Electric choke killing ignition!

[dadsbee]

A couple days of pulling my wire and hair out at the same time! Went to swap spots with the '64 and '66 the other day and after starting the '64 I then put the '66 outside and when I came back in the '64 had died. Wouldn't fire again, hell of a place to work under the 4 post. Swapped out everything, ballast, ECU and coil. It would start and then die, but at least it would start and run. Got it moved to the hoist bay. Run time varied from immediate death to many minutes at a time, or me turning on the headlights and it would die. Figured a broken or corroded wire, or bad ignition switch but rewired the entire thing and even ran a power wire direct to by pass the key run position. Still died... all for a shorted out electric choke coil! Put that one in the back of your brain for "next time" ! OH well, the wiring is neat now!

 

[dadsbee]

To add, like I said.. hit the key and bang immediate fire. Turn on the key and then trying jumping the starter solenoid while under the hood and it wouldn't even fire!

 

[Bee1971]

Don’t use the positive side of your coil for your electric choke

That’s what I see in your picture

 

[pnora]

Odd but can happen. Did you take it apart to see if you could find the short to ground? Something must be causing the element to short. Or it came apart.

 

[dadsbee]

Don’t use the positive side of your coil

That’s what I see in the picture

Where everyone powers them from. Good chokes have about 12 ohms resistance, this one has 1 !

 

[pnora]

Don’t use the positive side of your coil

That’s what I see in the picture

Thats the same circuit the factory used on the later models. Everyone I do goes on that circuit.

 

[dadsbee]

Odd but can happen. Did you take it apart to see if you could find the short to ground? Something must be causing the element to short. Or it came apart.

Not yet.. it's Miller Time...

 

[pnora]

Not yet.. it's Miller Time...

I wish. Decided to go on the wagon till spring.

 

[pnora]

To add, like I said.. hit the key and bang immediate fire. Turn on the key and then trying jumping the starter solenoid while under the hood and it wouldn't even fire!

The crank side feeds a little more juice to the coil and the run side not so much. Guess with the key cranking it gave just enough more to fire the ignition.

 

[Bee1971]

That circuit is always unfused and you do not want to wire an electric choke to an unfused circuit. If it where to short out, it would just continue to burn and melt the entire time the ignition was turned to the “on” position because there would be no fuse to keep the circuit in check

Most stock primary ignition circuits are wired through a ballast resistor which only allows about 8.6 to 9.6 volts to the coil. This would not be enough voltage to properly operate your electric choke.

 

[dadsbee]

That circuit is always unfused and you do not want to wire an electric choke to an unfused circuit. If it where to short out, it would just continue to burn and melt the entire time the ignition was turned to the “on” position because there would be no fuse to keep the circuit in check

Most stock primary ignition circuits are wired through a ballast resistor which only allows about 8.6 to 9.6 volts to the coil. This would not be enough voltage to properly operate your electric choke.

Like I said, they all get wired this way. That wire even comes with an Eddy carb. I've never seen anyone fuse a choke feed... if all hell breaks out that's what your fuseable link is for.

I posted this to help someone that has less hair than me and doesn't need to pull anymore out. Go write your own tip thread....

 

[pnora]

That circuit is always unfused and you do not want to wire an electric choke to an unfused circuit. If it where to short out, it would just continue to burn and melt the entire time the ignition was turned to the “on” position because there would be no fuse to keep the circuit in check

Most stock primary ignition circuits are wired through a ballast resistor which only allows about 8.6 to 9.6 volts to the coil. This would not be enough voltage to properly operate your electric choke.

That is the way the factory wired them. Look at a FSM Its the j2 circuit.

 

[pnora]

I will say I wire mine in on the ballast input side. Same feed circuit.

 

[dadsbee]

I will say I wire mine in on the ballast input side. Same feed circuit.

Gives the full 12+V. This way just gives the reduced voltage after the ballast in the run position where it work(ed) just fine until something fell apart inside...

 

[Bee1971]

EDELBROCK

Connect the red wire spade terminal to the positive (+) terminal on choke housing (Figure 4). Connect the other end of the red wire to an ignition key activated 12 volt source. Ensure this source main- tains 12 volts with the engine running.
DO NOT ATTACH TO COIL.


HOLLEY

https://documents.holley.com/199r8000-4.pdf

 

[Bee1971]

Gives the full 12+V. This way just gives the reduced voltage after the ballast in the run position where it work(ed) just fine until something fell apart inside...

Input Side of Ballast Resistor Is Fused

 

[dadsbee]

Input Side of Ballast Resistor Is Fused

By the fuseable link like everything else..

 

[dadsbee]

EDELBROCK

Connect the red wire spade terminal to the positive (+) terminal on choke housing (Figure 4). Connect the other end of the red wire to an ignition key activated 12 volt source. Ensure this source main- tains 12 volts with the engine running.
DO NOT ATTACH TO COIL.


HOLLEY

https://documents.holley.com/199r8000-4.pdf

THANKS! Now everyone can do it correctly. Still doesn't change why the engine died and why I posted this to help anyone else out in the same situation, being a choke coil that shorted out.

 

[Bee1971]

Roger , working on my own TIP THREAD

Any pointers

Never mind

 

[pnora]

Input Side of Ballast Resistor Is Fused

By a fuse link not a fuse. Short at the coil or a short pre-resistor will still burn the fuse link.