefully these will load, I've looked and it isn't kinked anywhere

[JJLT1]

does it help if you hold the throttle down a 1/4 when you set the choke??

[torpedo]

Originally Posted by JJLT1

does it help if you hold the throttle down a 1/4 when you set the choke??

I'll have to try that tomorrow, I broke some of the linkage trying to adjust it and it won't be in until tomorrow

[geezer#99]

Sure be nice to have a pic from the side!
Was that a holley manual choke carb or a converted to manual from electric?

[torpedo]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

Sure be nice to have a pic from the side!
Was that a holley manual choke carb or a converted to manual from electric?

Keep in mind the linkage is broken, but it came with a manual choke, I like the manual choke better but is the electric conversion worth a ****?

[geezer#99]

I like the manual choke too!
When you get the new parts you should adjust your cable so the outer sheath is clamped closer to the clamp.
I always set my manual choke cables up so that when I pushed the knob in on the dash, the knob was about 1/8 inch from contact on the dash. That way I always knew it was pushed in all the way.
One other thing I did on holley carbs was remove the little black button that pops in the hole on the choke cam. You'll see it when you put the new parts on. That way my choke moved freely from open to closed. I always had the habit of checking my choke was pushed in so never had a problem with the choke closing on me with the button removed.

[torpedo]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

I like the manual choke too!
When you get the new parts you should adjust your cable so the outer sheath is clamped closer to the clamp.
I always set my manual choke cables up so that when I pushed the knob in on the dash, the knob was about 1/8 inch from contact on the dash. That way I always knew it was pushed in all the way.
One other thing I did on holley carbs was remove the little black button that pops in the hole on the choke cam. You'll see it when you put the new parts on. That way my choke moved freely from open to closed. I always had the habit of checking my choke was pushed in so never had a problem with the choke closing on me with the button removed.

That's a good idea I'll have to do that. All I have to replace is the pivot arm that connects to the cable, the stud snapped, but I'll have to look for that button tomorrow, why do you remove it?

[geezer#99]

The button is there to keep the choke wide open. I removed it to make the action of the choke smoother. It always seemed to hang up a bit when I pulled on the choke.
I lived in a cold climate then. Anything to make the choke action smoother when firing up the old beast at 10*F helped.

[torpedo]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

The button is there to keep the choke wide open. I removed it to make the action of the choke smoother. It always seemed to hang up a bit when I pulled on the choke.
I lived in a cold climate then. Anything to make the choke action smoother when firing up the old beast at 10*F helped.

So if I remove the button it could possibly solve my problem

[geezer#99]

Originally Posted by torpedo

So if I remove the button it could possibly solve my problem

Likely plus the cable adjustment I mentioned.