Technical Electric Choke.

Background. I have a 62 Thunderbird with a Autolite 4100 carb. The carb is a C4AF-K which is not the right one for that engine. I'm curious as to what engine that carb was designed for. I put the right size jets in and it seem to run pretty good once get it started.
I'm having issues with the thermostatic choke. If I get it to open it won't close, If I get it to close it won't open all the way. I have cleaned out the heat tube also.
Does anyone know of an electric choke that I can retrofit to my carb? Holley makes some retrofit electric chokes but I don't know if they will work with the Autolite carb.
Also, when using an electric choke, does it stay on or hot all the time?
Thanks

 

Those are pretty specific questions for what’s not your typical hot rod carb. If you don’t get an answer here, try the Ford Barn. Good carbs, still sought after by the Ford guys.

 

@carbking

I just lit the bat signal. Regarding your power for the electric choke, it should be 12v on with the ignition.

Have you considered a manual choke? I spent too much money on electric choke housings that I thought would fit my primary 2 barrel (3x2 setup) but the carb spacing is so small nothing would work. Soon thereafter I bought an OT car that still fits the HAMB timeline with a manual choke and I’ve got to say, they kick serious ass. You kind of learn exactly what the engine requires to fire right up, and you are in complete control applying exactly how much choke the engine needs to run at that particular moment. Pretty easy by sound to remember if you left it on when it idles too fast at a light. If you want to be really cute I suppose you could wire a prox switch for a dummy indicator that the choke is on, but so far I haven’t found it necessary.

 

some of those autolite carbs used not only a heat tube but also a bracket that held a heater hose to the housing to heat it up when it was really cold. the heat tube must be clear all the way through the manifold so it can pull the air through, also the hole going from the housing into the carb must be clear, this hole provides manifold vacuum to pull the air . any soot in the system means exhaust gasses are getting in and there is an issue with the tube.
I have converted them to electric, but I just went through my pile of carbs and choke pieces and found something that fit. not only is the diameter important but the direction of the spring. some can be flipped to work the opposite way.
chokes have kept mechanics in business for 90 years...