[sglemans]

On the q-jet with the round choke plate, you can adjust by turning the plastic cover, but how do you do it with the factory divorced choke that goes into the intake manifold? I saw a Youtube video that said to line up the rod with the bottom edge of the hole with the choke plate closed and the rod fully down, but mine has that rod with the U-bend in the middle, so it is different.
Also, how can you tell if there is enough tension on the spring?

[Sirrotica]

Spring tension isn't adjustable, bending the U bend is used to adjust the length of the rod, as you have already said, align the rod with the hole as described.

The choke stove used to be available with a new spring assembly, I'm not sure if there is still a source for new aftermarket choke stove parts, or not.

[Cliff R]

Release time is set by changing the length of the rod or bending it. You really don't have much of a "range" with a divorced choke. The shorter you make the rod the longer it will take to fully open. If you are trying to make it open sooner, just make sure that when the engine is dead cold and you "set" the choke it has enough tension to fully close the choke flap.

Also keep in mind that the BIG player here is the pull-off and how well it is adjusted. It must be set to unload the choke to keep the engine from being to rich and stalling out, but not open it so far that it goes lean and stalls.

There is a very fine line between rich and lean when adjusting the pull-off and it may take several starts on a dead cold engine to find the ideal setting. With divorced choke Pontiac carbs the correct adjustment of the pull-off also involves bending some parts.

Primitive to say the least, but once you nail down the correct settings it will be flawless in all scenarios when doing a cold start on your engine.......Cliff

[Kenth]

This may help some.
R-notch is rich setting and L-notch is lean.
Adjusting rod end to center notch is a good start.

[sglemans]

Originally Posted by Kenth

This may help some.
R-notch is rich setting and L-notch is lean.
Adjusting rod end to center notch is a good start.

Interesting, I never noticed that there is a L and R on that piece. The pic is a bit unclear, is it supposed to be in the center notch? And that's with the choke rod all the way down in the "open" position and the plate on top closed?

[sglemans]

Ok I am getting a bit confused here, can someone tell me if anything seems off in this pic? Even though it's out of the pic, the upper flap is closed and the fast idle cam is on the fastest setting. My problem is that lately it's started taking at least 15 minutes for the choke to open, though the weather has been pretty cold here (in the 40's most of the time). In other words, it barely starts opening until at least 15 minutes of driving. Don't know why my pic's keep coming out sideways

[sglemans]

Another pic same position (sorry my finger got in the way) This one came out right side up (??)

[Cliff R]

The outside temperatures wouldn't have a big effect on how long it takes to open as the choke is heated by heat from the exhaust crossover. It still takes a little longer to heat up colder iron, but not 15 minutes longer.

I did notice looking at the pics that the link from the pull-off back to the secondaries is bent down slightly. The part on the choke lever it intersects with to unload the choke is bent back pretty far to compensate. Nothing really wrong there but it wouldn't need bent nearly as far is the link was straight and not bent down.

Might want to vacuum test the choke pull-off. If it's got a hole in the diaphragm it will not unload the choke correctly.

I'd also check to make sure the crossover isn't blocked, the metal under the divorced choke should get hot very quickly after a cold start. Within a minute or so it should be so hot you couldn't touch it without having to pull away quickly......Cliff

[Kenth]

Originally Posted by sglemans

Interesting, I never noticed that there is a L and R on that piece. The pic is a bit unclear, is it supposed to be in the center notch? And that's with the choke rod all the way down in the "open" position and the plate on top closed?

Yes, use the center notch.
Move the choke rod to the end of its travel, this means UP since the chokeblade is closed and the fast idle cam in UP position for the adjustment.
Are you sure of the pull-off holding vakuum? The arm to pull-off rod looks crazy bent.
With choke closed, added vakuum to the pull-off should open the choke blade 1/4" at front end to wall of choke housing.

[sglemans]

Thx. for the info.
The pulloff does "pull" with the engine running, , so it seems to be working, but I had to bend the arm backwards so that it would be pulled by the choke pulloff rod, otherwise it was not touching it and did not work. Believe it or not, it was actually bent the other way too much before, aka bent to the right so it was almost touching the part with the 34988 numbers on it.

Cliff, what part of the rod is bent the wrong way? I'm kind of seeing a slight sag in the middle by the bend where the arm is touching, is that it?

[Cliff R]

It should NOT have the "sag" in it. That makes it intersect with the arm too low and requires it to be bent back further to get the choke flap open far enough for a cold start-up.

Bend the link so it's straight and no sag in it. This will make it contact at a higher point and open the flap further.

Also vacuum test the pull-off, compressing it and putting your finger over the end is good enough but I like to put a Mighty Vac on them.

None of this will have anything to do with the choke staying on too long. That's going to be the spring is shot or not getting heated up enough from the intake. Hopefully the exhaust crossover isn't blocked or restricted. I see folks using plates to block them off all the time, then wondering why the choke takes just about FOREVER to open.

Unless you live at or near the equator and it never drops much below 90 degrees outside there are no benefits waiting for you by blocking off the exhaust crossovers in the intake.......Cliff

[Kenth]

Here is a picture showing parts correctly bent.
With choke held closed, added vakuum to the pull-off should pull the rod against the arm to open the choke blade 1/4" at front edge.

[sglemans]

Working on getting a straighter rod and/or fixing the current one for the pull-off.
In terms of the choke not opening, I went out to check and squirted water on the center branch under the choke after about 5 minutes of running. . The water sizzled off the center runner, but when I squirted water on the rectangular choke housing it just sat there in a puddle. Does this mean it is not heating up properly? Also, during that 15 minutes or so before it warms up it keeps getting stuck on the fast idle. If you manage to slow it down, a slight tap on the throttle linkage or gas pedal puts it right back to stuck on fast idle again.

[Kenth]

At this point i would lift off the intake to make sure the crossover channel is open. May be blocked by previous owner?
If the channel is open, i would try another (new) choke.

[Schurkey]

https://www.chevelles.com/techref/Ad...tic_Chokes.htm

[sglemans]

It only started doing this a few months ago, so I don't think the prev. owner did anything, but you never know
Is there some method of checking if the choke spring has enough tension?

[Kenth]

The rod should be pushed up, by the bimetal spring, as far as it goes with engine cold.

[sglemans]

Can someone answer a few questions about this pic of the fast idle mechanism,

1. What is the metal wire there for (going around the screw on the bottom and sticking out left and right)? Is that supposed to be there? It's not there on a spare qjet that I have, although the spare is from an Olds.

2. What is the hole on the right side behind the U-shaped opening (next to where the "L" is)? Is that normal or is there supposed to be something there?

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by sglemans

1. What is the metal wire there for (going around the screw on the bottom and sticking out left and right)? Is that supposed to be there? It's not there on a spare qjet that I have, although the spare is from an Olds.

That "wire" is a spring. If you move the various parts, you'll find what it's holding in place.

Originally Posted by sglemans

2. What is the hole on the right side behind the U-shaped opening (next to where the "L" is)? Is that normal or is there supposed to be something there?

Not sure...but...Isn't that where you stuff the gauge pin (or blunt end of drill bit) when checking the R--L adjustment?

[sglemans]

Shurckey, can you explain further about the drill bit? Never heard that one before