[CMR]

I have an 84 C10 that I'm trying to wire up an electric choke to, and I would like to run it off my ignition. I thought there was a way you could pull the front panel with the fuses off to get to the terminals underneath, but I don't know how to do it. I don't want to go gung-ho on it because I'm afraid I might screw up my fuse box. Can anyone tell me how, or if this can be done? Thanks.

[75gmck25]

The fuse panel does split in half if you remove the screws and release the clips, but I don't think you need to do that.

There should be several terminals in the fusebox that are designed for adding more circuits. Some are used by factory options (for example, the lights on buzzer option, or aux fuel tank option), but others are usually open.

For an electric choke you want to find an ignition switched power source, and then use it to activate a relay under the hood. The activation side of a relay will put such a small load on the fuse box that it doesn't really matter what circuit you connect to for activation. The relay under the hood can draw its power for the choke through an inline fuse that is directly connected to the power junction on the firewall (next to the brake booster).

Bruce

[Bryan59EC]

Bruce has the suggestion for you.
If you are not familiar with how a fusebox is wired or put together, some interesting things may happen that will not be pleasant.

Entertaining to us-----but a PAIN IN THE ***** to you

If your truck has any options at all,it is likely that you can use an existing grommet in the firewall to poke your wire thru.

I just disassembled an 82 C-10 and removed all wiring. More holes in that firewall than swiss cheese. And most all of those grommets were just normal grommets glued in place on the wiring harness.

For temporary use, a regular male spade connector can be used in any of those unused "IGN" ports on the front of the fusebox (About 3 of them), many cars have connectors to allow more than one circuit to be used in each port.

For permanent connections I would suggest the factory type connectors to plug into the fusebox----it might be noted that these things are keyed, so that a connector body that is intended for an ignition source will not plug into an ACCY, or BATT port.

Might find the connectors at a junkyard, or give American AutoWire a call
They sell them----Fuse box taps, a set of 10 or 11 for $15.

[Jake_Dragon]

I was just going to post use the "IGN" and a spade connector.
You don't have to cut anything and its easy to remove. Just add an in line fuse and your good to go.

[oldred]

Originally Posted by CMR

I have an 84 C10 that I'm trying to wire up an electric choke to, and I would like to run it off my ignition. I thought there was a way you could pull the front panel with the fuses off to get to the terminals underneath, but I don't know how to do it. I don't want to go gung-ho on it because I'm afraid I might screw up my fuse box. Can anyone tell me how, or if this can be done? Thanks.

I am probably going to open a can of worms here again BUT why not do it the way factories did and wire the choke to the alternator? If you wire it to a fused source that is hot when the ignition is switched on the choke will start to open as soon as the key is turned on whether the engine starts or not. When wired to the alternator, the way it was done from the factory for many years, there is no power going to the choke coil until the engine is running so the choke stays closed until you are ready for it to open, if wired to a switched source it will open ready or not!


After market carburetors suggest using a fused source because it makes for a simple installation and they do not have to provide instructions for the many different kinds of alternators out there but while that does work it has the uncontrolled opening problem and the alternator hookup works better with controlled opening instead of just opening as soon as the key is switched. I have done this on both Ford and GM several times and it works just like a factory carburetor/choke.




If you are going to wire it to the fuse box you can get an "add-a-fuse" piggyback type of fuse adapter at Autozone, Advance, etc that allows you to simply pull the old fuse and replace it with the new double fuse that you can attach the new wire to, both circuits are independently protected and your old fuse is used in addition to the new one. These work quite well and can be done neatly and easily, I have used them several times for various wiring additons and they are available for both glass and blade types.

[CMR]

How would you wire it to the Alternator? Mine has three wires going to it, two are on a plug that plugs into it and the third is on a small stud with a nut. The one with the stud and nut is hot so it wouldn't work there. The other two wires on the plug are red and black.

[oldred]

It goes to the stator connection, the way I did one fairly recently in an S10 V8 conversion was to just use the alternator as a power source for a relay and powered the choke from the battery. This is not necessary however because the choke draws very little power and powering directly from the alternator works just as well, still some had rather use the relay as did the owner of this truck.

Another way to do it, and GM did it this way also, is to simply add a pressure switch and use engine oil pressure to switch power to the choke from the battery eliminating any alternator connection at all. Either way works just fine and either way is not at all hard to connect, both of these connections will eliminate the problem of the choke opening too early.