choke or no choke?

[MT_Mopar]

Hey Dev - I just warmed up my 440 with a Quickfuel 950 and no choke. Outside temp is 35F. I haven't ran the engine since Halloween, and the temps here are going lower so I thought I would warm her up before the holidays and severe cold (high of 20F predicted).

I keep a stubby standard screwdriver in the car and just tweak the idle up a scosh during warm-up, tweak here down to ~950 or so when warm.

No Choke... No problemo.

 

[HT413]

On a whim I decided to take my belvedere for a cruise to the gym tonight. 37* out, 2 pumps of the throttle and she fired right up. Cruised on down the road just fine without even really warming her up. Thank you electric choke.

 

[747mopar]

I fired mine up last night with the choke cranked wide open and no problem, fired it up tonight with the choke and no real difference..... actually seemed to prefer no choke?

Had another interesting conversation with Don at FBO today, he's completely against chokes on performance motors! He had some good reasoning some of which have more to do with the specific carb that he's recommending for my use. One point he made was you shouldn't even be driving a performance motor until it's fully warmed up anyways, the other was that chokes are a recipe for carbon deposits which is hard to argue so for me if it will fire off I have no issue warming it up since I do anyways.

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?????????????????????? decisions

 

[mopar 3 B]

No choke, not a daily driver, has never had any oil in it but Volvoline 50 wt racing. Starts below 30° are not practical and with out a working heater it is going no where anyway at that temperature.

 

[MarPar]

On a whim I decided to take my belvedere for a cruise to the gym tonight.

you cheeky voyeur you...:toothy12:

 

[SlinktRR]

I fired mine up last night with the choke cranked wide open and no problem, fired it up tonight with the choke and no real difference..... actually seemed to prefer no choke?

Had another interesting conversation with Don at FBO today, he's completely against chokes on performance motors! He had some good reasoning some of which have more to do with the specific carb that he's recommending for my use. One point he made was you shouldn't even be driving a performance motor until it's fully warmed up anyways, the other was that chokes are a recipe for carbon deposits which is hard to argue so for me if it will fire off I have no issue warming it up since I do anyways.

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?????????????????????? decisions

I wouldnt worry about carbon deposits since the choke isnt closed all that long. Does make for quick easy starts on the first turn of the key as HT413 said. Its nice but not absolutely mandatory. I just started my 800cfm edel today in 30 degrees at the paint shop where it sat for 2 months and it started up good on 2nd fire with the fuse pulled on the choke and the plate wide open. I plan on getting a QF 950 without choke like MT's when the new motor is built, I was concerned like you but now not as much. I had a carbureted 600cc sportbike when I was in school and it would never start in the cold without the choke. I remember taking a winter trip with it (I was young and rode the thing everywhere/anytime). I could not start the bastard on a cold 20F morning even with the choke closed. I had to roll it out into the morning light and let it sun itself, then choke and start. Big block hasnt given me these problems.

 

[MT_Mopar]

A good ignition makes a difference too :headbang:

 

[Derwud]

Go EFI and forget about chokes all together!!

 

[cdr]

Charlie has no choke, neither does Sonny.

 

[747mopar]

Go EFI and forget about chokes all together!!

NEVER To me these cars are as much a toy to tinker with as they are something to drive so if I can't reason with it with a screwdriver or wrench it isn't going on the car! Fuel injection is great just not for me........ maybe someday?

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Charlie has no choke, neither does Sonny.

Still pondering??????

 

[Derwud]

If you are going to race it, no choke. If you are going to drive it and enjoy it, choke it.. Something nice about 2 pumps, vroom, and go...
As for EFI, I have a Jaguar to piss me off with Carbs... I would like my Charger to be a little less tinkery....

 

[Dennis H]

850 Demon. No choke operating. Predict 33 here tonight! Drove it to work. Warm up for 3-5 minutes seems to do the trick. I was just playing around with idle. I like 750. Here is my hokey throttle spring.

 

[Grabinov911]

I'm actually running a Quickfuel 850 from Don - and with no choke at his recommendation. Also running his ignition. As they say, "granted i'm in California" but I have no problem starting. Two pumps and turn the key. Does take a gentle foot on the gas for about the first minute.

My car looks almost exactly like yours, so I would think yours should run just as well. A choke may not be necessary on an orange car... :icon_lol:

 

[383man]

I never use a choke on my hotrod. But I always use a double pump carb and they are easier to start in cold weather then carbs with a single pump. I have started my 63 in 20 degree weather with no choke as I just have to work the gas pedal when first started. I rarely ever start it when that cold but I can. Oh and its just a basic Holley 850 DP. Ron

 

[747mopar]

You guys are making it hard to decide, pretty even amount on both sides... My Demon is for sale on here right now so once it sells I'll have to make up my mind.

 

[beezee]

Devon,I had a 950 Quickfuel Q-series ,no choke.I have now gone with the Fast EZ port injection and the Quickfuel is every bit as good as the EFI,in fact the carb started better than the EFI. Two pumps and it,s running. With a little heat in the engine I would "touch" the key with out touching the gas and the engine is running.I also was using a Holley Street Dominator intake. The only advantage of EFI was a smoother idle and the ability to tune from the drivers seat.

 

[747mopar]

Good to know, don't know if it was FAST or not but I read an article comparing fuel injection to a carb and the carb started easier as well. The particular fuel injection they were testing needed 1 full revolution of the motor before it kicked in so a good tuned motor would always beat it. Thanks Bee

Hope to make it up again next year... my daughter is still talking about that trip and all the cool cars not to mention that fun little trip on the way to the show.

 

[HT413]

Devon,I had a 950 Quickfuel Q-series ,no choke.I have now gone with the Fast EZ port injection and the Quickfuel is every bit as good as the EFI,in fact the carb started better than the EFI. Two pumps and it,s running. With a little heat in the engine I would "touch" the key with out touching the gas and the engine is running.I also was using a Holley Street Dominator intake. The only advantage of EFI was a smoother idle and the ability to tune from the drivers seat.

That's exactly how my car behaves - a little heat and the car fires right off without touching the gas. Holley 750 vac secondary and my trusty MSD 6AL.

 

[747mopar]

The ignition might be the trick because I'm running a 6AL as well?

 

[Derwud]

Sequential set-ups might require the full rotation to get crank and cam signals for ignition.. Most throttle body set ups don't have a crank sensor signal, so should fire up like or better than a carb.