Carb Choke Adjusting

[Bradbutlernc]

Alright so i searched around on here and did some research on the choke adjusting, as well as read my gpsorensen papers on setting the choke, and i just cant get it right. Basically the problem im having is the car wont start with choke, but once its started with fluid it idles fine with the high idle speed, and the plate opens properly too and then idles down to normal. The choke plate is set to have 3/16 of clearance like the manual says, and the choke coil is 1 notch toward lean.


If i spray a little starting fluid in the carb, it fires right up and idles fine, and the choke opens slowly as it heats up, just wont start for crap without it. But once its warmed up once in the morning, it can sit all day and fire right back up when i crank it.


I tried setting the coil one notch toward rich, and the car ran like complete crap and the choke plate wouldnt open at all. Today im going to pull the choke tube and see if i have flow through there, i believe its leaking exhaust into it but im not sure, but i read that was something to check out. When i rebuilt the carb the choke coil was full of sut and crud, maybe a sign that exhaust is getting in it? Im just gonna crank the car and see if i can feel exhaust blowing out of that hole.

Also i read about getting a universal "choke stove" and clamping it to the exhaust, this looks like a good idea, but ive never seen anything like that. Where can i find one?



You guys have any ideas on what i can try next to troubleshoot it? :|

 

[ludwig]

You are definitely sucking exhaust into the choke, even if the cap is not melted. There is a hollow space where the choke tube connects to the exhaust manifold. The carb pulls warmed/hot air through there to pull off the choke plate. After decades the divider between port 3 & 4 inside the exhaust manifold is burned through. This is a common problem.

Also i read about getting a universal "choke stove" and clamping it to the exhaust, this looks like a good idea, but ive never seen anything like that. Where can i find one?

You can find one at a speed shop or one of the online vendors. Search "choke stove" or "choke warmer". You can install this on the stock manifold too.

 

[Bradbutlernc]

Whats weird is when i removed the manifold to replace the gasket, the choke tube thing was completely intact :|

 

[ludwig]

Well, clean out the carb stuff and make sure it is all running right. Check especially to see that all the springs and shafts and stuff are running loose and free. You can flip the choke lever back and forth inside the pulloff spring housing. Clean it all with carb cleaner and blow the little holes and such out with a jet of air. Then hook up the aftermarket choke stove. Just to be sure.

Did you check the idle mixture? With a good, warm idle, run the screw in until it starts to stumble. Then back it out to where it just starts running well, then one quarter turn more. If nothing changes or everything changes, then you know its not the choke pulloff.

 

[Bradbutlernc]

Well today i adjusted the choke spring 2 notches toward rich, and set the plate closed more, it would fire and stumble over some, but in order to make it start i had to hold the throttle about 1/4. I assume the fast idle screw needs adjusting, ill mess with it more tommorow, ran out of daylight today.

 

[JackFish]

Are you thinking that it should just fire up on the first crank, like a computer controlled vehicle?
I drive my car all winter, down to -40 up here, and I always have pump the gas pedal a few times before turning the key.

Do you prime it a bit by pumping the pedal? If not, give it a try.

 

[Bradbutlernc]

Priming it doesnt seem to help at all, my other carburated vehicles crank fine all year with no choke, just priming them. :|

 

[jamyers]

You've got to open the throttle enough for the choke to close when it's cold...but you knew that.

Is the choke closing ALL the way before you crank it? Sounds like it's not quite getting completely closed.

 

[Bradbutlernc]

Well, im gonna raise the high idle screw up a bit more, seems to be doing alot better since i adjusted the choke coil though. Keep in mind ive only owned the car about a month, and its the first ford engine ive messed with/car carburator ive ever rebuilt completely so i think im doing alright. It runs damn good when crusing around warmed up.

Every time i try to start it i check to make sure the choke is completely closed, and it is when its cold. Is there something i should do when i try to start it in the morning? Priming has no effect, only holding it about 1/4 throttle helps it start.


Theres one more thing i couldnt figure out how to adjust, which was the "choke unloader" GPsorensen says its some tab on the fast idle cam i need to bend, but i have no idea how to bend it or what amount to bend it, so i havent adjusted that at all yet. Maybe someone can reword it for me and help me better understand it?

 

[ludwig]

Ahem. The choke needs to be MOSTLY closed. It still needs some air to ignite the fuel. Otherwise it is just flooded.

 

[Frankenstang]

Ahem. The choke needs to be MOSTLY closed. It still needs some air to ignite the fuel. Otherwise it is just flooded.

Yep! IDK...that may be one that is particular to the 1100 vs the all closed on some carbs that might have a bypass/bleed by on butterfly.

The bench settings for the 1100 consist of these two stages prior to installation (I'm not saying you should go back and start from square one...but you may find this useful):
EDIT: Done in this order

Step 1:
Fast Idle Adjustment (Automatic Choke)

Step2:
Choke Valve Pull-Down Adjustment (63-64 Auto-Choke)

These two come from this site (you DON"T want the 'Automatic Choke Unloader'...aka 'bend tang option'...you want choke pull down setting linked above...pay no attention to years in parenthesis):
http://www.oldcarmanualproject.com/manu ... ndexf1.htm

WARNING: These might also help...or may only serve to confuse you further
'simon' did a good write up on this but pics are gone:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18604
I tried to summarize here, but don't think it came out as well (at least w/o diagrams):
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=55764

Good luck!

 

[jamyers]

Ahem. The choke needs to be MOSTLY closed. It still needs some air to ignite the fuel. Otherwise it is just flooded.

Ahem, Ahem. :mrgreen: Most every choke I've messed with closes completely when initially set (cold engine, pump the pedal). Once the engine fires, the unloader opens it up. On my Buick, (choke coil in the manifold) the choke plate would start to flutter open against the t-stat spring while cranking just from the suction/airflow (the unloader wasn't moving).

Don't Ford auto chokes have a spring under that adjusting nut on the choke rod so the engine can pull the choke open once started? Or is it on the other side...I forget.

 

[ludwig]

Ahem. Haaack. Ptooy.

So why do they show the 'drill bit gauge' in the manual when setting up the choke? Don't feel like fighting. But I'll buy the drinks while we watch.

 

[Bradbutlernc]

Well, i didnt mean completely closed, i meant closed to where its supposed to be, where it doesnt close anymore. 3/16 i believe. Good news though, i went out this morning and messed with it, held the gas about 1/4th throttle, and cranked it, it fired right up and the choke worked great. I let it idle for about 10 secs then kicked the choke off and it still ran fine.

 

[jamyers]

Ahem. Haaack. Ptooy.
...
But I'll buy the drinks while we watch.

:mrgreen:

 

[ludwig]

Good news though, i went out this morning and messed with it, held the gas about 1/4th throttle, and cranked it, it fired right up and the choke worked great. I let it idle for about 10 secs then kicked the choke off and it still ran fine.

I don't know what carb you are using. However, that is exactly the starting drill for the 1100. Pony actually puts that in the instructions: On a cold start, you push the pedal to the floor. This primes the carb through the accelerator pump and sets the choke system in place. Then you depress the pedal a quarter, up to half and turn the key. If it is real cold, you have to pump the pedal slightly until you get a steady idle. The heater tube will gradually pull the choke off. You don't have to gun it or anything.

Modern EFI eliminated all this and we just fire it up without the pedal motion. Sounds to me like you have normal function by now - if it stays this way.