Electrical advice needed

[Whisler]

Steve - The 5.8 HO's, and probably the 7.5L's, used a relay pulled in by the stator current, as shown here in the 1986 EVTM: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/carburetor-circuits.html. And I'm running a Bosch relay pulled in by the stator wire on Big Blue to power the choke on the Edelbrock. Both the Holley 4180C and the Edelbrocks have 12v heaters, and this approach works quite well.

But I do agree that insulation-displacement connectors should never be used - on anything, anywhere, anytime. In fact, I think I know the final resting place of the person that invented them.

Steve and Gary: thanks for the info. Steve when I said "future" I meant immediate future which may not have been clear. I have everything but the driving lights, so as soon as I pick these up and select a mounting position I will be ready to go...into the future.

I read about the choke heater relay deal on FTE at some point, where it was stated that this route or a connection to an oil pressure switch of some sort was a good way to avoid heating up the choke by having the key on when the engine was not running. Yes, Edelbrock choke heaters are 12 volt.

As for the tap-in to the stator wire, I think a pierce or wrap solder connection coated with "liquid electrical tape" (vinyl solution) should work, maybe even reinforced with tape. I was remembering the 3G wiring incorrectly, I think, but I knew that the stator wire was just a short loop to the stator connector because I had to buy and install the stator connector. I remember it was a pain to solder that loop wire to the short stator connector wire.

Thanks to all for taking the time to help a guy out.

[Rembrant]

Steve and Gary: thanks for the info. Steve when I said "future" I meant immediate future which may not have been clear. I have everything but the driving lights, so as soon as I pick these up and select a mounting position I will be ready to go...into the future.

I read about the choke heater relay deal on FTE at some point, where it was stated that this route or a connection to an oil pressure switch of some sort was a good way to avoid heating up the choke by having the key on when the engine was not running. Yes, Edelbrock choke heaters are 12 volt.

As for the tap-in to the stator wire, I think a pierce or wrap solder connection coated with "liquid electrical tape" (vinyl solution) should work, maybe even reinforced with tape. I was remembering the 3G wiring incorrectly, I think, but I knew that the stator wire was just a short loop to the stator connector because I had to buy and install the stator connector. I remember it was a pain to solder that loop wire to the short stator connector wire.

Thanks to all for taking the time to help a guy out.

Just to throw it into the mix, I'm running the electric choke on my new Holley 4160 directly off the stator...same wire that fed the Ford choke. I have no idea if this is OK to do on the Edelbrock carb, but in my research, I found that all kinds of people use the Ford wire to feed Holley carbs.

Mine seems to work fine that way.

I didn't save the link unfortunately, but I found a thread on another forum where a guy actually tested and compared choke supply voltages, and claimed that the 6v supply didn't make much difference at all...maybe a few seconds.

[NotEnoughTrucks]

Just to throw it into the mix, I'm running the electric choke on my new Holley 4160 directly off the stator...same wire that fed the Ford choke. I have no idea if this is OK to do on the Edelbrock carb, but in my research, I found that all kinds of people use the Ford wire to feed Holley carbs.

Mine seems to work fine that way.

I didn't save the link unfortunately, but I found a thread on another forum where a guy actually tested and compared choke supply voltages, and claimed that the 6v supply didn't make much difference at all...maybe a few seconds.

The truck in my profile pic, AKA the War Wagon ran an Edelbrock carb and the choke heater was powered off the stator. Worked, sort of. The choke pulled off reasonably quickly, but I had to adjust it from the factory setting. The truck did have starting issues, but not because of the choke. Fuel seemed to drain back, or otherwise empty the bowl if the truck sat a few days and hot starts were always accompanied by a wide open throttle as the fuel seemed to boil over. I have been told this may be due to the Edelbrock not liking higher inlet pressures and even the mechanical pump on that previously carbureted 351W was capable of overwhelming the needle and seat.

Speaking of fuel pumps, if you are using an electric pump, that voltage must shut off when the engine is not running, even with the key on. If you are one of those misguided souls who downgraded your EFI equipped vehicle to a carburetor, that ability to control your fuel pump was lost with the ECM. I prefer to use a relay triggered by both a "live on ignition circuit" to the positive side of the coil as well as an oil pressure switch which grounds the negative side of the relay coil. Late model Ford applications with that glorified idiot light masquerading as a real gauge have the right type of sender for this. An honest idiot light works the opposite, grounding when oil pressure is lost, I feed voltage from the crank switch to the backside, (NC) of the relay contacts, use the common contact to feed the pump and the NO side of the relay contacts for a fused battery feed with appropriately sized wiring.

On appropriate sized wiring, I'll agree with Steve that larger wiring can bring some routing and terminating challenges. Trick here is to use common sense. I would think that lost voltage always ends up as heat although I can relate to using some ridiculously oversized wires in a voltage sensing application back in my RR signalling days. Even with low currents, sometimes you can measure the difference although I cannot think of any automotive applications where such measures would be warranted.

[Whisler]

The truck in my profile pic, AKA the War Wagon ran an Edelbrock carb and the choke heater was powered off the stator. Worked, sort of. The choke pulled off reasonably quickly, but I had to adjust it from the factory setting. The truck did have starting issues, but not because of the choke. Fuel seemed to drain back, or otherwise empty the bowl if the truck sat a few days and hot starts were always accompanied by a wide open throttle as the fuel seemed to boil over. I have been told this may be due to the Edelbrock not liking higher inlet pressures and even the mechanical pump on that previously carbureted 351W was capable of overwhelming the needle and seat.

Speaking of fuel pumps, if you are using an electric pump, that voltage must shut off when the engine is not running, even with the key on. If you are one of those misguided souls who downgraded your EFI equipped vehicle to a carburetor, that ability to control your fuel pump was lost with the ECM. I prefer to use a relay triggered by both a "live on ignition circuit" to the positive side of the coil as well as an oil pressure switch which grounds the negative side of the relay coil. Late model Ford applications with that glorified idiot light masquerading as a real gauge have the right type of sender for this. An honest idiot light works the opposite, grounding when oil pressure is lost, I feed voltage from the crank switch to the backside, (NC) of the relay contacts, use the common contact to feed the pump and the NO side of the relay contacts for a fused battery feed with appropriately sized wiring.

On appropriate sized wiring, I'll agree with Steve that larger wiring can bring some routing and terminating challenges. Trick here is to use common sense. I would think that lost voltage always ends up as heat although I can relate to using some ridiculously oversized wires in a voltage sensing application back in my RR signalling days. Even with low currents, sometimes you can measure the difference although I cannot think of any automotive applications where such measures would be warranted.

"If you are one of those misguided souls who downgraded your EFI equipped vehicle to a carburetor"

Yes I am afraid I am one of those. The '84 F150 that I owned had a rebuilt 351W carbed engine and a rotted frame. The '89 F250 I acquired cheap had an EFI 302 that leaked oil like a sieve and a 5 speed trans. with lousy gearing (not too good for my old knees), but a good frame. I don't regret the swap at all. I now have a good running truck that actually performs better than the EFI equipped one.

[Steve83]

The 5.8 HO's, and probably the 7.5L's, used a relay pulled in by the stator current...

I don't doubt it. But it would be simpler, cheaper, & more-reliable to just direct-wire the (12V) choke heater to a key-switched or engine-running-only 12V circuit.

[85lebaront2]

The 5.8 HO's, and probably the 7.5L's, used a relay pulled in by the stator current...

I don't doubt it. But it would be simpler, cheaper, & more-reliable to just direct-wire the (12V) choke heater to a key-switched or engine-running-only 12V circuit.

If you want to do that, use a Chrysler carbureted 2.2L Choke switch, they are a NO oil pressure switch with two terminals, no need for a relay, just fuse it.