Author Topic: Electric Choke Problem  (Read 2378 times)

Offline adgalloway

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Electric Choke Problem
« on: February 28, 2019, 08:29:05 PM »
I'm trying to sort out the electric choke on my 84 Custom Deluxe. It's a 350 running the original quadrajet 4 Barrell.

It seems the electric choke thermostat isn't working so I ordered a replacement from JET. In the attached picture you can see the parts side by side. Please note the red arrow pointing to a notch in the original that is not present on the new unit, here's a link to the photos https://photos.app.goo.gl/nH4qddoXi17yHXs76

Has anyone else had this issue which prevents the new thermostat from seating properly?  Should I attempt to cut a notch in the new unit? Or should I grind away the male part on the choke housing that fits inside the notch? This would allow the new choke to sit flush? What's the best way to make this work?  Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,
« Last Edit: February 28, 2019, 08:33:20 PM by adgalloway »

Offline adgalloway

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Re: Electric Choke Problem
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2019, 08:31:54 PM »
Thanks
« Last Edit: February 28, 2019, 08:34:20 PM by adgalloway »

Offline JohnnyPopper

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Re: Electric Choke Problem
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2019, 12:29:07 PM »
Did you test the original? You can use a blow dryer to see if it moves when heated.

I would test both, and if the original acts the same, send the other one back.

I suspect the spring was not in the lever slot that moves the linkage, easy to overlook.

Welcome from SoCal.
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Offline adgalloway

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Re: Electric Choke Problem
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2019, 01:51:38 PM »
Hi, I did not test with a hair dryer, but I connected it to the battery, made sure the body was grounded, and it never got hot. I also tested the old one for continuity with a test light and multimeter with no luck. I think it got submerged in a parts cleaner and damaged.

Thanks,

Offline MIKE S

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Re: Electric Choke Problem
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2019, 05:05:28 PM »
The notch is there from the factory to keep someone from adjusting it. Tamperproof. I would remove the notch to allow adjustment. If it came with a gasket don't use it. It will not ground.

Offline adgalloway

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Re: Electric Choke Problem
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2019, 06:22:24 PM »
Thank you, that's very helpful info.

Offline Henry

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Re: Electric Choke Problem
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2019, 02:04:17 PM »
Hi adgalloway:
Did you say you tested your old electric choke? You can apply 12V to the connector and make sure the metal body where it would mate to the carb is ground return to the same 12V source...you should then observe the coil moving...if not, then the choke is bad as you have suspected. With a constant 12V applied, the coil should move to a new position from room temp position and stay there. As others have said, a common mistake is to use a gasket with the electric choke...using a gasket prevents the electric circuit from completing. Sorry I cannot advise on the notch...you can possibly go to the tech section of this website and look at your service manual to see what they say about adjusting the choke and see if it has any functional purpose. I am sure you can do a little more searching on the net to find out if you really need the choke with the notch...for example you can check with the Q-jet specialists like quadrajets.com.
Regards,
Henry

Offline adgalloway

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Re: Electric Choke Problem
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2019, 09:59:14 PM »
Thanks, Henry and everyone else that responded. One of the previous posters was correct. The notch was designed to limit adjustment of the factory choke. I confirmed the old unit was defective by testing its resistance with an ohmmeter. The old unit had a huge amount of resistance, whereas the new unit has almost none.

I used a dremel to remove the tab in the choke housing for the notch, installed the new choke and she opened up in about 3 minutes. I'm very happy not to need to prop the butterfly closed with a screwdriver to fire the engine on a cold morning.

Thanks again