Early Ford V-8 Club Forum

EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Riding with the choke, using the choke

Reply to Discussion | New Discussion << previous || next >>

Posted By Discussion Topic: Riding with the choke, using the choke     Mr51Ford 03-26-2021 @ 9:22 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 11 Joined: Mar 2021 I'm a relatively new owner of a 1951 Ford custom deluxe. A new battery was recently put in my car. The other night it took me at least two minutes to start the car. I pulled the choke out a little. Once the choke is out, when is it safe to put it back in? Is it okay for me to ride with the choke partially pulled out? Someone told me that if I push the choke back in too quickly the car can shut off. Any insight or knowledge would be appreciated, thanks. I barely know what I'm doing with this car so far! carcrazy 03-26-2021 @ 9:36 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1691 Joined: Oct 2009 The choke is used to start the car when the engine is cold. Every Flathead likes something a little different. Here is the procedure that I use to start my Flatheads. If they have just sat overnight, push the accelerator all the way to the floor and release it. Pull the choke all the way out and crank the engine until it starts and runs. Push the choke in about 3/4 of the way until after you have come to the first stop. After accelerating away from the first stop, push the coke in all the way. If it is colder than about 40 degrees F outside you might have to use the choke a little longer until the engine begins to warm up. therunwaybehind 03-27-2021 @ 8:55 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 180 Joined: May 2019 You need other words to understand the choke besides the one for starting. Look for the "unloader" and the "fast idle". These terms relate to the sort of vertically forked silver colored cam that seems to almost surround the choke arm at the manifold end of the carburetor and opposite to the throttle ball end arm. It has a linkage that goes up to a little floppy circular with a tab that is attached to the choke plate axle. There is a second screw besides the idle rpm screw that keeps the engine from stalling by raising the idle speed. None of these things are inside the driver's area. They happen under the hood when the carburetor is set up properly and the choke is manipulated to take advantage of it's features. For instance, it might seem like stepping on the gas before attempting to pull out the choke is to use the accelerator pump (another thing on the carburetor under the hood, is to squirt a shot of fuel to begin the enrichment) Actually this action unlatches the choke cams to allow the features I have described to take place. This then makes the engine seem to race a bit when first started which is why the driver might push in the choke to slow it. But because it is a on a different screw you have to move the choke knob a lot to get it so slow a bit. Once the engine warms up is when the "unloader" feature comes into play and causes the engine which seems to surge and slow and even lope a bit and smoke and gas smell if you are too slow in backing off the choke. This message was edited by therunwaybehind on 3-27-21 @ 8:56 AM 51woodie 03-29-2021 @ 11:12 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 525 Joined: Jan 2017 carcrazy is right , in that every flathead is a little different on how to start them. I have an electric pump that I use for a minute or two to prime the carb, if the car has sat for a few days, then use the same method as carcrazy. Pull the choke all the way out, pedal to the floor and release, then hit the start button. Once the engine fires, I push the choke in 3/4 of the way, then let the engine warm up for a few minutes. Depending on how cold it is the choke may need to be left on for a bit, or it can be moved to off. The purpose of stepping on the gas pedal once, is to activate the accelerator pump in the carb, to give the engine a little shot of gas into the intake. I'm not sure what therunway is referring to about "the second screw". Assuming you have a stock carb, your carb will only have one idle speed adjustment screw, and that screw is on the intermediate arm between the choke actuating lever and the throttle plate lever. That screw is used to adjust the idle speed when the engine is warm, with the choke in the off position. When the choke is engaged, the lump on the choke lever is what causes the intermediate arm to slightly rotate in the clockwise direction, causing the idle screw to push on the throttle plate lever, causing the engine to idle faster.

<< previous || next >>

NOTE: YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED USER AND BE LOGGED IN TO POST (and reply to) messages in this forum. If you are a first time user, please click the CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT in the masthead above to register and Log In. After that, all you do is LOG IN to enjoy using this site.

DISCLAIMER: The V-8 Club does no independent testing of any of the opinions, thoughts or suggestions presented in the website on the Forum, in the Tech Tips section, or any section. A reader should consider the website to be a forum wherein differing solutions to a particular set of circumstances may be discussed. Ultimately, the selection of an item for an individual's vehicle must be based upon the independent study of the vehicle owner in consultation with people in the hobby and restoration experts.

EFV-8 Club Forum Home | Back to Home Page | Contact the Webmaster

Copyright © 2009 - EFV-8.org
Powered by < CF FORUM > v.2.1