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I probably should know by looking at this but is this an automatic choke? It's a 1971 350-270hp. Picked up this car this past week. It runs great once warmed up but I have to get it warm or it stalls. It's been awhile since owning a classic and if memory serves me right I thought that when you first started the car it ran at fast idle until it warmed up and then you touched the gas and the idle dropped.
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Yes, it's a "divorced choke" system, and it's fully "automatic" if correctly set up and adjusted. American cars have all come with automatic chokes since about 1955.
Shouldn’t the idle be fast until it warms and then slows down once I touch the gas? Mine doesn’t. I have to keep the rpms up with the gas pedal until warm otherwise it stalls. Runs great when the car warms up.
Mine doesn’t. I have to keep the rpms up with the gas pedal until warm otherwise it stalls.
Then, as Lars has already hinted at, your system might not be set up correctly.
And it's not so much the question of whether you are using a gasket which blocks off the crossover channel, or not; that is only of secondary importance IMHO.
First, you have to set up the choke system itself properly. And there are several things to check/adjust: Whether the choke plate fully closes when you initially set the choke; whether the choke pull-off will open the choke plate slightly when the engine starts running (and how far); how fast the coil will open the choke plate when the engine warms up; and finally how high your fast idle is set using the fast idle adjustment screw.
There are good how-to’s out there – try to find one. Lars might have one - I don't remember... If set up correctly, these “old”, “mechanical” systems will function just perfectly.
I agree it's probably not set up correctly.
But if the OP really wants to see if the crossover is blocked he can remove the choke housing and use a coat hanger to probe down the intake towards the head and if if blocked it will stop at the gasket or go further into the exhaust crossover on the head if open.
How exactly is this "Bubba" if it has been proven that blocking this off solves more problems then it creates? I would deal with the longer warm up rather than the extra 100 degrees the miserable heat riser setup soaks into the manifold WAAAAY after the choke is warm.....in fact in Texas, if I reseal your manifold I absolutely will not install an open gasket.....if you insist on it, take it to someone else.
To the OP....you are in SC......and it appears you have a nice original setup, so the choice is yours but I know it gets pretty hot out there in the summer.....
Also.....have you verified the stock choke stove/actuator is even working properly?
Jebby
Last edited by Jebbysan; Feb 12, 2020 at 10:36 AM.
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Originally Posted by Harvette
Shouldn’t the idle be fast until it warms and then slows down once I touch the gas? Mine doesn’t. I have to keep the rpms up with the gas pedal until warm otherwise it stalls. Runs great when the car warms up.
Auto or Manual Choke
