When I bought my '79 CJ 7 a while ago the P.O. had installed a manual choke. Well it looks like he just attached a cable to the electric choke. Is this the correct way to do it? The problem I have is that IF i ever get the choke to set the high idle, it never will go back to low idle. I don't see anything that would cause the high idle to turn off, even with a electric choke(unless there is parts missing). I currently use a stick to hold my gas peddle down when I let the jeep warm up in the morning, but would like to get this working.
The kit for a manual choke comes with a replacement cover for the electric one that the cable attaches to so it kind of looks like it is just hooked to the electric. The guts are gone.
The fast idle cam should be set with a hot engine and the screw on the second from top step. Hot it should rev at 1750 rpm.
The cam for the fast idle has a lever on it up to the choke plate so the cam moves when the choke is pulled closed. It is a gravity pull off when the choke opens. Gravity just pulls it down steps until the choke is open and it goes off.
To turn on the fast idle, the gas pedal needs to be to the floor as you pull on the choke.
If the plastic cam isn't flopping around free, then you need to clean it out with carb cleaner or WD40. It works best dry with no lube on it. Lube there attracts dirt which seizes up the cam so it won't flop free.
I have mine set so the 3rd step down is 1500 rpm and I use mine as a manual throttle as well as a choke.
When I am running my winch, I put my gas pedal at 1600 rpm, then pull the choke on, let off the gas pedal and push the choke off quickly. This leaves the fast idle cam on and my engine running at 1500 rpm so the alternator is really putting out.
To make it go back to straight idle, I just blip the gas pedal and the fast idle cam falls out of the way. The gas pedal holds it until moved.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Hiya Mike ... question about the alternator "really putting out". My understanding, the benefit of an alternator over the old generator is that rpm doesn't matter so much with an alternator (and I'll go look into myself).
I go by my volt gauge which isn't really accurate, but at idle the voltage is a bit lower than at speed, especially under load. It will also load the engine down so the rpm drops.
I am not sure at what rpm the alternator on my CJ7 peaks though. I have the GM alternator with the internal regulator.
I just don't want it to stall out when winching and at base idle, it is getting close to wanting to stall.
Even if I only tag the fast idle at 1200 rpm on the first it has no issues.
Same goes for boosting someone.
I had to do an extended boost last weekend in -30C temps and on regular idle it wanted to stall or chug out. The other Jeep has issues and was drawing a lot of amps. I bumped it up to 1200 and had no issues.
Gotcha ... so the hard working alternator loads the engine considerably and unlike some loads ... e.g., ac ... the onboard electronics does not increase the idle to compensate. Now I've read ... probably here ... that an alternator is designed to keep a battery topped up, not to do any heavy duty charging. So a question about the winching and so on ... do you find yourself replacing/repairing your alternator more often than seems normal? Just interested ... relates to recharging deep cycles after a day at the lake.
Correct. Stock my Jeep does have a solenoid for an automatic or AC system to bump the idle under load, but this unit isn't hooked up with a
5 speed no AC.
One person from here suggested adding my own power switch to the solenoid to fire up a custom fast idle. I think it is a good idea and just dug my old solenoid out of the spare parts bin. This is on the Carter BBD carb.
An alternator can handle heavy duty charging, like after a dead battery and you need a boost to get going, but it does cause faster wear.
A 'new' alternator cannot handle heavy duty charging. The brushes will arc out before they conform to the slip ring shape potentially destroying the alternator.
So the battery should be fully charged before adding a 'new' or rebuilt alternator.
I did manage to wear out my 1986 alternator pretty fast after getting the winch, but it had 155K miles on it. I now have a new one with a 5 year warranty. But just to be sure, I bought a rebuild kit for my alternator ($20.00) to keep in my trail box in case I fry it way out in the middle of nowhere.
Understood (my thinking was that above average current would over heat the alternator and if sustained would not be quite what the designers had designed for).
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.