Carb Choke broken??

Orlando76 wrote: Should be same as your battery voltage.

Gotcha. I'll check it tomorrow after work.

backfoot100 wrote: John, As long as it's adjusted properly, you'll be amazed how nice the boat will start.

+1^^^

Also, voltage doesn't give a rats ass about the choke closing. The only thing that causes the choke to close is the spring retracting as it cools off. The 12v will open the choke. You want to check and make sure. PCM wired chokes directly to 12v source wires (should be red) Other maranizations I have seen sometimes use the resisted side of the ballast. Anywho, you will probably see between 11 and 11.5 with the key source on if you are reading it with a meter.

I think the only reason the red piece is there was to be the function of fast idle if it was an automotive carb.

We see coils out of range all the time on boats that customers bring in the say they have to pump it more than they used to. I am kind of a stickler on cold starts.

The pcm manual gives you a 2-3 pump procedure and hold at 1200 rpm for 30 seconds. I like to try really hard and make them start with the key only and no pumps . Every boat is different though.

Another note, don't turn the coil past the range listed on the choke housing or you could bend the spring out of range and be right back in the same boat (no pun intended).

Ha, it's a pretty neat spot to hang out. Outside of that I really haven't tinkered with the Fish Bowl style Holley's. We did run a "Summit" fish bowl style on a fairly hot SBC a while ago. I am sure Holley made it and branded it "Summit Racing".

Jet changes are cake easy on the fish bowl style carbs as you loose no fuel when you crack the top open.

No you need to adjust it cooled off and the key off. As soon as the key is on that coil under the cap heats up and opens the choke slowly at a predetermined time giving the engine time to warm up. You are almost there--- just make sure you have about a 1/8" gap from fully closed.

So I readjusted everything yesterday. Engine was cold. Choke was open 1/8" upon start-up. She fired right up after the triple pump, but she sputtered out after about 10-15 seconds. Seemed like she was idling low, but once she's warm she idles at about 750 in neutral on the hose. Should I up the idle even more? Very annoying when trying to start cold.

I agree with Pete, Ford's in my experience are definitely cold blooded but my '76 seems to be an exception. Our '75 SN can't even pull off the trailer until 140 so every time it goes to the lake we have to do a thorough hose and bucket warm up to prevent hogging the ramp. My '67 Bronco 302 is ridiculously cold natured too.

Sounds just like dad's boat to a T.

Whenever I feel bad about blocking the ramp, I just think of the guy before me who blocked, and the guy before him, and so on.

John, there are a lot of things that go into tuning it to run perfectly after first start up. You need to get a vacuum gauge on it to set the idle circuits properly. I personally like a little hotter idle than specified.

Like Eddie said, I like to run about 600-650 in gear while moving. Pushing the trailer is when the idle circuits should be set to max vacuum readings. 600-650 in gear moving will make neutral idle between 800-850.

The factory timing setting for idle is very conservative (I don't know why). It is also conservative on total advance. These boats run very well cold when the BTDC timing at idle is around 10-12 degrees instead of 6 or so (which makes them very lazy). That will also get you around 32-34 total advance on the all in. More timing (to a point) will allow easier starts and less laziness into gear especially when cold.

I just set up a 4160 on the river yesterday on a 93 with P heads. This was before it was tuned up(wrong plugs, nasty cap/rotor, original wires). With a few pumps and one clear out (small rev) I was able to put it into gear immediately off the trailer.

Another thing that needs verified also is that the timing advance is moving freely. I have seen sticky advance mechanisms (mine included) that will give you trouble because you set it up while its stuck and go to re start and it goes back to no advance completely negating the settings you just did.

I was being cheap last year and my choke spring went bad (won't close properly). So essentially my boat has no choke. With a pump and a rev and 15 seconds of run time or so my boat will plug right along at idle with the choke completely open so it is possible to get it set up exactly right.

Side note, what we can do is actually better than per the pcm manual back in the day. It specifies something like 30 seconds run at 1200 rpms before going into gear.

We just set up another big block footer that will fire off the key with no pumping. Just turn it and it fires.

Different boats like different things.

The vac reading in gear loaded should be greater than 15hg. If it isn't it's either worn out or there is a vacuum leak somewhere. Also, another reason I like a little more timing at idle is because it allows you to run the butterfly setting closed more allowing more accurate control from the idle circuits. My rule of thumb is the further closed the better as long as they are resting on a static setting of the idle screw. You don't want to go so far as to have the butterflies closing on the venture themselves because that won't be exactly the same 100% of the time.

Procedure for adjusting the idle circuits is a 1:1 ratio. So if you turn one 1/4 turn you turn the other 1/4 turn. Pending the carburetor, I have found this sometimes to not be the best. If the adjustment is vastly different per side there is an issue but if it takes being 1/2 to 1/4 turn different to make it run exactly the way it's supposed to there is no harm of foul by doing so.

I have found it's all pretty subjective from boat to boat, carb to carb, etc.

Just take the PCV off and get a proper adapter for your Vac gauge to hook to that. That will give you the Vacuum reading you need. If it changes the behavior drastically of the engine when you plug the PCV back in it means A) either the incorrect valve or B) worn out.

Shut it off before you unplug the Vac gauge. Plug the PCV back in and try to key start it.

If you can't kill the engine by turning one idle circuit screw all the way in then you have other issues.

You are getting close to getting it the way you want it !

Cool vacuum gauge! Wish I could answer definitively on the idle screws but I'd guess you're right. The only tinkering I've done on a 4010 was to remove it and put a 4160 on.

For the vacuum source, why not use the Pcv port on the 1" intake spacer?

TRBenj wrote: For the vacuum source, why not use the Pcv port on the 1" intake spacer?

I'll have to see this spacer you're talking about. I don't recall seeing a spacer between the carb and intake manifold, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. I can tee into that if you guys think that's the best place to do so.

Vacuum tool is pretty sweet. Older ones were mercury filled, which would dry out over time. This one has SS slides that move up and down to show vacuum levels. I'll try to post a video of me testing it.

Can I still move the "dizzy" to change the timing if needed with the ProTec?