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4150 choke tech question

Posted By: BcudaChris

4150 choke tech question - 02/11/19 08:57 PM

Moparts Carb Gurus,

I'm running a QFT SS750 and with my combo, I need more fast idle and less choke. I have no hesitation about driving my Barracuda in adverse weather, so want fast idle to function properly.

For some detail, Magnum based 406", EQ head, 230/234 cam, Air Gap intake, 1 3/4 headers, 3.55, auto/2500 stall.

I've got the spring tension dialed in so it starts 1st crank, even in the single digit ambient temps, and the choke gets itself out of the way as it should. But the fast idle cam never gets on to the 1st step. The cam will only get to the third step, so while I can get the speed where I need it, I lose fast idle too soon.

Bending the choke rod seems to be the only adjustment option, but that looks to me like it would put me back to too much choke. A fast idle cam with a wider arm would seem to be the answer, but they don't seem to be available.

Just to save some keystrokes on the manual choke suggestion, I want the wife unit to drive cross country in this thing with me and that makes it necessary to minimize operational quirks. I've pondered a choke-less carb and one of those K&N injector plates, but that money is better spent elsewhere in my mind.

Any and all suggestions appreciated.

Thanks in advance...
Posted By: Supercuda

Re: 4150 choke tech question - 02/11/19 09:22 PM

How To Adjust the Choke and Fast Idle on Holley Carburetors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BTiXcMHdXM
Posted By: BcudaChris

Re: 4150 choke tech question - 02/11/19 11:44 PM

Thanks Super. I've used that method and several bubba versions of it that I've found on the you tube. I've scoured the interwebs to no avail. Except for a tip on bending the choke rod, but I don't think that will do what I want it to do.

Most of the info the interwebs has presented me with pre-supposes your necessary choke spring pre-load is somewhere in the index area of the housing. Following that method the choke stays "choking" entirely too long, along with the fast idle for way too long.

For reference, my ideal choke spring preload has the index mark just outside the top mount screw, a good half inch beyond the last index mark to the lean side.

My setup needs less choke, on for less time, which I have achieved, but needs more fast idle time than the the fast idle cam can give me. I'm on the edge of choke-ability (if you will wink and my engine would probably respond well to a Q series QFT or similar, but as I said, trying to minimize hot rod quirks.
Posted By: Supercuda

Re: 4150 choke tech question - 02/12/19 03:58 PM

other than setting the spring to correct the fast idle time then adjusting the choke opening to set the choke proper I can't think of anything else. But I really am not a Holley gut. Might actually be a defective choke as well?
Posted By: BcudaChris

Re: 4150 choke tech question - 02/12/19 06:30 PM

Possibility for sure, but I was warned by a couple of old timers that I'd have trouble with the choke, and would have been better served with a chokeless carb. Their advice was limited to "pull it off and go up a couple of numbers on the primary jets". This is my 1st real intimate experience with a Holley as well and not sure why I didn't learn them years ago.

Bending the choke rod seems to be the only available adjustment (in the absence of a different cam), I was hoping to get some real world input before I start experimenting. Bending it one way *I think* would increase the spring tension leaving the hash on the housing further outside of the index marks, and the other way would bring me back inside the marks, but either way, fast idle would be the same as it is now.

Thinking about it as I type, I could probably widen the cam arm with some epoxy and see if that gets me what I'm after.
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