Choke Voltage - Is This Right?

[LuvNLife]

I've got a Street Demon 625 carb with the electric choke on my new 350/260 crate engine. Since the carb was new, about a year ago, I've never been able to get the choke to work correctly - it kept coming back on, no matter how warm the engine was. Right now, it's cranked all the way to try and defeat the choke, but it seems even that's not working; it's super rich at idle.

I got a new multimeter, new batteries in it and tested the choke voltage. With the key on, it's showing 11.77 volts. With the engine running, it's giving me 14.2. The documentation for the carb shows it has to have 12 volts, no less, to work properly, so I'm a bit stumped at the moment. I'm thinking defective choke, but wanted some input on whether it might be getting too much voltage.

Thanks!

Jerry

[rich weyand]

That's the right voltage. It sounds like the voltage is not staying applied, or there is an intermittent connection somewhere, to allow the choke to cool off.

[tucsonjwt]

I always advise conversion to a manual choke. You will always know when the choke is on or off, and you can control the choke operation. I converted all of the 3 squares I have owned to manual chokes. I never had a choke work properly consistently, whether it was hot air, electric, or divorced, and whether I was in sub freezing climates or the hot desert. This conversion will be the best $12 you have ever spent.