Q-jet choke mechanism

[multipleregression]

 ???I have a 1967 Pontiac GTO now with the standard 400 ci and 335 hp. The original factory engine was the HO now long gone. The car still has the original HO exhaust manifold and 3:55 rear gears. It also has a 1974 4bbl Buick q-jet part #7044240KA around 800 cfm I think. I am very happy with the performance. Last year I bought from Cliff the rebuild kit for this carb mainly because of a sticking accelerator pump because of the 10% ethanol gas. I haven't had my mechanic rebuild the carb yet because of the worn out and or malfunctioning hot air choke mechanism which we are having a hard time finding a replacement or replacement parts. We wired the butterflies to by pass the malfunctioning choke and as you can imagine it is a bear to start cold. I'm almost ready to consider going to a "gasp" holley or edlebrook carb if I can't get the hot air choke mechanism squared away. I was told there is not one but two pull offs on this choke mechanism. Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.

[davis95]

Do what most of us have already done with the hot air choke...replace it with an electric one. The electric choke coil directly replaces the hot air piece and works great. The pull-off set up works fine also as long as the pull-offs work correctly. Check your pull off(s) by pushing in the arms and make sure they take a couple seconds to come back out. If there is no resistance and they just pop right back out then they need replacing.

[omaha]

I think what alot of guys are doing is using a big block chevy choke coil and modifying it to make it work on the pontiac. you may have to fab a new rod and maybe some mods to the cover. There might be an electric choke conversion kit but I can not remember for sure where I have seen it. My old pontiac (sold it to a friend of mine) started the other night with no problem at 14 degrees with no choke. Had to feather it a bit for about a minute or two then it just loped along at about 500 rpm's.  Of course ther is the option of a manual choke but I realize they can look fairly tacky in a nice looking engine bay. Usually, one of the benefits of using the Q-jet is easy starting. This is true if everything is in good working order in the carb and ignition.   Good luck with the "Goat"  I'll vote for the Q-jet over the Holley, especially on a Pontiac.
I agree, 2 pulloffs, both should be available.

[Cliff Ruggles]

I haven't had my mechanic rebuild the carb yet because of the worn out and or malfunctioning hot air choke mechanism which we are having a hard time finding a replacement or replacement parts.

The Buick carb number 7044240 is a divorced choke carburetor, similiar to the original GTO carb.

The divorced choke parts on the carburetor however, are considerably different from the Pontiac unit. 

If you want the Buick carbs choke to work correctly, I would install donor parts from a 67-72 Pontiac divorced choke carburetor to replace them. 

Otherwise, it will take some "jury rigging" to get the Pontiac divorced choke mechanism to correctly operate the Buick carbs choke.

At a minimum you will have to make a different link from the choke up to the carburetor.....Cliff

[multipleregression]

Thanks to you all for your great information. I guess I got my work cut out for me.

[jamesF]

Post a picture of the existing mechanism.