Manual Choke Installation?

[savatreatabvr]

I've got a mid 70's 454 with a Quadrajet on top, there's no choke and the colder it gets the harder it is to start! I installed a manual choke but I must have done something wrong because it doesn't work the way it should! Can someone point me in the right direction?

[jdheff1982]

You need linkage to connect the choke butterfly to where your cable is hooked. You also need to make certain that the high idle cam is hooked up. Might try hooking cable directly to choke butterfly using the pivot at top of airhorn shown in pic.

Good luck.

[savatreatabvr]

I tried hooking it straight to the choke butterfly but the cable is in the way and my air cleaner won't fit right. High idle cam?

Originally Posted by jdheff1982

You need linkage to connect the choke butterfly to where your cable is hooked. You also need to make certain that the high idle cam is hooked up. Might try hooking cable directly to choke butterfly using the pivot at top of airhorn shown in pic.

Good luck.

[jdheff1982]

You will need some sort of linkage then. Or, go get a new electric choke from autozone or wherever. High idle is what is used to bump rpms up during warm up when choke is used.

[savatreatabvr]

Where does the linkage hook up at?

Originally Posted by jdheff1982

You will need some sort of linkage then. Or, go get a new electric choke from autozone or wherever. High idle is what is used to bump rpms up during warm up when choke is used.

[tucsonjwt]

As long as you use the replacement bakelite choke cover furnished with the manual choke kit you should have no problem. My 83 Qjet 454 manual choke conversion is in pics below. Don't give up on the manual choke conversion - it is the only way to go on these old carbureted engines.

[Kutzy]

Originally Posted by tucsonjwt

As long as you use the replacement bakelite choke cover furnished with the manual choke kit you should have no problem. My 83 Qjet 454 manual choke conversion is in pics below. Don't give up on the manual choke conversion - it is the only way to go on these old carbureted engines.

I have the exact same kit as you (I got mine at AutoZone) and I love it! So easy to start on a cold morning now.

I would definitely recommend the conversion.

[donut]

What did you have for a choke hookup before? (pics if you don't know)

I converted mine over from the spring style to a manual. It took some welding and fabrication, got it to work, but choke operation in the cab was backwards. (push in for choke, pull out for no choke.) At the time I couldn't find the proper kit that wasn't too expensive.

[savatreatabvr]

It didn't have a choke when I bought it, it was summer so I didn't care but I need it now! Do I need to adjust the fast idle screw when it's choked?

Originally Posted by donut

What did you have for a choke hookup before? (pics if you don't know)

I converted mine over from the spring style to a manual. It took some welding and fabrication, got it to work, but choke operation in the cab was backwards. (push in for choke, pull out for no choke.) At the time I couldn't find the proper kit that wasn't too expensive.

[tucsonjwt]

If you pay more than $12 for a manual choke conversion kit you paid too much. The kits are available from any auto parts store, and come with a replacement choke cover which has a lever which hooks to the choke valve tab inside. The lever hooks to the manual cable. There is no welding or additional fabrication required. See pics above.

[donut]

Originally Posted by tucsonjwt

If you pay more than $12 for a manual choke conversion kit you paid too much. The kits are available from any auto parts store, and come with a replacement choke cover which has a lever which hooks to the choke valve tab inside. The lever hooks to the manual cable. There is no welding or additional fabrication required. See pics above.

Those manual choke conversions are good, if you have an electric choke your changing from. Mine required welding and fab work coming from a divorced choke setup. It doesn't have the housing or shaft to connect the new kit to.

The only reason I switched is Vortec intakes don't have provisions for a divorced choke. I had to get something to work, feathering a throttle when it's below 0, in an old plow truck, stinks!

That's why I asked for a pic or what he had for a choke setup before, I know the divorced setups are fairly simple to fix, I haven't dealt with the "hot air" chokes.

[tucsonjwt]

Yeah, I forgot about those odd chokes - I thought all of the Qjets had bakelite hot air covers or electric bakelite covers. . I think my 1970 Impala had one of those thermostats bolted to the top of the intake with a link to the choke valve - totally junk, IMO - caused me to slip and slide a lot on the ice when the choke would not release and revved the engine too much. I am guessing there must be a kit for those also - just some way to attach the end of the cable to the choke valve and secure it at the point of attachment.

[donut]

They're made (though hard to find), I went looking a couple years ago. But IIRC, it was like 60 bucks, hence the fabrication and backwards operation.

The OP mentioned mid '70's qjet, that's why I asked for a pic. I don't know what year GM went to electric chokes, but my '73 had one, as well as my '75 (divorced choke). I think I've run into more of these than the later styles.

[savatreatabvr]

Not sure what the difference is between a "divorced choke" and a "hot air choke", I know what a electric choke is.

Originally Posted by donut

They're made (though hard to find), I went looking a couple years ago. But IIRC, it was like 60 bucks, hence the fabrication and backwards operation.

The OP mentioned mid '70's qjet, that's why I asked for a pic. I don't know what year GM went to electric chokes, but my '73 had one, as well as my '75 (divorced choke). I think I've run into more of these than the later styles.

[sweet pea]

a divorced choke has a heat coil in the intake with a small rod to open up the carb. hot air choke has a tube that passes thru the passenger side of the intake to heat the choke.

[savatreatabvr]

I guess I don't have either one, on the passenger side of intake there's a flat pad with 2 small bolt holes directly next to the carb, is that for the divorced choke? If it is I don't see how bolting a small heat coil to it would do much?

Originally Posted by sweet pea

a divorced choke has a heat coil in the intake with a small rod to open up the carb. hot air choke has a tube that passes thru the passenger side of the intake to heat the choke.

[tucsonjwt]

A small cast bracket with a choke coil inside mounts there. A link goes from that bracket (hooking through the loop on the end of the coil) to the carburetor to hook on the choke valve shaft protruding out the side of the carburetor via another link. You supposedly adjust the choke by bending the link going to the carburetor to make the link shorter or longer and thereby make the travel of the choke shaft (and choke valve) more open or closed. These are junk just like the other chokes. Is your choke valve all the way open when your engine is warm?

[donut]

Here's a thread with some pics of a relatively unmolested divorced choke. I personally like the divorced choke. Sub-zero temps and they still work. With the man choke, to many times I've driven off with it partially closed.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=496891

[savatreatabvr]

Yeah, it's wide open when warmed up.

Originally Posted by tucsonjwt

A small cast bracket with a choke coil inside mounts there. A link goes from that bracket (hooking through the loop on the end of the coil) to the carburetor to hook on the choke valve shaft protruding out the side of the carburetor via another link. You supposedly adjust the choke by bending the link going to the carburetor to make the link shorter or longer and thereby make the travel of the choke shaft (and choke valve) more open or closed. These are junk just like the other chokes. Is your choke valve all the way open when your engine is warm?

[tucsonjwt]

My problem with all automatic chokes in cold weather is that they stay on too long in very cold weather. If you are driving on icy roads the engine is racing and you cannot take off from a stop sign on icy roads without spinning the rear wheels. So, I have had the opposite problem. You can control the amount of choke with a manual choke, not possible with an automatic choke, unless your manual choke is not functioning properly, so apply graphite or lithium grease to the cable.

[tucsonjwt]

If your choke is wide open after engine warm up and you have no problem starting, then you don't have a choke problem.

[savatreatabvr]

I've tried WD-40, penetrating fluid and grease but since there's two 90 degree bends in the cable I doubt anything will work to make it slide easier! I tried rerouting the cable but didn't find a better way to route it.

Originally Posted by tucsonjwt

My problem with all automatic chokes in cold weather is that they stay on too long in very cold weather. If you are driving on icy roads the engine is racing and you cannot take off from a stop sign on icy roads without spinning the rear wheels. So, I have had the opposite problem. You can control the amount of choke with a manual choke, not possible with an automatic choke, unless your manual choke is not functioning properly, so apply graphite or lithium grease to the cable.