Electronic choke, is this busted?

[greenteagod]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlVCh6QEZtA

So I never have been able to get the electronic choke to work right on this. When I first got it I noticed that it had a crack in the housing. What I've had to do is just manually rotate it so that the choke stays wide open all the time, otherwise it sputters and dies.

When I was messing around with it hooked up and the engine running, I wiggled the wire a bit while it was connected and the idle would change by a couple hundred rpm, like it was doing something. I have a feeling though that middle bit shouldn't just spin totally free like that, and that something rattling around inside probably isn't good either.

Also forgive the angle, shooting in the sunlight with the pad while trying to see something in your hands isn't the easiest thing =D

[greenteagod]

Oh, also just read up from weber about adjusting the electronic choke. Part of it says "Tighten the three 7mm hex head screws without distorting the
retainer ring" Not sure if you can see it from my shot there but that retainer ring was tightened down about as much as it could possibly be and is totally bent. That's how it came. Even got it from redline, so wtf on that.

I'm thinking that mine is busted and I should just plunk down the $25 or so for a new one.

Full text of the adjustment of course from BradMPH's wiki entry, section 5D

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showwiki.php?title=Fuel+Management+System:Trouble+ Shooting+Weber+Carburetor

[camoit]

The rattle noise is the winding but the plug should not spin.

[greenteagod]

Yeah the plug is totally free in there. I can almost remove it save for the flare on the other side of the plastic puck. I'll just nab a new one then. I put my thumb on the winding and it still made the same exact sound, so it wasn't the winding making that noise. Unless there's a small winding inside the black bit. I think though, it's probably whatever held the plug to the winding that's free in there. After I get a new one in I'll bust this one apart and see what it's doing.

[camoit]

take pictures and put it in the wiki with some kind of setting instructions and whats what, in there. We have people asking this question all the time.

[greenteagod]

Will do. I'll just follow the weber guide and illustrate it. And hopefully it actually works =D

[pennyman1]

the winding is a heat activated spring that moves the choke linkage as it heats up. The adjustment to the housing determines how fast or slow it opens up. If everything is loose, it won't work, as you have already figured out. If that carb was new with a broke choke spring, I'd have them replace it for you.

[greenteagod]

Yeah it was new, but it was also about a year and a half ago that I put it on. I just never bothered to read up on it to see if that was considered busted, but they definitely screwed it up right out of the shop. I've only driven about 2000 miles on this carb, but still I think the time that's passed would end with them telling me to piss off.

[camoit]

a year and a half, yea you should expect that kind of answer. I see it a lot with my build truck. After 3 years in the box it was out of warranty. But that was to be expected as I had no parts to build the truck around. The next time it should be faster and better.

[Acuta73]

Never know til ya try. Call em and explain the situation, the worst that happens is they do, in fact, tell you to piss off. But they might not...

Had a set of rotors for my truck that sat here for over a year before I realized the guy gave me the wrong set. Took em back to NAPA, the looked to make sure I didn't use them (like I could have?), and promptly gave me my set that was STILL sitting in their inventory. And they gave me money back for screwing it up.

Just never know.

[greenteagod]

Well, the new choke is in and I'll be damned if I can get it to work. Adjusted it based on the weber instructions. Can't even get the truck to start. Go in and manually crank the choke open and it starts right up. The only thing that I need is abit of fast idle in the cold mornings but this choke is not working at all.

[camoit]

When you put it on, make sure the throttle is held open by a brick or somthing on the pedal. Then put the coil on. Turn it slowly by hand tell it closes the choke plate lightly. If it's too tight you will have problems. Loose is fine. Tighten up the screws. Remove the brick, install the wire and turn on the key. Check for power. If that good then reach down and hold the throttle open and look at the movement of the choke plate. It should only take about 45 seconds or so to open. If that works then set the high idle after starting it.
Let us know how it goes. Keep in mind only rotate it the correct way, otherwise it won't close the choke.

[greenteagod]

Should I have the throttle full open? The instructions say a third open and I did that and closed it and it was all "NO" but I'll give it another try when it's not raining at full throttle if that method works better.

[camoit]

All it needs to be is just a touch open. The big thing is not to make it real tight or it will never open or take forever. The only reason to open it, is so it can go onto the high idle cam. Once it's on there it doesn't matter. Once you have the speed screw sitting on the high idle cam you can let go the throttle. It's all about the tension or the coil... It needs to be able to suck open a little after it starts. 1/4 inch or so. You got my number call me and I can walk you through it when you are looking at it.