Manual or electric choke?
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4wd Low
Joined: Nov 2023
Posts: 14
Likes: 1
Manual or electric choke?
My truck has a Holley 4bbl carb without a choke. I'm finding it's a pain in the *** to start (requires multiple throttle pumps, multiple cranks, and needs throttle feather to keep it from dying until warm. Once block is warm though, starts right up) and want to install a proper choke, but not sure whether to just do manual choke or go with electric. Any thoughts? Is this an easy install for an amateur?
Logistics Pro
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 4,484
Likes: 983
From: Tri Cities, TN
My truck has a Holley 4bbl carb without a choke. I'm finding it's a pain in the *** to start (requires multiple throttle pumps, multiple cranks, and needs throttle feather to keep it from dying until warm. Once block is warm though, starts right up) and want to install a proper choke, but not sure whether to just do manual choke or go with electric. Any thoughts? Is this an easy install for an amateur?
Here is a link to Holley's choke components. Search The Holley Website
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,133
Likes: 128
From: Chico, Ca.
If you already have the cable and **** for a manual choke, I would try to make that work. If not, electric choke will be easier.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,954
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I have manual choke in my '55 Tbird, my '76 CJ, my '65 E-Pup, and will have it in all of my builds. I like simple. I drive my cars every day and never have to adjust the choke. I always found automatic chokes to be seasonal, I could never seem to make them work year round properly, seems I was always tinkering with them, or settling for them not being quite right.
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FTE Legend
Joined: Nov 2015
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From: Angier, NC
Crop Duster is right on some Holley's dont have a choke.
The early Holley HP carbs just removed the butterfly and linkage for better air flow.
Later Holley HP carbs they milled off the choke horn for even better air flow so there is no way to even put a choke on this carb.
Now after owning Holleys with full electric chokes they can be a hand full on how they work.
They stay on to long and load up by running to rich or come off to soon and stall. All is good when up to temp.
I do have older Holley that uses hot air for the choke that works pretty good.
Cant remember if it also has electric with the hot air?
I did have 1 motor with a Holley 2300 v2 carb that had a manual choke and got to say that worked pretty good as it was on a 4x4 and used in the winters in New England.
So for me it depends on what the carb has for a choke on it now and how much I want to mess with it to get it to work some what right LOL
Dave ----
The early Holley HP carbs just removed the butterfly and linkage for better air flow.
Later Holley HP carbs they milled off the choke horn for even better air flow so there is no way to even put a choke on this carb.
Now after owning Holleys with full electric chokes they can be a hand full on how they work.
They stay on to long and load up by running to rich or come off to soon and stall. All is good when up to temp.
I do have older Holley that uses hot air for the choke that works pretty good.
Cant remember if it also has electric with the hot air?
I did have 1 motor with a Holley 2300 v2 carb that had a manual choke and got to say that worked pretty good as it was on a 4x4 and used in the winters in New England.
So for me it depends on what the carb has for a choke on it now and how much I want to mess with it to get it to work some what right LOL
Dave ----
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,261
Likes: 715
I have manual choke in my '55 Tbird, my '76 CJ, my '65 E-Pup, and will have it in all of my builds. I like simple. I drive my cars every day and never have to adjust the choke. I always found automatic chokes to be seasonal, I could never seem to make them work year round properly, seems I was always tinkering with them, or settling for them not being quite right.
Also an anti theft device. I remember one winter day some time ago, my oldest was being a wise *** and told me he could drive my truck whenever he wanted or something stupid like that. Bet him $20 he couldn't even start it. He very wisely declined.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,677
Likes: 379
The one electric choke I've had was opened and closed based on position of the ignition key and how long the key was in that position. I felt that was not suitable for all weather so I converted to manual.
Perhaps more important is having a fast idle capability. Using the manual choke cable in conjunction with the gas pedal, I can choose a couple different fast idle rpms. This is nice for warming up an engine before trying to drive.
Perhaps more important is having a fast idle capability. Using the manual choke cable in conjunction with the gas pedal, I can choose a couple different fast idle rpms. This is nice for warming up an engine before trying to drive.
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