Electric Choke Element

[gr_diver]

Hello Everyone!!!

I know that most of you guys have water-choke elements fitted on your carbs from the factory, but does anybody know of a web-site selling electric choke elements or maybe a kit to convert to manual choke?

I have found a brand new Solex, I hope to have it in a couple of days, but the only thing missing is the electric choke element, and since the one on my current carb is not functioning properly (distorted spring) I would like to buy a new to install in the new carb...



Thanks in advance!!!!

[baz]

hi i dont know if the solex came with electric choke !!
you may be able to do a swop with a one from a weber but if not a car parts shop should be able to get you a universal cable choke kit you can screw the end plate to where the water choke went and run the cable through to the dash to work it

[greensmurf20]

i know the 73 GTs came with electric choke solex carbs, maybe it was just 73 GTs, or maybe 73 and later opels? not sure but i used to have one. as baz said, i'd imagine theres springs with similar dimension from another carb that'll work, they're all pretty much the same thing.

[nobody]

On the same topic I was wondering if Opels came stock with an electric choke for a Solex?

[Killer Texas GT]

My 73 Rallye has an electric choke on a Solex carb still running stock set up first one that I have seen.

[nobody]

The reason I ask is I know of a box full of carbs all with electric chokes.

[RallyBob]

Every Manta and Ascona I've owned here in the northeast has been equipped with an electric choke on the Solex. When I worked for C & R stripping Opels 20 years ago most of the Opels we got were electric choke. I'd estimate only about 3 in 10 were water choke, but that may be a regional thing.

Bob

[greensmurf20]

bob may be onto something about it being a regional thing. 9 opels in last few years and friends manta have all been waterchoked except 1 GT.

[gr_diver]

Well, looks like I managed to fix my electric-choke element!!!!

I have made an optical inspection in the inside of it several times, but the only thing I could spot as wrong was that the bi-metal spring had become a bit eccentric. I managed to fix that about 2 months ago, I located the spring to where it should be (by eye) when it was cold, fixed it there with a wire, then heated it several times with a lighter and the cooled quickly using cold water. This cured the eccentricity...

Today, I thought that there might be an electrical malfunction. So I took out my multi-meter, and the resistance across the element (which was cold) was only about 50 Ohms. Well it looked low to me for a heater resistor... So I made a better inspection and found out that (due to age propably), at two points the small spring like heater resitor in the bottom (under the bi-metal) touched the metal cover (ground) towards the inside of it's curve. Using a jeweler's screwdriver I slightly moved it away so that they were not touching. I then measured the resisance acrosss the element and it was at about 5,5 K Ohms.

I have been very pessimistic concerning my carb's choke lately (it's been bothering me for the last 3 years), and thinking that this would do nothing at all I put it back on the car, aligned with the center mark as I usually keep it, and drove off to buy cigarettes. I was impressed that after a two minutes drive the choke was still engaged!!!! (in the past even if I put such tension that the engine would stagger due to excessive choke it would completely disengage in about a minute). So I continued driving around until it would come completely off, and this miraculously happened when the water temperature went just above the blue "cold" range!!!!

Went back home and measured the resistance again. With the element hot it was 0,45 KOhms.

Well, I am trying not to get much excited because in the past many things looked working after repairs, so I believe that it will take about 3-4 days and 4-6 cold starts to be sure it is working properly...

I posted this because I thought it might be of interest to some. I will post news on the subject in the following days...

[gr_diver]

Well looks like there's no going back for some things that have gone bad....

The choke element worked flawlessly the first time, as I posted, just good the second time, and back to it's previous bad habbit the third time... Nothing else to do with it, so a replacement must be found....