School me on carb chokes

[jonrpick]

I'm carb-hunting... I see electric chokes (which I have now) hot-air and divorced chokes.

How are the hot-air chokes routed?

I understand "divorced" when concerning transfer cases, how does the term apply to carb chokes? What makes a divorced choke work if not electricity or hot air?

 

[dyeager535]

Divorced chokes mount the choke coil on the intake, connected to the carb via linkage.

Apparently there are some differences in how hot air chokes are routed, the ones I'm familiar with (Oldsmobile) run a pipe through the intake, into the exhaust crossover. I suppose because hot air rises (AFAIK there is no vacuum there, although some setups do I hear) the heated air from the crossover tubes then acts on the choke coil.

The reality is, whatever your intake is set up for is what governs the type of choke you use.

I never had problems with my divorced style, and the electrics I had also didn't cause me problems, but at least on the quadrajet, if you have to replace the electric choke coil, it's pretty pricey.

 

[Pvt. Maggot]

I've always ran the manual choke kit from advance auto, in the help section for about 9-12 bucks I think. Had an electric on my holley can't complain with it, used the manual on my edelbrock and loved it.

 

[pauly383]

Apparently there are some differences in how hot air chokes are routed, the ones I'm familiar with (Oldsmobile) run a pipe through the intake, into the exhaust crossover. I suppose because hot air rises (AFAIK there is no vacuum there, although some setups do I hear) the heated air from the crossover tubes then acts on the choke coil.

Same on SBC in smog years late 70's . Right where a divorced choke coil would be on the passenger side over the exhaust crossover in the head under the intake .

 

[k20]

I pulled the electric choke off my Demon carb and installed a manual choke kit before I ever installed it, tried to diagnose too many carb problems on other vehicles that were actually just a crappy working choke.

 

[JPMSK5]

Have to know what intake and carb you have. Cant use div. if you intake doesnt have a hot air cross over, my heads and intake both dont have the cross over and have to use an electric or manual, I like the electric. depress the footpetal once and it fires right up, but after it starts warming up the rpms start really climbing and you have to push the footpetal again to bring the rpms back down, I guess the manual would be the same.

 

[jonrpick]

Have to know what intake and carb you have. Cant use div. if you intake doesnt have a hot air cross over, my heads and intake both dont have the cross over and have to use an electric or manual, I like the electric. depress the footpetal once and it fires right up, but after it starts warming up the rpms start really climbing and you have to push the footpetal again to bring the rpms back down, I guess the manual would be the same.

Q-jet manifold, originally with an electric choke Q-jet. Now has an electric choke Edelbrock AFB.

 

[JPMSK5]

well if your old electric choke worked and the ground and power wires are still there I would put back on an electric choke carb. what kind of carb are you huntin?

 

[original balzer]

This isnt realy helpful for those that dont know how to do it. BUT I used a zip tie to tie my choke open. Thats right I dont use a choke, timming and carb tune and you wont ever need a choke on a chevy. Well I should say on a street tune engine, something with a radical cam that "lopes" hard would need a choke. And yes it gets well below zero here and I never have a problem. The bad news is I cant really tell someone how to do it, as I tune by ear (years of making my junk run with no money)

As for an answer to your question, if its electric, stay with electric. That way it can regulate its self. Manual chokes are good but you cant realy go start your truck on a cold morning and go back in the house to let it warm up. You have to manualy adjust the choke to keep it running.

Also tracking down all the little chit for differnt choke setups can be a hassle.