I am having issues with my choke. If it’s cold and I start the truck, the idle stays low and the choke doesn’t engage. Is there a way to set the choke? Should I floor the throttle once before starting to set it? I bought one of the chinese aftermarket carbs and this is the one I’m having the issue with. If I pull the air cleaner, the choke seems to engage properly. I don’t see that the air cleaner is interfering with the choke mechanism. Any advice on what or how to check it?

 

I have a little trouble with my china carb setting the choke also. Like you, I could go out and set it by hand, but inside in the morning it would sometimes set, sometimes not. I kept experimenting with different techniques. One that seemed to work was to floor the gas pedal once, then push the pedal again halfway and let up and not touch the pedal after that.

As the weather changes you may find you need to adjust the choke to get it zeroed in. What you do is loosen the three screws on the round black thing on the side of the carb, and turn the black piece just a tiny bit and then tighten it again. It's best to take a marker and make a mark on the black plastic and then the metal part of the carb right next to it, to give you a point of reference.

 

Dave,
Thanks for the advice. I did set the choke previously, but it seems to have a mind of its own. The carb seems to work fine once warmed up. Are you happy with the carb? I’ve read that it may need the jets widened.

 

The major parts of my carb are ok. It's already paid for itself, I get 5mpg more than I did with the old de-commisioned computer carb. But I did have a few problems.

1st was the second trial run after installation, it would buck and jerk on a hard pull. I pulled the carb apart (I have a 2100 style 2bbl) and found the power valve was loose. Instead of just tightening it I changed it out with the old on in the old carb. Fit right in and took care of the problem.

Ran it for a month no problems, but I started developing a hesitation on "tip in". That's what Ford calls when you just begin to press the gas pedal. Checked it in the driveway, I had a hesitation in the fuel squirt from the accelerator pump. I found the little red rubber check was sort of disintegrating. Again I found another in my stash of carb parts, that problem was solved.

3rd, while I had it apart for the pump problem, I noticed just a slight leakage down the side of the carb on the front pass side corner. I looked at the gasket and noticed they "missed" when they cut the gasket out, and it was not sealing the top of the carb properly. I took the one off the old carb, it was a thicker gasket. Solved that problem but the thicker gasket threw my choke lever adjustment off. So I had to do all that again.

It's been running fine since. I was having a few fuel percolation problems when summer first started, but now they seem to have gone away. Mainly during hot weather it would buck and jerk and starve for fuel. But that problem has gone away also, I think they must have finally worked their "summer blend" of fuels through the system.

 

Any motor with a carb you have to hit the throttle at least once to set the choke.
Depending on what the motor likes you may need to do it twice or as Dave dose once and hold it a little when starting and once started let off and it should run fine.
I do like Dave dose, press once and hold it a little till it starts then let off.
I have not installed my China carb as the stock one I was able to get the kinks worked out.

You have a 300 motor right?
Now on your old carb how was the choke setup? It think it should of had a wire from the ALT "S" stud and hot air from the EXH manifold.
How is the new one set up, like the old or different?
I was told if I ran the China carb I would need to move the black choke cover over and the hot air tubes.
The new carb dose not have the wire hook up and mine using the "S" stud is only about 6 volts so the hot air tubes are needed to help the choke.
Dave ----

 

My engine is the 351W. I never checked where the power comes from. I just unplugged the choke wire on the old carb and plugged it into the new chinese carb. I rotated the choke cover while holding the throttle open and positioned the butterfly cover with about about 1/8th of an inch opening. I tried it a couple times as you all suggest and it seemed to work well now. I think my idle is a little high. What’s the best way to set the idle? Timing is spot on.

 

Ok then yours is different than on my 300 six motor and my China carb as I would need to swap the black caps.
Dave ----

 

If you can find it, you should have a fast idle screw on it somewhere. It will be like the regular idle stop screw, only it's mounted somewhere else and touches the fast idle cam when the choke is on. Out of the box my fast idle was very high also, and I had to turn it down some. Remember also, after you set the choke and get the engine started after sitting overnight, it will run and fast idle, but as it warms up the idle will get faster and faster and faster. You can't walk away from a engine that has a carb like you can with a fuel injected engine. As the engine warms up, when it gets to idling too fast you need to stomp the gas pedal. This will relieve the pressure on the fast idle cam screw and let it move to one of the other fast idle steps.