Six Pack Question - Removing The Choke

[wedg2go]

Anyone out there run their center carb without a choke? If so, how does your setup, minus choke, run?

BTW - I have done this to my other classic show car's four barrel and it runs fine since I am a believer to feather it for the first couple miles.

 

[72RoadRunnerGTX]

What are you trying to accomplish by defeating the choke system?

 

[704406]

I agree with 72roadrunner. Why would you disconnect the choke?
I did that on my 6 BBL for a while until I found a new choke thermostat. It made for very hard cold starts and stalling issues.
The thermostat is very adjustable as to how much the choke comes on and how long it stays on.
My 6BBL had the exhaust heat riser removed when it was new (it rattled) and the choke works fine after some fine tuning of the thermostat adjustment

 

[rklein71]

I ran mine for nearly 20 years with the choke wired open. It was pretty much a fair weather car and I really didn't notice any real issues with not using it. If you are planning on running it in colder weather, you probably should run a choke.

 

[704406]

Where I live a choke is almost a necessity, I forget about you lucky guys that live where it's warm.
I still think a choke makes for easier on the engine start ups

 

[wedg2go]

I would agree the start ups would be easier when the weather turns colder. I really try to start it once a month during the months of Dec - Apr and maybe take it for a short spin if we're between snow storms (Colorado Rockies).

When I was adjusting the outboards for idle and such, I would let it warm up to temp and noticed the choke was not completely open. I proceeded to do my thing, letting it warm up sufficiently and still noticed the choke was not completely open. So I pulled out my handy dandy Chilton manual to read up on the adjustments/specs and now have a choke that won't completely close. Same as having, in my opinion, no choke when it is cold. I haven't driven it yet since I have one final adjustment left to carb 3 and I have been only allowed abbreviated periods of time during the last four days to get this done.

In my opinion, while my whole setup is new, it is a terrible arrangement to make it work as intended. I thought manual choke, then again...No. Then my thought turned towards my other car, which runs fine with no choke. I thought I would put a shout out on here to see if anyone was running their six sans choke and see the plus (rklein71) and the negative (link above) replies as noted.

I would agree the choke needs to stay in place if it would work correctly (more so when I do take those short spins I mentioned above). So I am going to revise my thinking and check my setting - again - and see if I need to ease back on my adjustment before my test run today (I hope). - Thanks!

 

[704406]

Take the choke thermostat out of the manifold, on the side of the thermostatic spring there is a nut, if you loosen it you can make the choke come on longer or shorter by applying more or less tension to the thermostatic spring.
My set up just barley closes the choke flap when cold, when it starts the vacuum pot pulls it open so it runs and fast idles.
By the time I've moved it outside, shut and locked the garage, I can kick the choke down so it idles, and it's ready to drive.

There was some fine adjusting and trial and error to get it where I wanted it, but worth it in the end.

When I didn't have the choke hooked up, I pumped the pedal a lot, it cranked a while, then when it started it would easily stall and I'd have to hold the throttle to keep it running.
Once again where the climate is warm a choke is not so important

PS everyone should BURN their Chilton manuals, and get a factory Chrysler one.
Chilton manuals cover about 10 years of production and not much of it seems to be correct!
Ken

 

[72RoadRunnerGTX]

More recent versions of the six-pack choke springs are not adjustable as where the originals. The spring tension determines the cold running fuel mixture while the choke is operating. If at engine operating temperature, the spring is not completely relaxed, likely your manifold heat cross-overs are blocked, or running heads without cross-over heat. The calibration for the correct choke operation depends on manifold heat as it was originally designed.
"Negative"? If you follow the link I posted above, you will find more info on this same issue and how I overcame the issue running aftermarket heads without cross-over passages.

 

[wedg2go]

The last few days have found me cleaning the engine bay and of course adjusting the choke. It appears that someone, previous to my ownership, "tweaked" the spring linkage (manufactured by Holly). A big no-no. I found pliers teeth marks on the inside of the linkage by dumb luck (None on the outside of the linkage). A "few" *ahem* adjustments later, now finds it 3/4s closed when cold and fully opening when warm. I'm happy with it and have abandoned the idea of no choke.

Thanks all!

BTW Ken - I will keep my Chilton manual, but you have inspired me to take it's value with a grain of salt and find a factory Chrysler manual. - Thanks!