mark79,80

Would like to replace the hot air choke Rochester carburetor on a 1979 with a 1980 electric choke Rochester carburetor.
Is it just a matter of finding a 12 volt power source that is live whenever the ignition is on? The 1980 corvette has a choke relay, so what am I missing in just hooking up the choke to a 12 volt source
without a relay?
Can I just take a piece of heavy gauge metal, cut it to shape and
bolt it to the manifold to cover the hot air tube opening?

What else is involved in making the conversion from a hot air to
an electric choke?

79vetter

Mine is spliced into the wiper motor power source wire.

2MFFZo6

..................me too ...piece of cake

DC3

I don't know how my '73 differs from the '79s and admittedly I don't even know for sure my '73 is wired correctly given that I've found a bit of "work by Bubba".

But, on my '73 the wiper motor power source is hot when the ignition switch is in the accessory position. You might double check this before using that wire for your electric choke. While it might not cause any issues, I don't like "ignition" related circuits being powered in the accessory position.

Personally, I'd run a new wire to the choke from the ignition terminal in the fuse block.

DC

lars

That's your best option. You can do it off the wiper motor as long as you don't use the key "ACC" position, since that will flow current through the choke while you're listening to the stereo...

Also - don't forget to remove the gasket off the choke cover: The electric choke grounds through the cover surface, so if you leave the round gasket there, the choke will never open.

There is no need to cover the hot air tube opening - just remove the tubes.

Lars

mark79,80

Thanks for your answers.

What is the advantage with the original wiring in a 1980 with a choke
relay, compared to just running a wire to either the wiper motor
or directly to the fuse panel ignition wire?

If you wire into the fuse panel ignition wire how would you actually
tap into that circuit? Looking at the fuse panel I only see the panel
and not the wires to tap into.

lars

There are male spade lugs next to some of the fuses, labeled "IGN", "BAT" and "ACC." Simply plug a female spade terminal with wire onto the "IGN" lug and run it to the choke through a fuse.

Running a relay allows the feed wire to the choke to be a heavy-gauge wire fed by a battery circuit, and the relay is tripped by a light-gauge, low amperage wire from the "IGN" circuit. The limits the amount of current passing through the ignition switch to a very low value while still providing plenty of current to the high-draw choke coil. This is your best design for the circuit, and will assure that you will not burn out your ignition switch. If you really want to do it right, you can duplicate this circuit design using a Summit fuel pump relay kit.

Lars

mark79,80

I don't want to burn out the ignition switch.

I do have an extra 1980 choke relay. Would that be easy to use
without the factory wiring harness connector?

Or could I use a relay that is sold by most auto stores that are
often used for driving lights? Wouldn't this be similar to the fuel
pump relay you are referring to?
Use the ignition circuit breaker tap
with a spade connector to power the relay and the positive on the
alternator to power the choke. Would put a fuse in line from the alternator to the relay.
Or there is a better way to get a source of power for the choke?

Thanks