My non-functional choke pull off

[shakakan]

I have been fighting my choke pull off all winter. It doesn't work. I have taken it apart, and the diaphragm is in working order. But it is still non-working. Typical symptoms, starts fine but immediately idles very poorly or dies, with black smoke from the exhaust. Last night, I thought I would try something different, so I unscrewed the choke plate and removed it.

When I went to start my car this morning it was roughly 20F, I pumped once, it fired but stalled, same with two pumps. But at five pumps, it fired and quickly jumped to 2500 rpms, the magic high idle number. I know there are several people on here running their carbed car without a choke. My question is: What temperature are you still able to start your car at without too much difficulty. I live in Northern MO, and the temperature occasionally gets down in the subzero range (like earlier this week), but normal winter temps are in teens to the thirties. I am gonna run it like this for awhile to see how it does, but it ran great this morning on my 40 miles to work.

[A18A]

wow thats coooold.. i have to assist mine by holding on the accelerator for about 3 minutes at around 2000 - 3000rpm with the temperature about 60F untill it idles by itself without stalling every 15 seconds =/

[2oodoor]

I ran mine like that all winter last year, temps in high 20s to low 40s most of the time in the morning. I had my choke plate tied back and started it much like Overdosed does.
YOu can get a manual choke conversion kit at AutoZone or those discount, in the HELP line (Dorman) . It is about 12 dollars, and has everything you need to rig it up.

I have a Weber now so my starting is a little better than last year. YOu may want to check your vacuum routing and thermowax valve function if your not getting vacuum to the pulloff. Mine was just the diaphargm busted on the pulloff. Make a note also that the fast idle pulloff and choke plate pull off are separate. Crazy design yes...

[shakakan]

When I figured out it wasn't working, I took it apart and it did have a hole in it. I did the RTV fix, and now it has the ability to work. I am not sure where the problem is. I have a question for the carb gurus here. Where does the vacuum go from the choke pull off valve through the small hole in the carb next to the bottom screw? I am wondering if I am losing vacuum at that location. I have not figured out where that goes. 20F felt balmy compared to earlier this week. On Tuesday it was -8F when I left for work.

[Toneloc5145]

It got in the teens last night, all I had to do was hit the gas once and it started immediately at high idle. Sometimes i dont have to hit the gas at all. The owners manual says anything below freezing (on a cold engine), hit the gas twice and then start it up. Anything above freezing, hit it once and start it up (cold engine).

[2oodoor]

When I figured out it wasn't working, I took it apart and it did have a hole in it. I did the RTV fix, and now it has the ability to work. I am not sure where the problem is. I have a question for the carb gurus here. Where does the vacuum go from the choke pull off valve through the small hole in the carb next to the bottom screw? I am wondering if I am losing vacuum at that location. I have not figured out where that goes. 20F felt balmy compared to earlier this week. On Tuesday it was -8F when I left for work.

Cant tell you right of the top of my head, but there is several vacuum schematics right here on the forum.
I can say that sometimes those vacuum ports on the carb can be plugged with oil cake and carbon where they feed under the carb. You would benefit from some really good berrymans carb cleaner, spray, and use the straw nozzle to spray in the ports to clear them out.

[shakakan]

After my last post, I got to looking at the vacuum schematic, and it looks like that port goes to the carb below the throttle plate, where it may indeed be blocked off, as the choke pull off does not work at all. I will pick up some carb cleaner on the way home tonight and give it a good hosing down. Hopefully that will help.

[shakakan]

Things have now gotten wierd. I got the car started this morning, no problem. Here is the weird part. I won't come off of fast idle, and what is apparently the A/C idle boost solenoid valve and something in the black box are clicking in unison, and will not stop. Any ideas of what in the heck is going on here?

[2oodoor]

Things have now gotten wierd. I got the car started this morning, no problem. Here is the weird part. I won't come off of fast idle, and what is apparently the A/C idle boost solenoid valve and something in the black box are clicking in unison, and will not stop. Any ideas of what in the heck is going on here?

where is the clicking coming from exactley, other than in the black box? Something on the carb or over on the passenger side in front of the black box?

[shakakan]

Coming from the a/c boost solenoid on the driver side fender behind the constant vacuum generator. Does it part of the time now, totally random, and when it does it, it won't come off of high idle.