What are your opinions on the automatic choke? Adjust or disarm?

[JSR5150]

I have a Bocar 34PICT-3 on our recently acquired '72 Ghia, and from most of the chatter I've seen these carbs aren't exactly universally loved. But I decided to go through the motions and give it the benefit of the doubt before condemning it. Adjusted the valves first, then made carb and timing adjustments. Its' running beautifully, and idles well at about 860 rpm. The only thing left was to check and adjust the automatic choke.

Not much information in the Hayne's manual on choke adjustment, so I consulted the 'How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive Manual' by John Muir, which came with the car. (Very entertaining publication, by the way.) Turns out the author hates the automatic choke and won't even discuss adjustment in the book, just choke disarmament. He makes a pretty good case for this, including poor fuel mileage, unreliability, lubrication issues due to over-richening, etc.

So what are your thoughts on this? He makes a good case for disabling of the choke, and here in South Carolina we don't deal with a lot of cold weather starting issues.

[bhartwell59]

To each his own... I'm looking at you Mr. Muir.

Personally, I like it. You do need to adjust per season and that's usually a simple turn clock or counter clockwise.
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'74 Zambezi green Ghia vert, autostick, 103k
'87 Jeep Wrangler, 4.2, 334k

[scottyrocks]

My first car had a manual choke. Simple to use and dead-nuts reliable.

I have no issues with converting an automatic choke to a manual choke, especially if the car's automatic choke is a PITA.
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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
– D. Tartt, 'The Goldfinch'

[rcooled]

[Braukuche]

A proper working choke is fantastic.
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Go Reds! Smash state!

Retirement is here!
1960 double cab
1960 Baja Bug
1963 stretched double cab
1962 Golde sunroof Ghia
1963 356 B coupe
1963 Notchback
1967 21 window less rusty now
1989 Westfalia

[Era Vulgaris]

x2 on what Braukuche said. I had automatic chokes on both my '74 and '67, and never had problems with either one. Both worked great, made cold starts easy. It never occurred to me that anyone would be in favor of removing them. I'm not that much further north than you, and I would be in favor of keeping it.
One of the 914s I used to own was dual carb with no choke, and cold starts were always a pain having to keep my heel on the gas pedal at stops until the engine was warm enough to hold a steady idle. I say adjust it correctly, which isn't hard to do, and keep it.
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Currently own:
66 Karmann Ghia, L390 Gulf Blue, under construction, here: www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=760505&highlight=
99 Mazda MX-5 10AE, Sapphire Blue Mica, 6 speed, LSD

Previously owned:
98 Porsche Boxster, silver, 2.5L -- 67 Karmann Ghia, Black, 1500sp -- 98 BMW Z3, Atlanta Blue Metallic, 2.8L I6 -- 75 Porsche 914, Laguna Blue, 2270cc -- 72 Porsche 914, Signal Orange, 1.7 FI -- 74 Karmann Ghia, Black, 1600dp -- 74 Triumph TR6 with O.D., sapphire blue

[kpf]

One negative I've experienced with the auto-choke is that it comes on for a "warm start," such as after going into a store for 10 minutes. In that situation, it's not needed, and can cause the engine to run rough for a minute due to being too rich. I wonder if the folks who disable the choke are those who often stop for 15 minutes or so and then start up again?
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1971 Super Beetle

[Era Vulgaris]

[Braukuche]

[Starbucket]

With the motor cold:
1) Loosen the 3 screws on the choke assembly just e`nuff so you and move the inner assembly.
2) Remove air cleaner from carb.
3) Step all the way down on the gas pedal (to set the choke).
4) Now slowly turn the choke assembly to the point that the buttery fly is almost closed.
5) Tighten the 3 screws.

[kpf]

[JSR5150]