//ArrowChat Code
Results 1 to 1 of 1

Thread: Automotive Manual Choke Cable

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Arkansas
    --
    2,189

    Automotive Manual Choke Cable

    Manual choke cables are pretty simple things, but it's still a 'you get what you pay for,' thing.


    In a hurry a while back, I bought a cheap choke cable. It would pull, easy enough, but when closing the choke, the wire wound housing would expand until the choke just slammed open. There was no in-between. It was open or closed, which meant, unusable.


    I finally got tired or putting needless wear on the starter in cold weather and draining my battery, so I ordered another cable, and got what I was expecting. A cable that works.



    I've had several older autos with manual chokes, and they just plain worked, which is why I went from an electric automatic choke, back to a manual. The automatic chokes need periodic adjusting during seasonal temperature changes and even then, they don't work optimal during sudden temperature changes like when traveling across a continent. The manual choke gives total control and requires no additional electrical power, which is especially important on older vehicles with lower amperage alternators. A properly adjusted manual choke will also raise the idle speed before actually choking the engine, which comes in handy on a granny gear equipped truck, in certain circumstances.

    The heater controls on my F150 are cable controlled and work fine, so should the choke. It's 2020 and I'm stuck in cable operated history when throttles aren't even controlled by them anymore, or even some parking brakes!

    Gimme something to push and pull! Ineeda physical stimulation not electronic vibrations!



    The cheap cable I originally purchased was one of those $10-$15 Ebay things that had sold a bunch and had good reviews. Thin coils and may-as-well-had-been-lead center cable. Crap.


    The good cable I bought was also on Ebay, but was a California Push-Pull Inc. cable. https://push-pull.com/



    It had thicker housing coils and a rubber cover, like what's expected on older OE choke cables. This cable works as it's supposed to, total incremental control with virtually no effort.

    It's nice to have something working as intended, even if it's ancient technology by modern automotive standards. My nearly half century old pickup is that much more enjoyable to drive now.


    California Push-Pull cable on left. Chintzy POS on right. The ends don't come pre-bent, that's my doing for the choke lever. I also cut some of the rubber cover back just for a visual of the thicker coils.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	ChokeCable (1).JPG 
Views:	2 
Size:	1.48 MB 
ID:	261282



    For cable cutting, Park Tool cable cutters do a fantastic job. Cable cutting pliers are different from dikes/wire cutters. Cable cutters have shaped jaws that hold the cable together while cutting. Wire cutters just smash cable between two flat cutting surfaces. I've cut a lot of cables with the Park Tool brand cutters and they're durable. ParkTool is like the SnapOn of bicycle tools.

    https://www.parktool.com/product/pro...ategory=Brakes

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	CN-10_001.jpg 
Views:	2 
Size:	21.0 KB 
ID:	261283
    Last edited by ATC King; 01-14-2020 at 09:57 PM.
    The story of three wheels and a man...

//ArrowChat Integreation Code //