Electric vs Manual Choke

[enaberif]

Now this isn't about your everyday which is better than the other but more of a I need a honest opinion on what I'm thinking.

With where I live in the winter time it can be a balmy -15* Celsius and other days it can be a tropical +13* in the middle of winter.

Now I know with the way a electric choke works is that you set it then the timer slowly opens up the choke plate to allow the truck to warm up so it won't flood or choke itself off. Now here is my dilemma.

Say I set the electric choke to run perfectly when its -5* Celsius but the next week its going to be +12* Celsius. I know that between spring and winter most people will adjust their choke to lean or richen the mixture when its cold. But when I have such wild temp changes would it better for me to go manual choke?

Or when I have it set for really cold temperatures will it behave ok for those days when it warms up to +13* Celsius? My other thought is that with a manual choke the only thing that I would have to adjust if anything at all is the fast idle.

Thoughts?

[cadillac_al]

Electric chokes do seem to be temperamental and need constant fine tuning. The old divorced and hot air chokes weren't so fussy. I just bought another truck with a hand choke on it and I gotta admit I kinda like it. I'm going to adjust my electric choke every time the temp drops another 20 degrees and see if I can find a happy spot this year.

[chicken]

me personally id prefer a manual choke,, i like the idea of being able to adjust it for cold starting ..and then readjust it as the motor warms up.

[Firebirdjones]

Sounds to me like some of you guys don't have a choke pull off that is working properly. The choke flap is only closed for initial startup, once running the choke pull off opens the flap while the carb stays on the fast idle cam. There should be no issues of flooding or any need for additional choke adjustment just because the ambient temperatures have changed.

I have cars here both with divorce chokes and electric chokes, they both function perfectly whether it's 20 degrees in the morning or 105 degrees in the afternoon.

[tucsonjwt]

Unlike the previous poster, I have had electric, divorced, and hot air chokes and NONE of them ever worked properly. This is in the sub-zero temps of Michigan and the searing heat of the Arizona desert.

I switched to a manual choke 35 years ago and would never have an automatic choke again.

Specifically to the question in this thread, the manual choke allows YOU, not some unreliable device, the ability to control the choke. The choke will always be exactly where you want it, depending on weather and road conditions.

The worst part of an automatic choke in a cold climate is when you first start your vehicle and take off when the roads are icy. The choke is fully closed and the engine is racing. You are stopped at a red light or stop sign and try to accelerate. Because the choke is fully or mostly closed your engine is racing and you cannot get traction on ice to move.

In hot climates, your choke valve can stick when the "automatic" choke is not opening properly and your engine races when you come to a stop.

I know that automatic choke advocates say" "There is just something wrong with your choke settings" but I say why deal with such an unreliable device that needs constant fiddling and cleaning/adjusting. I have never found a mechanic who could adjust any of my chokes to work properly. My conclusion is that these "automatic" chokes are just a bad idea.

End of rant.

[Firebirdjones]

Just in case you didn't know Tucson, if you let the car warm up for a minute or two, you won't have a fast idle in icy conditions....just sayin'

Really aren't supposed to be firing up a car bone cold and then busting butt down the street. I don't even do that in the blazing heat, lol. Matter of fact, a couple of my cars here have instructions on the sunvisor stating exactly that, allowing the car to warm with a time period stated and kicking the choke off the fast idle cam.

I think a lot of this unfortunately is the computer age we live in and fuel injection has taken over since the mid 80's. The knowledge of setting up a carb properly to function in all climate conditions is unfortunately becoming a lost art.

[tucsonjwt]

Just in case you don't know, Firebirdjones, I know how to drive a vehicle.

In sub-zero temperature, your truck WILL NOT warm up in a minute or two of idling. The choke coil will still be affected by the sub-zero ambient atmosphere, and not allow the choke to open. The heat of the engine/intake will take a long time to open the choke.

I guess you had only perfect chokes manufactured by GM and I got all the bad ones. You are the driver who should never have a manual choke.

This has nothing to do with the computer age - this has everything to do with a crappy automatic choke design. 35 years ago I could not find a mechanic who could properly set an automatic choke (including Chevy dealers) - because they cannot be properly set - except for the chokes you have.

[Firebirdjones]

I figured that would ruffle your feathers

If you or someone is having issues with it, next time your in Prescott swing in here, I'm pretty sure I can straighten it out, it's part of what I do for a living.

[chicken]

im in florida. we dont have issues of those sub zero climates messing with our chokes.... now the '' choke'' behind my zipper is a totally different topic,

[UKNOWME]

I've never had to adjust my electric choke based on outside temp. They would run fine in the freezing temp just as they did in the hot summer. I too agree with Firebirdjones believe in warming up before just taking off.

[jjmorrse]

My 86 had a rough idle when I got it. The choke wasn't hooked up right. Adjusted and was fine. That said, in Texas, a choke borders on unnecessary most of the year. Canada, however, I imagine your choke will get used. During the days of carbs in general, it was assumed that the car would get warmed up on cold days. Push the gas to the floor on a stock Qjet for just a second to pull the carb off the fast idel cam. FI made cars more of an appliance in terms of turn-the-key-and-go. The fun/frustrating part of carbs is that they are a mindless Rube Goldberg contraption, mixing toilet tank technology with several different fuel circuits, all in an effort to fix a new need in the engine based on load, throttle, rpm, fuel variations, and ambient conditions.

Debating the merits of a manual choke is like correcting somebody's kid. People take that as a personal affront to their competence.

How about try to set the electric choke, if it becomes a headache for you, put on a cable and DIY that little choke blade yourself? Then your truck works for you.

[motornut]

I've tied off a few chokes to get things to run and rule it out of Carb probs.
My 79 (summer only)is tied off now,and it will idle after I pedal it a while.
I've used the manual before,When it drops to -20C/-30/-40 and below,I prefer it.
Nothing worse then it stalls ,then floods.
The 78 has a holley electric,have the manual one,hope to swap it over asap