How should the choke cable be attached to an Edelbrock 1407?

[robroy]

Good evening!

I'd like to attach my choke cable to my Edelbrock 1407 carburetor, but I believe I'm missing a fastener of some kind for this!

Here's the area I'm looking at:



And here's a close-up of the lever--its hole is quite small.



I believe my original carburetor had a peculiar fastener in this area to clamp down on the inner part of the cable. It looked something like a barrel nut with a set-screw on its side, and the set-screw mashed down on the cable to keep it in place.

What's the best way for me to make this connection?

Thanks very much for the fantastic help!
Robroy

[BobbyFord]

I would recommend getting the correct electric choke kit for your application, that way you can initially set the choke and forget about it.

[Redcap]

I put a kink in the end of the cable and adjust the pull at the the cable sheath mounting point. Works just fine.

[1982 flareside]

Get a holley

[FreakysFords]

I put a kink in the end of the cable and adjust the pull at the the cable sheath mounting point. Works just fine.

Ditto. I've got a "z bend tool" from my RC stuff that works wonders. Perhaps there's a hobby shop nearby, or better yet, an RC airplane club. They could fix ya right up.
Alternatively, the same shop should have the clamp on type to tighten down on your cable and then clip through the linkage.

Personally I prefer the manual choke. I decide how much choke I need and when, but then again, I'm a touch on the older side.

Frank

[robroy]

Good evening Bobby, Aaron, 1982 Flareside, and Frank, thanks for your fast and excellent replies!

I would recommend getting the correct electric choke kit for your application, that way you can initially set the choke and forget about it.

I suppose electric chokes are practical most of the time, yet I've developed a strong preference for manual chokes over the years.

I tend to prefer to open the choke a lot sooner than most electric chokes like to do it, but more importantly, I like to fiddle around with it in different kinds of weather to get the engine to run at its best.

I put a kink in the end of the cable and adjust the pull at the the cable sheath mounting point. Works just fine.

I see! I guess that could work for me, although I haven't tried slipping the cable through that tiny hole in the choke arm yet. If I can find a simple fastener that will make this even more solid, that's what I'd like best.

I did some Web searching for carburetor/choke fasteners, and looked on McMaster for a while, but haven't come up with that funny part I'm thinking of yet.

Get a holley

Thanks for this suggestion, although a Holley might be a little more expensive than one of these little fasteners! That said, it's true that I probably will be switching to a Holley carburetor in a few thousand miles, since I heard from Tom Lucas that he could get the engine to run a little better if I put on a carburetor of his precise specification (which would be a Holley).

Ditto. I've got a "z bend tool" from my RC stuff that works wonders. Perhaps there's a hobby shop nearby, or better yet, an RC airplane club. They could fix ya right up.

Okay! Is a Z-shaped bend truly the ideal shape? I can imagine that two successive right angles (like a stair step shape) might be less prone to slipping fore and aft when adjusted by the control cable. Perhaps I don't have a clear mental picture of this Z-shaped bend?

Alternatively, the same shop should have the clamp on type to tighten down on your cable and then clip through the linkage.

That's what I was initially looking for, although a Z-shaped bend sounds like it might be simpler and work just as nicely!

I'm actually not aware of any R/C shops in the immediate area (Salinas), although there probably are some. Thanks for that great suggestion!

Personally I prefer the manual choke. I decide how much choke I need and when, but then again, I'm a touch on the older side.

We have many things in common Frank. In addition to sharing a preference for manual chokes, we're both R/C pilots--I'm a helicopter guy! I'll have to PM you to ask more about your interests, or perhaps we could start an R/C aircraft free-for-all thread in the General Discussion area.

Bobby, Aaron, 1982 Flareside, and Frank, thanks again for your superb replies!
Robroy

[FreakysFords]

Okay! Is a Z-shaped bend truly the ideal shape? I can imagine that two successive right angles (like a stair step shape) might be less prone to slipping fore and aft when adjusted by the control cable. Perhaps I don't have a clear mental picture of this Z-shaped bend?

Actually, it's just called that. It is just a dual 90* step bend.

We have many things in common Frank. In addition to sharing a preference for manual chokes, we're both R/C pilots--I'm a helicopter guy! I'll have to PM you to ask more about your interests, or perhaps we could start an R/C aircraft free-for-all thread in the General Discussion area.

Would look forward to it! Have been wanting to get into helis for years now and just never have (do have an old 80s fixed pitch cricket, but NOT the thing to learn on).

Frank

[robroy]

Good evening Frank, thanks for replying!

Actually, it's just called that. It is just a dual 90* step bend.

Okay, got it! Thanks. Now that you mention it, I remember the control rod ends in R/C models being shaped like that where they connect to the servo horns!

Would look forward to it! Have been wanting to get into helis for years now and just never have (do have an old 80s fixed pitch cricket, but NOT the thing to learn on).

Truly excellent! And I agree that the 1980's helicopter isn't the thing to learn on, yet those classic models are really nostalgic!

Thanks very much Frank!
Robroy

[robroy]

Good evening,

I spent a while fiddling around with several pliers and vice-grips and ultimately wound up with good results! Thanks again to Aaron and Frank for recommending the Z-bend. I actually snapped off a couple pieces of the steel wire before getting the bend in to decent shape; perhaps that's where the special Z-bend tool makes it much easier!

Note that most of these images may be clicked upon to yield large, high definition versions (just not this first one).



Before that, I drastically improved the feel of the cable by removing it and squirting a bunch of liquid graphite down the tube. This choke control came from a 1967 F100 parts truck.



The choke control knob (in the cab) pulls out about 1 and 1/4" for full activation. This series of images shows the choke lever being pulled all the way back.




Here's the cable routing. After trying it a few ways, I ran it over the booster vacuum hose.



Now that it's complete the cable-pull and push action is OK, yet it doesn't exactly feel like a million bucks. It works easily and everything seems solid though, so I'm happy enough with it! In the future, I may replace it with a new reproduction piece for optimum action.

Thank you all very much for your great advice!

Robroy

[Redcap]

Get a holley

[Redcap]

Good evening Bobby, Aaron, 1982 Flareside, and Frank, thanks for your fast and excellent replies!

I would recommend getting the correct electric choke kit for your application, that way you can initially set the choke and forget about it.

I suppose electric chokes are practical most of the time, yet I've developed a strong preference for manual chokes over the years.

I tend to prefer to open the choke a lot sooner than most electric chokes like to do it, but more importantly, I like to fiddle around with it in different kinds of weather to get the engine to run at its best.

I put a kink in the end of the cable and adjust the pull at the the cable sheath mounting point. Works just fine.

I see! I guess that could work for me, although I haven't tried slipping the cable through that tiny hole in the choke arm yet. If I can find a simple fastener that will make this even more solid, that's what I'd like best.

I did some Web searching for carburetor/choke fasteners, and looked on McMaster for a while, but haven't come up with that funny part I'm thinking of yet.

Get a holley

Thanks for this suggestion, although a Holley might be a little more expensive than one of these little fasteners! That said, it's true that I probably will be switching to a Holley carburetor in a few thousand miles, since I heard from Tom Lucas that he could get the engine to run a little better if I put on a carburetor of his precise specification (which would be a Holley).

Ditto. I've got a "z bend tool" from my RC stuff that works wonders. Perhaps there's a hobby shop nearby, or better yet, an RC airplane club. They could fix ya right up.

Okay! Is a Z-shaped bend truly the ideal shape? I can imagine that two successive right angles (like a stair step shape) might be less prone to slipping fore and aft when adjusted by the control cable. Perhaps I don't have a clear mental picture of this Z-shaped bend?

Alternatively, the same shop should have the clamp on type to tighten down on your cable and then clip through the linkage.

That's what I was initially looking for, although a Z-shaped bend sounds like it might be simpler and work just as nicely!

I'm actually not aware of any R/C shops in the immediate area (Salinas), although there probably are some. Thanks for that great suggestion!

Personally I prefer the manual choke. I decide how much choke I need and when, but then again, I'm a touch on the older side.

We have many things in common Frank. In addition to sharing a preference for manual chokes, we're both R/C pilots--I'm a helicopter guy! I'll have to PM you to ask more about your interests, or perhaps we could start an R/C aircraft free-for-all thread in the General Discussion area.

Bobby, Aaron, 1982 Flareside, and Frank, thanks again for your superb replies!
Robroy

Looks good!

[robroy]

Looks good!

Thanks Aaron! I appreciate your great advice.

Robroy

[FreakysFords]

Nice results!

Sorry, I should have mentioned that annealing the wire first makes it much easier to bend and not break, but you got it all the same

I actually did all of mine with a slot cut in an old bolt, a vise and some pliers before I got the tool.

Close now!!!

Frank

[robroy]

Good evening Frank, thanks for replying!

Nice results!

Thanks very much! I'm actually surprised I got it to look that nice using my crude bending method. I got lucky! When the wire broke, it broke in the perfect spot. It was like running out gas with the perfect momentum to roll right in to the station.

Sorry, I should have mentioned that annealing the wire first makes it much easier to bend and not break, but you got it all the same

Ah! I would have never thought to do that but it makes perfect sense. Next time I'll hit it with my little butane torch first. Thanks!

I actually did all of mine with a slot cut in an old bolt, a vise and some pliers before I got the tool.

I see! It sounds like you had a good system, yet I'm sure the tool makes short work of it and gives consistent results!

Close now!!!

Indeed. I got the throttle linkage finished today with return springs and everything, so when I fire up the new engine I'll actually be able to control it while sitting in the cab--exciting!

Thanks very much for all your great help Frank!
Robroy

[robroy]

Good afternoon,

While I know these photos are slightly off topic, here's the throttle linkage setup; it works pretty well! As usual these photos may be clicked upon to yield high resolution, high definition versions:



This front spring was made by Dorman in the USA. I bought a box of these around 1996 and this was the last from the box. The method I used to fasten it at the front was hokey; the spring had a pre-formed loop on its end that I put around the ARP bolt, then made it snug. It works but isn't elegant.



This rear spring's made in China; it came in a box of assorted springs from Kragen.



Here's the rear spring bracket. I painted it with Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator, then used a top coat of Eastwood's Underhood Black. Those bolts were left over from the previous engine build (before the engine had the ARP accessory bolts). I slipped the ground connector in between the bracket and the intake manifold.



It works pretty well, but I may investigate an upgraded throttle linkage setup in the future!

Thanks for reading!
Robroy