62 FI Fast Idle

[Rob Howell]

Hello,

My car seems to stay on the fast idle longer than I would imagine needed (sometimes 10 minutes even when 80* or more). Is there a way to adjust this? I can't find anything on this in the ST12 manual I have.

Thanks
Rob

[Rob Howell]

Re: 62 FI Fast Idle

I should mention that the car stays on fast idle for a bit even after it is fully warmed up to 180*

[Mike E.]

Re: 62 FI Fast Idle

Ambient temperature and engine coolant temperature have at best a minimal effect on the FI choke mechanism. It's all about the coil on the back of the bakelite and how long the key has been on and sending electricity through to heat that coil. That directly affects the length of time the choke takes to come down to idle.
10 minutes does seem too long. Are all the adjustments with the arm and the screw and all that as per the ST-12? I find that at times with these old 62 units and their chokes, you have to adjust them to make them work the way you want, rather than as per the ST-12. Good luck!

[John D.]

Re: 62 FI Fast Idle

Rob, If you have one of the old repro choke covers and maybe even a newer repro choke cover sometimes the brass slotted "stud" sticking out of the backside-the slotted stud that hold the spring I mean hits the choke baffle and slows down the operation of the choke. Make sure your choke spring is not shot also. Steal one from an old carburator for this fix. I assume you rotated the choke cover toward the lean side a touch.
Now to get into the harder stuff. Luckily RP only made that wild choke set up for one year. I mean the choke shaft is sooo long. Probably binding in the cone. One of the hardest things to do in a 62 resto is to get that really long shaft to turn like a clock. You may have to hone out the holes and polish the shaft to get it to work freely. Also your choke cams could be hung up. Also if you have a bunch of repro choke parts as far as cams and fast idle cam screws make sure you fast idle cam screw is not causing the cams to lock up.
Don't forget to check to make sure the butterfly on the choke shaft is working freely. Choke timing for a 62 is around 4-1/2 minutes to about 5 minutes.
If you are going to keep the car make sure you round up a choke cover at all cost. Those babies are discontinued and no one is making them right now that I know of. Good luck, John
P.S. Don't put any lubricant on the choke shaft because the heat will turn in into carbon and cause the shaft to stick. At least that is what I have been told.
One last thing. You have an air cleaner adapter that is held on to the cone by two blackened fillister head screws (maybe shiney) How you tighten up the 4 cone retaining screws can determine whether or not your choke shaft is going to bind.