Electric Choke Wiring Help

[Richard Dobson]

I am replacing a 6 cyl with a big block, the carb is a edelbrock with a electric choke. How do I wire it, it says it need to be wired to a keyed switch?? Could someone walk me through this wiring process. Thanks

[hyarbour]

Maybe this will help.

http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/g...3d801129c5.gif

[panhandler62]

Any wire that has potential when the ignition is on will do.

[Richard Dobson]

Can you be more specific as to what wire I should splice into, I have a 396 with a hei distributor.

[Mickey_D]

Buy a $5-$10 digital multimeter. Use it to find a wire that has 12V on it only when the ignition is turned on. Best bet would be either a wiper motor or heater blower wire.

Double check that the wire only has 12V on it when the ignition is turned on and 0V when the ignition is off or in ACC position.

Once you find that wire, splice your choke wire into it and you're done.

[Richard Dobson]

Thanks MikeyD, very plain almost like "Wiring Elect. for Choke for Dummy's".

[Richard Dobson]

Can anything be done to wire the electric choke from the fuse box?

[impala_631]

Originally Posted by Richard Dobson

Can anything be done to wire the electric choke from the fuse box?

that can be done also,

[Richard Dobson]

What all is involved in doing this, I mean besides getting the wire and fuse. What place on the fuse box can I use. I can take pictures of my fuse box if that would help. Thanks

[Mickey_D]

Depends on if you have the Silverado or the Custom Deluxe. A Silverado won't have too many empty slots in the fuse block like a Custom Deluxe will. Any empty fuse slot that runs an accessory that's only on with the ignition will work.

Some examples would be A/C, cruise control, fog/driving lights, power windows.

Some examples that WON'T work would be power mirrors, power seats, cargo lamp. (these are all things that have power 24/7)

If you find an empty slot that doesn't have any wires going to it, you can still use it. You just need get some crimp on wire connectors the right size for your fuse and figure out a way to get them to stay in the slots. Then you wire a "hot" lead in that's tapped into an ignition controlled source, and the other wire goes to the choke. But this is a lot of extra wire (and a possible chafe point going through the firewall).

I personally would tap in to the wiper motor power or the heater blower power under the hood. The choke heater isn't much in the way of a power drain, so one of those crimp on taps will work fine.

And you mentioned a fuse. You can get a fusible link from NAPA that you want to put as close to the tapping point as possible. A 5A or 7.5A fuse would be good.

[Thealien]

He said he has HEI, can't he just tap into that power source?

[Richard Dobson]

Sorry guys, I guess I need to be more specific. My truck is a 71 that I am putting a 396 with a Edlebrock 1411 carb with a electric choke. Since it had a 6 cyl 250 engine with a 1 barrell I need to wire it for the electric choke on the Edlebrock carb. I was hoping that I can put a wire from the fuse panel to the choke but you guys have some other ideas that I like also which would be easier maybe. I had thought about putting a wire with a blade terminal on the switch panel which would go to the elect choke. I don't know where to put it on the fuse panel. Thanks for your replies.

[6T8&O-her-1]

Originally Posted by Thealien

He said he has HEI, can't he just tap into that power source?

This is where the area of "Tapping in" gets tricky...At least in my case. I am currently having trouble with my ignition dropping out on me after driving on the highway, or for just driving a constant speed for about 5 mins.. The Truck I bought about a month ago has the Choke wire tapped into the Distributor B+ wire. The other day when mine quit like it had No fire, No fuel, Backfired several times then just quit running all together. I pulled over and was checking for fuel in the filter...It was Slammed Full so that ruled out fuel delivery. I left the key on where the "GENERATOR" light was still on. I was looking around and then saw some smoke coming from the wire Harness on the firewall. Whoaaaaa! It was coming from the Cloth, or Whatever material they use to cover the B+ wire, but it was coming from where the Choke was spliced in, all the way up through the harness to where it plugs into the Firewall / Fuse box on the other side. My theory is, Whatever is in the choke that Bends (Spring??? Bi-metal strip?), moves, or does its doo, was causing a short circuit on the B+ wire and Killing the IGN. I have been battling this for 2 weeks, and finally saw something to direct me into this direction. One night it was spitting and backfiring so bad, I could see plumes of black smoke behind me so it makes sense....When the choke Fails it closes right??? (or is the other way around where it will only close when voltage is present??) and that will dump fuel into the motor so now it makes sense to me of all the smoke. I have sense replaced the Coil, and the Ignition Module thinking one of these may be heating up but it still cut out on me. I have not been able to test it since disconnecting the Choke wire from B+ wire due to the weather. But I wonder if anyone else has ever had this problem or a problem with the Electric choke causing a Ground or blowing Fuses??? I am using a Holley Carb. This is the only thing I can think of that could cause this...Any takers?

[6T8&O-her-1]

After some research, I have read that its better to power Electric chokes off of the Field Wire on the alternator since directly tapping into the IGN wire, it may act as a Ballast Resistor and pull the voltage to IGN down which is what I think happened to me. It makes since in theory anyway. The Heater coil for the choke should only be powered when the Engine is Running, and not just when the IGN is on. Reasonable because sometimes like when you are sitting with the Radio on or ACC on where the Gen light is lit, the heater will sit there and just Heat up for no reason. By connecting a relay on the Field wire of the Alternator, it will only receive power when the alternator is rotating, and this only occurs when the engine is running. Please correct me if I am wrong because with this sucky NC weather (70 degrees one day and Rain, Sleet, and snow the next...) I am on the Down side of the weather and am eager to get back under the hood to fix this monster!! Plus, all the switching is done under the hood and not loading up the Weak 12v Bus that supplies the rest of the truck. I also found out by reading that even the headlights usually have a Weak supply of voltage by the time the Voltage goes thru the headlight switch and then to the Headlights...typically 11 volts Plus or minus a 1/2 volt... Putting Relays on your headlights on these older GM's seems to get the full 12volts. Any Comments?

[Longhorn Man]

just run a wire into the cab to the ignition unfused terminal. Put a small inline fuse on the wire, and you are done. If the terminal is used already, then just tap into that power wire, or place a spade terminal that splits off into 2 terminals like they would have done from the factory if you had a tach and cruise together.

[69DISASTER]

I have been reading this thread as I have just installed an Edelbrock 600 vaccuum secondary on my truck and was wondering about hooking up the electric choke myself. Here's my question. There are 2 terminals on the electric choke, which one do I connect power to?

[Wrenchbender Ret]

Originally Posted by 69DISASTER

I have been reading this thread as I have just installed an Edelbrock 600 vaccuum secondary on my truck and was wondering about hooking up the electric choke myself. Here's my question. There are 2 terminals on the electric choke, which one do I connect power to?

Either one. Ground the other.

[GuyO]

Like Longhorn said, use the "Ignition Unfused" terminal on the right side of the fuse block near the bottom just above the wiper fuse. I have also used the pink tach pigtail lead that allows another connection because I plug my sound system amps into the "ignition unfused"