Choke is giving me fits

[Antiquated 3]

Just in time for cold weather and snow, the choke on my C-145 is screwing up. I went out the other day to fire the old girl up and the choke lever was really stiff. I applied more pressure and it finally broke free. But the cable came off of the lever linkage. I am able to start the tractor by working the choke at the carb but even the little lever on the carb is really stiff and tough to operate. Any idea why this is happening?

[TT-(Moderator) 1,131]

Remove the air cleaner cover and filter and loosen the screws holding the air cleaner base to the carb.

If the choke shaft frees up, one or both of the screws in line with the choke shaft are too long.

[sorekiwi 761]

The choke cable on my 310-8 freezes in the cold weather.  I use a heat gun for about 30 seconds on the lowest part of the cable and it comes free.

 

I really should fix that sometime. 

[TT-(Moderator) 1,131]

The choke cable on my 310-8 freezes in the cold weather.  I use a heat gun for about 30 seconds on the lowest part of the cable and it comes free.

 

I really should fix that sometime. 

 

Try pulling it off and submerging it in a pan of "antifreeze". (ethylene glycol)

I had a low-hanging shift cable freezing up on a utility vehicle at work and it hasn't done it since I gave it a soaking.

[Hodge71 664]

 

The choke cable on my 310-8 freezes in the cold weather.  I use a heat gun for about 30 seconds on the lowest part of the cable and it comes free.

 

I really should fix that sometime. 

 

Try pulling it off and submerging it in a pan of "antifreeze". (ethylene glycol)

I had a low-hanging shift cable freezing up on a utility vehicle at work and it hasn't done it since I gave it a soaking.

 

 

 

Thats a great recommendation TT. My Charger is doing the same thing when its cold….Im gonna do it tomorrow!! Thank you for sharing

[sorekiwi 761]

 

The choke cable on my 310-8 freezes in the cold weather.  I use a heat gun for about 30 seconds on the lowest part of the cable and it comes free.

 

I really should fix that sometime. 

 

Try pulling it off and submerging it in a pan of "antifreeze". (ethylene glycol)

I had a low-hanging shift cable freezing up on a utility vehicle at work and it hasn't done it since I gave it a soaking.

 

 

Just a follow up on this issue.  Yesterday while it was relatively warm (32 deg), I decided to look at my choke cable that freezes up.

 

I would have tried Terry's fix, but found that I had no anti-freeze on hand.  But I did find a bottle of HEET fuel line de-icer.  A short piece of rubber hose over the (engine) end of the cable, and a syringe jambed into that I pumped HEET into the cable till it came out the dashboard end.  I followed that with some Liquid Wrench chain lube that I had handy.

 

Tonight the temp was -6 in the garage.  As I walked past the tractor I gave the choke knob a pull and the cable was free.  We shall see how long this lasts.

Edited January 7, 2014 by sorekiwi

[jackhammer 546]

Remove the air cleaner cover and filter and loosen the screws holding the air cleaner base to the carb.

If the choke shaft frees up, one or both of the screws in line with the choke shaft are too long.

 

TT  -> would a stiff throttle and 1 that does not fully go up to the top position have a excessive length on cable also ??

[TT-(Moderator) 1,131]

TT  -> would a stiff throttle and 1 that does not fully go up to the top position have a excessive length on cable also ??

If operation is stiff regardless of temperature, the cable could need lubed - or replaced.

 

The position of the control lever isn't critical as long as the engine linkage is against the mechanical stop with the lever in the full-throttle position.

You could loosen the clamp and slide the cable housing toward the engine a little to move the lever closer to the top when at full throttle, but chances are it won't be all the way down at idle.

When installing or adjusting a cable, I always place the control lever in the full-throttle position and pull & hold the linkage on the engine against the mechanical stop while holding the housing in position and / or tightening the cable clamp or barrel nut. Test the range of operation before and after starting the engine.

[jackhammer 546]

Thanks for the info , weather permitting I'll try to get that this week .

 

As you can tell I've never had to mess with one before. That's what this board is all about., and I for one appreciate it.

 

jackhammer

 

Rick

[doc724 925]

This happened to me a lot in the past.  If you get water inside the cable-like from the last washing before winter sets in, it will freeze.  I tired all sorts of home remedies to prevent water intrusion, like vaseline around the end where the cable exits, etc.  None of it worked.  Once it was frozen I would hang a light bulb on the lowermost section of the cable, and that would usually do it, but the water would still be inside, so it refroze.  Mikes' post about HEET got me to thinking, how about wrapping one of those chemical heaters you put in your boots to keep your feet warm, around the cable, I will bet that would work.  My final solution was to replace the whole throttle cable in the spring and the problem never reoccurred

[WH nut 553]

Careful using antifreeze. its corrosive.

[leeave96 487]

What about using WD-40? Isn't WD water displacement?

[sorekiwi 761]

I'm not sure how WD40 works, but I suspect that it doesn't make water go away, the feeling I get is that it just breaks the surface tension and enables it to run away due to gravity.

 

In any case, this particular choke cable has had plenty of WD pumped through it, as well as some PB Blaster and some engine oil.  None of this helped when the temp got down below 32.  I would always have to heat the low part of the cable with a heat gun to enable the choke to operate.