I did the very same thing with my '63 Corvette after installing headers in 1970 while living in the north east. I essentially lost the automatic choke on my WCFB so I set the choke to fully open and did exactly as you did. Made it through the winter and many sub freezing nights without a hitch. I had planned to install a manual choke, but just never got around to it.

Good luck... GUSTO

 

I set the choke with two full-throttle pumps, crank it about 1/2 revolution and BOOM; it rockets to 1500 rpm and the choke butterfly opens all the way within 2 seconds. Really cool to watch.

With the 2 silicon o-rings on the pull-off piston my choke can never reset itself once the engine is running so it appears my ongoing choke problem has finally been solved. And now the only function of the heating element is to prevent a fast idle restart.

I knew I would find a solution if I toyed with it long enough and that's what makes mechanical engineering great. Happy motoring.

 

... I'm telling you under certain circumstances the stock parts aren't up to the task when other parts have been added or modified. I had a problem with my choke cap getting cooled while I was driving and I solved the problem by modifying my choke housing. Engineering at it's finest.

 

I guess I'm confused.

I'll state my starting procedure, then the reason for my confusion:

1) No push on gas...turn engine over until oil pressure comes off zero. I do this on the recommendation of the engine builder.

2) Stop.

3) Two stabs at gas. Keep foot off gas.

4) Engine fires right up, no matter what the temp. Choke butterfly is engaged. Engine lumbers along at ~700 RPM, then continues to climb as engine heat builds. Choke butterfly slowly disengages as coil heats up, but fast idle circuit keeps engine from dying.

5) Once engine RPM's crest 1,500 RPM, I'm usually looking at an engine temp over 140 degrees. One stab at the throttle kicks the carb off fast idle. Idles at a very happy and stable 650 RPM.

MY CONFUSION:

My understanding is that the choke butterfly is only intended to stay open a certain amount of time until the engine can "live" with the air/fuel sent to it through the fast idle circuit. The elegant balance between the duration of time the butterfly is closed, how fast the fast idle circuit is, and when you "kick down" the engine is "The Dark Art of Adjusting Holley Chokes Properly".

So...why was all this necessary? And if "...the choke butterfly opens all the way within 2 seconds...", what is the choke butterfly contributing to the system in the first place?

Am I missing something?

 

This morning I observed my choke butterfly when I "set" the choke and found its a bit slow in closing. I had lubed the silicon o-rings with Vaseline and the Vaseline gets a bit stiff during the night when the temperature drops below 30 degrees. So rather than "snapping" the throttle I have to hold it wide open for a few seconds when setting the choke.

It'll instantly start and rocket to 1500 rpm and then the choke butterfly will slowly open all the way; taking about 2 seconds. I may use air motor oil to lube the o-rings to lessen the drag.

 

Yes, as a matter of fact I owned a 2002 Dodge Durango with the 287" V8 engine. Why do you ask?

I pulled the choke pull-off piston out, cleaned it, then lubed it with a lightweight air motor oil to lessen the drag on it. When the engine is running the silicon o-rings are providing a perfect seal as there is no hint of vacuum at the fresh air port.

I'll observe the choke action again tomorrow morning and see if the choke sets itself quicker. It was sluggish in closing this morning so the air motor oil will probably help it close faster.

 

I just went out to my garage to see if my choke would completely close by itself now that my engine has cooled off. Yep, it does so it should work very well tomorrow morning when its real cold. Its really cool to watch it work; the engine starting and rocketing to 1500 rpm and then the butterfly being pulled open with 2 seconds or so.

Happy motoring.....................

 

I have one person on my ignore list, he doesn't bother me anymore.

 

Karma. Just a wild guess.

 

What the Hell is wrong with you people? TBTR started with a working choke, but it began to malfunction after adding ram air. He subsequently installed various contrivances on the motor in order to test various possibilities regarding the root cause of the problem. Each idea was posted here as a means of showing the process for anyone interested, just like many people do who work on their vehicles. In the end, TBTR replaced the choke itself, and at the same time, made a small but apparently worthwhile design improvement. He says this has now remedied the problem. Why has this generated so much animosity? He didn't say anyone else should to do it. He didn't say Holley is a stupid company. He didn't say Corvettes suck. All he did was document his work, and it was work that has apparently led to a remedial conclusion that might actually be of benefit to some other owner someday. That's a lot more than I can say for all the juvenile insults this thread has generated. Get a life? Right.

 

On both counts.


It appears we are done here.