TQ choke assist

i_taz

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Hi all, drifted over here from the e-body side. I had an itch to scratch putting a TQ on my 440 I thought this would be the place to look for support.

I tried running it w/o a choke but have a hard time with warm starts so I decided to reinstall it. However, I don't know were to wire the heat assist, which I will most certainly need since I blocked my crossover. If I hook it up to were my 1411 electric choke was, which came right off the alternator I blow a fuse wired into the ignition switch.

I'm thinking a manual would be a btr way to go but they don't seem to have been designed with that ever in mind...


Jack
 
upload_2021-9-23_11-24-35.png


Heating element is wired to the choke control switch and that is wired to the ignition "run" circuit. At least, that's how mine is.

Hope this helps
 
Is the "Choke Control Switch" something of an ambient air temp sensor, to modulate the current to the choke assist heating?

Enjoy!
CBODY67
 
Is the "Choke Control Switch" something of an ambient air temp sensor, to modulate the current to the choke assist heating?

Enjoy!
CBODY67
Yes. According to my FSM the switch servers two purposes, 1) above 68 F the control switch will energize the choke heater and 2) around 130 F it will turn off the power to the choke heater.
 
Sure does but as expected there $100 and up. Does anybody have a pic of how you wired into the run circuit and/or at the ballast?
 
That's the logical choice but I'm still in the that curiosity phase and you know
what that usually means....;P
What I like about this piece is the simplicity and adjustability. I can adjust it so the choke comes off fairly fast... My car really only needs the choke for start up and the first mile or so, so I have it set accordingly.

And it's only $50.
 
I've had them before, I just wanted to see how this works. It came with the carb and manifold. I never knew about the heat assist. I'll end up going your route but as long as this doesn't cost me anything I'll try it... I'm guessing your's skips the controller ?

I also read were the choke can be connected the oil pressure sending unit ...?
 
I've had them before, I just wanted to see how this works. It came with the carb and manifold. I never knew about the heat assist. I'll end up going your route but as long as this doesn't cost me anything I'll try it... I'm guessing your's skips the controller ?

I also read were the choke can be connected the oil pressure sending unit ...?
It has its own little "controller" that bolts to the manifold in place of the original unit. Mine is actually a '73 TQ manifold in my '70 300.

I've never heard of wiring it to the oil sender, so I think that's some misinformation.
 
I thought I could just run the heat assist continuously like an electric choke
and that would compensate for the blocked crossover but not sure there designed for that unless the controller is mainly an emissions thing ? It could also, potentially limit were I could connect it since it will draw more amps.
 
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Chevy wired some electric chokes through the oil pressure sending unit. Takes one with two terminals rather than one terminal. Keeps the choke off unless the engine is actually running. When I upgraded my '77 Camaro 305 to a 4bbl 4160 w/elec choke, I tried that but it didn't work as desired. So I discovered another switched-hot wire and used it instead. Also tried the Holley "thermocouple" to modulate the power to the choke related to engine temp. That didn't work for me, either. So it's wired direct, and had been for the past 600K+ miles.

FWIW,
CBODY67
 
600k...?!? I read on B bodies some guys use the wiper circuit but I'm led to believe the choke itself draws only .5 amps were the heat assist more like 2
1) Did you block your crossover, 2) Are we talking about the heat assist probe or just the choke ?
 
600k...?!? I read on B bodies some guys use the wiper circuit but I'm led to believe the choke itself draws only .5 amps were the heat assist more like 2
1) Did you block your crossover, 2) Are we talking about the heat assist probe or just the choke ?

I'm not sure what you are trying to say, but it's a pretty simple system. The choke has a small wire coil that heats the choke and there's a control switch that bolts to the manifold.

The coil is going to draw a little power, but the switch isn't going to draw anything. It's just a thermal switch that controls how much current is flowing from the coil to ground. As the manifold gets warmer, the switch allows more current which makes the coil get hotter, which in turn, makes the choke open more.

Honestly, you're over thinking this.
 
I'm not sure what you are trying to say, but it's a pretty simple system. The choke has a small wire coil that heats the choke and there's a control switch that bolts to the manifold.

The coil is going to draw a little power, but the switch isn't going to draw anything. It's just a thermal switch that controls how much current is flowing from the coil to ground. As the manifold gets warmer, the switch allows more current which makes the coil get hotter, which in turn, makes the choke open more.

Honestly, you're over thinking this.
I agree. It’s a simple solution. Kim
 
Isn't the controller more of just a on/off deal...? Lets forget about that for now.
On a regular divorced choke the bi metal spring is not energized, it operates on heat only. The TQ chokes added the 'heat assist' to pull the choke off earlier to aid in what else....???
Mopar heat assist choke.jpg
Thermoquad-Choke-Thermostat-Chrysler-Dodge-Choke-Thermostat-Thermoquad-_1.jpg
Save polar bears, Look at it as a miniature aquarium heater and it does draw more amps than just a spring... Simple enough

As I said, in the absence of thermo heat from the crossover I thought let the
'heat assist' do the crossover's job, on it's own, by itself.... Simple, No....???
Then I find out about the controller and hooking up to the windshield wipers, oil sending unit, ballast, screws with coil, you name it... not so simple anymore...!

It's moot anyhow... After a 15 mile drive, I can grab the intake and it's barely warm, so without the crossover the divorced bi-metal spring won't budge and w/o hooking up the 'heat assist' element it never will. Simpler just get the conversion kit... :) However, I'm also learning is it's not such a no brainer to block the crossover anyhow, espcially with an air gap type manifold. Hurts fuel vaporization, potential fuel puddling, on and on. Nothing is as simple as it seems...
 
The TQ electric choke I bought came with the heat assist gizmo. Is it needed and whats its function since it goes to ground ? My Edelbrock didn't use anything like this...

IMG_20211030_203534973[1].jpg
 
That looks like the Holley Thermister I got when I did the electric choke 4bbl on one of my cars. Supposed to modulate current to the elec choke thermostat heater via engine temperature. So the choke does not open too quickly on a cold engine, they claimed. I hooked it as the ground for the elec choke circuit, mounting it to an intake manifold bolt. Could not tell that it did anything beneficial, so I took it off. Just set the choke thermostat so that it barely closes with an ambient temp (cold engine and everything attached to it, i.e., not started or run for probably 6 hrs or so) of 70 degrees F. Just closes by itself, without any help. Then with a good thermostat, when the engine fires the choke pull-off will take over.

It looks to not be useable on an OEM Chrysler system, to me. Or needed. Set the choke thermostat as I mentioned and things should work pretty well, from my experiences. In doing so, on a "seasoned" thermostat spring, you could well end up with a setting that is one notch leaner than the OEM FSM setting might be, as the seasoned thermostats tend to get tighter with age and use. So you have to back it off a slight bit to get "like new" performance.

From my experiences,
CBODY67
 
Maybe the OEM unit helps control particularly a divorced choke with the heat assist shown above but I think that gets a feed from the ballast or some other source. This only has one lead and it goes to the ground on the choke so I don't see it doing anything. I'll skip it for now....Thnx for the tips !
 
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IF you have the heat crossover passages blocked, one way or another, then something like the TQ 9801 (aftermarket calibrated for a '70 383 4bbl application, or thereabouts) with an integral electric choke might be an option. Or adding those parts to an existing TQ? It had a normal electric choke mechanism on the rh side of the carb.
 
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