Manual Choke, blocking too much air?

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I hooked up a manual choke to the stock carb after doing vac removal to a bare bones setup. I lost the choke plate and rod somewhere so I made one with a steel bar and plate (temporarily plastic). I have the old choke inlet sealed with gasket material and an aluminum plate against it.

The problem is if I close my manual choke plate completely the car seems to be very rich and won't run long after it starts; maybe 5 seconds. The plate may be blocking too much air?

Anyone else experience this? I tossed out the original choke coil, etc b/c I wasn't thinking. I've lived with rough driving/stalls for a year now, but I want to improve drivability until the car is warm especially since I do a lot of short trips.

[A20A1]

the plate is never fully closed also the stock setup had the choke opener, which adjusted the crack in the choke opening.

Also the stock setup had the EFE screen... if you're not hooking it up to a power source durring warm up then you might as well punch out the screen and get rid of a big air resctriction between the carb and intake manifold. EFE plate = brown plate under base of carb.

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I was hoping you'd reply. : )

That's kind of what I was thinking. I'll tweak some more, not closing it all the way, and post the results. My link was slipping on the rod I made so I had no idea how much the plate was closed before (from the cabin) unless the car shut off; in that case I knew it was closed.

I don't think I have power hooked up so I'll remove the screen. Can you remove the plate as well or is it necessary?

Do you have any other good links for drilling or opening up the carb more? I thought about webers at one time, but I can't afford them (a miata is on my shopping list after I sell my maxima). I'm more of a handling freak and this honda has been a great car and learning experience for me.

[A20A1]

you need the plate it acts as a carb spacer which helps fuel mixture distribution and it also keeps the throttle linkage from rubbing on the surface of the manifold.

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I took the EFE screen out. The primary seems more responsive now and there's less of a gap when the secondary opens up.

Haven't hooked up the choke again yet. I would have thought the screen might lean my cold starts so it would be harder to get the car moving in the morning, but it hasn't seemed any different than usual.

I'll probably search on this, but what does the plenium do? I can hear it whistle occassionally now at certain RPMs. It seems like I read it should be cut out. Replacing the intake gasket was a PITA so I'd like to be sure it would be worth the time.

[A20A1]

when the screen is working properly it helps the fuel vaporize so you don't get poor mixture distribution to the cylinders... I think without the efe screen you'll run rich most of the time or lean if the weather is very cold and then super rich after the fuel piles up in the manifold.

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Seems like I would be more lean now though b/c more air can pass though, right? I've run WOT about 5-10% of the time I've been in the car on this tank and I'm on track for 28mpg, which is normal. The timing is advanced and there's no audible detonation. I guess I could be slightly rich at idle since I set the A/F with no air filter, then turn it 1/4 turn more out.

Still 28mpg and rich is better than 32mpg with a hole in the piston, right? lol. I set my idle at just under 1500 (warm) since I have no choke. That way I don't have to keep my foot on the gas after 5-10 seconds to let it warm up. Probably eats some gas at stops, but warms ups are esp annoying if I have to keep my foot on the gas.