Hi All,

I have recently installed a Holley carb with electric choke. What is the procedure to start up a car with electric choke for the following conditions?

1) If I start the car the next day. One pump and crank? Does the initial crank set the choke closed?

2) If I start the car a week later. Should I crank for a few seconds to get fuel flow in the bowl, pump a couple of times and crank?

I know every car will be different, and my previous setup with a right pain to get started even the day after. So I am after people's thoughts.

Thanks,

NJ

 

 

I agree with Kie, except after maybe a month it may require a couple of shots of gas due to evaporation. The other thing to consider is the adjustment. On a 70 degree day the choke should be set to completely close.

 

The electric choke doesn't care if it's attached to the car or not. When 12v is applied that coil spring will start to move and you can adjust how long it takes to fully open by rotating the body of the choke. You should see some small hash marks on there and an arrow on the plastic choke body. Don't pick up 12v from the coil even though it's convenient, run the wire to the fuse block or some other constant 12v source. The coil wire only gets a full 12v when the starter is turning, less when the engine is running. That's in the instructions.

When you want to start the car depress the gas pedal fully to the floor and release and that sets the high idle cam - the little red arm that's behind the choke body. Depressing the gas pedal also causes the accelerator pump to squirt a shot of gas into the primary of the carb. The owner's manual says to depress the gas pedal three times fully before starting cold. It should fire right up and run at high idle until the choke opens enough to allow the cam to fall away - meaning the engine is sufficiently warm - and drop to whatever your normal curb idle is. There is an adjustment screw for that and it's a p.i.t.a to get it set right - I use a long skinny screwstick and a mirror to set that. Mine is a Holley 4160 3310-4

So if I haven't started it in a couple of days I give the gas pedal three solid 'to the floor' pumps and it fires up instantly and idles at about 1100 rpm. After a couple of minutes it drops down to the normal 700rpm I set it at. If I go someplace and the engine is already warm I don't expect or need anything from that high idle cam but experimentation showed me that one or two pumps is enough to get it to fire instantly without having to turn over much at all. If I just stop quick for gas or whatever I don't pump anything just turn the key with a little goose to the gas and off we go.

Hope that helps