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Choke Return Springs BJ8

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Dave Richards

Dave Richards

Jedi Knight
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In piecing things back together, I can't figure out where the choke return springs attach to. Obviously, one end is attached to the cable stop, but to what does the other end attach?
 
Dar100-

The BJ8 originally never had choke return springs on it. Attach the springs wherever it will stick.

If the HD8s are in very good condition and very clean and the car is used every day... you won't need the added choke return sprigns because the jet return spring will be strong enough to work... but that's a long shot if you ask me!
 
I encountered this problem when I redid the carburetors on my BJ8. Unfortunately, my springs were too far gone to re-use, so I substituted some look-alikes I found at Ace Hardware, the source of many strange and wonderful items. I hooked them to the bottom of the heat shield, as that is where they were hooked before.

Years ago, I copied the factory parts manual, which included BJ8's to car number 40236. It does not show any return springs for the choke cables. As the chokes will not close on their own, it may be that the factory added "helper" springs. Perhaps there are other listers with better information.
 
Hi Dar100, the pesky choke return springs used on the BJ8 cars are the same as the throttle return springs and must be stretched so they do not add appreciable load to the foot petal while functioning effectively to close the chokes. They were intended to locate in holes on the inner wheel arch at the front carb and on the firewall brace at the back one. These holes may or may not be there and you will need to improvise. The spring can be attached to the eye of the cotter pin where the choke cables terminate at the carb. You might want to use SS cotters as I did.---Fwiw--Keoke
 
Thank you. When I removed the choke cables to remove the carbs, the springs held the cable stop in the hole of the lever, so that's how I put it back.

When I first put things back together, I didn't use the choke springs and the idle was everywhere, putting the springs in, made the car purr, I was impressed. Maybe I'm not anymore, if it means the carbs are dirty, or worn.

I only drove the car about 1,500 - 2,000 miles last year and plan the same for this year, because I drive about 40,000 miles a year for work, and I'm confident my back wouldn't last that many miles in the Healey!
 
No Dar100, it is not necessarily the case that your carbs are worn or dirty. There is a significant amount of friction in the choke's system and overcoming it usually requires the use of the springs. ----Keoke
 
I cannot remember if I left this mod fitted or wether I put on external springs down to the heat shield, but one of my choke return experiments was the long thin springs from a retractable biro threaded over the cable between the outer sheath and the lever. It certainly worked ok.

AWEM
 
AndrewMawson said:
...was the long thin springs from a retractable biro threaded over the cable between the outer sheath and the lever. AWEM
Click to expand...

I'm not following...
 
What he did DAR100, was place a unique spring [biro] over the cable end between the cable's support at the carb and the choke lever arm. When you pull the choke it compresses the spring. When you unlock the choke the compressed spring pushes the choke arm back down.--Keoke
 
OK, I guess I better find out what a "biro" is. Thanks, as usual, Keoke.

Oh, like the spring in a ball point pen, the older I get, the less I know!
 
Well Dar100, maybe you not be so old. His modification works very much like the spring in a Ball Point Pen. Very good comparison me thinks---Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif
 
Yes Andrew I know, it was just funny he chose a ball point pen spring as an example I had forgotten about it.--Cheers-- Keoke
 
I have to say it's unusual in my experience to find a 3000 without some form of added return spring. Suprising nothing was factory fitted after a year or two in production.

On my BJ8 I had initially thought that the issue was a hardening of the diaphragm that the jet sits in, making it stiffer, but new jets and diaphragms made not a jot of difference !
 
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