360 Carburator Choke Problem

[The_Handier_Man1]

From: Dncgbear  (Original Message)
Sent: 3/18/2001 7:57 AM

I am having problems with the choke on my 360 Dodge. There is not enough heat being directed to it due to a carboned up heart riser manifold. I have heard that there is an electric choke available that will replace this. The local dodge dealer was not very helpful. Anyone research this before?     Gary D 
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In many cases, the choke problem in 360's arise from not enough heat in cooling system from malfunctioning thermostat. Intake manifold stays too cool and oil carburizes[cokes up] between sheet metal heat shield and underside of intake manifold. Best solution is to remove intake, pry out drive pins that hold heat shield in place, and scrape the gooey mess off the bottom of the intake and put it back together. Check timing chain backlash while you're at it too. Don't forget a new thermostat.   chip

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I replaced the choke on my 1974 360 with one from a late 1980's Dodge Pickup truck. Take the choke out and go to any good parts store and compare it with the pictures in the back of their parts book. When you put it in you will need to run a wire to the alternator to provide electricity. Mine works great.   Larry

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I replaced the choke with an electric one I found at Napa parts store. Works like new.
Gary D

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Did you by any chance keep track of the number of that elec. choke you put in?  I was considering actually pulling the intake manifold and cleaning the goop off, but if it effects only the choke~ and that can be gotten around by installing an elect one, ~it doesn't seem worth the effort.  I can probably go to the auto parts and locate a choke that would work, but it's always comforting to know that someone else has made this particular piece work...
   If you didn't save the number, don't sweat it!  Just thought you might have, and also thought it might be helpful to others with the same choke problem.  And where on the alternator did you make the electrical connection? Just the positive terminal? (Why not off the battery? )   Rat

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The wire going to the choke must be connected to the switched side of the system. If you go directly to the battery the choke will always be off. Not to mention the fact that it will always be a load on the batt.  Don't forget to adjust the choke while it is cold. I connected the choke to a toggle switch so that if the temp is above 60 or so I can apply power to the choke prior to starting so that the choke will be off upon starting. Works great!  Ken   (bikerken)

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Sorry, I do not have the part number for the electric choke.  It was listed as a replacement for the original equipment in a NAPA parts manual and the parts guy had no problem finding it.  I actually had a switched hot terminal just laying on top of the engine, so I used that. It must be a switched lead. You can also pull it off the hot lead on the alternator, as this is only hot when the key is on. You could, if you feel more comfortable doing it, run a wire to your fuse box. Mine is located in the glovebox, and would have been easy to access.
Gary D



From: Weavebago
Sent: 4/21/2005 9:02 AM

I know this subject is 360 choke problem but I have a 440 and got the replacement choke thermostat from NAPA(part #2-330) and it has a wire coming out of it mine has no wire so I'm not sure if I got the wrong one or where to hook the wire so it will work properly or,will it still work without hooking up the wire as the one thats on there never had a wire?one other thing that I thought may be causing problems is that alot of these chassis & engines were actully built the year before the Winnie model yr so should I be asking for parts for a 1972 INSTEAD of 1973?



From: denison
Sent: 4/21/2005 9:30 AM

If it only has a wire coming from it, I would expect that to need to have 12 volts on it whenever the ignition was on - the electrically heated type of choke. Try putting 12volts to it and see if it gets warm in about 5 minutes. Mine came originally with such a setup, but it had been converted to a manual choke, with a knob on the dashboard. Less of a nuisance to maintain. There were also chokes having the bimetallic coil set into a pocket of the intake manifold - to be heated up by the coolant or exhaust gases passing through the manifold.
For most purposes you would ask for a 72, but have them look up the later year if the part is different.
And the electrically heated type choke assumes a ground connection somewhere. Rather than depend on the carburetor to be the gound connection, I would probably add a ground wire from one of the fittings on the casting near the electrical heater, running to something on the motor. To help avoid engine fires.



From: Weavebago
Sent: 4/21/2005 1:03 PM

the one thats on there now is the metallic spring kind in the manifold. the one I got for the "1973" is also a spring type that goes into the manifold but also has a wire running out of it with a connector on the end. it has some vague instructions about splicing the wire if you dont have the connector end on the motor but my motor doesnt have a wire.