carbdoc Posted December 9, 2022 Share Posted December 9, 2022 (edited) I am seeking technical information regarding the Delco-Remy automatic choke found on the Stormberg AA2 carburetor used on the 1937 Buick Model 60. I have performed this job before (albeit several years ago) but I don't recall having a problem with it. A photo of the choke (taken from the side, with the cover removed) is attached. Specifically, I would like to see an exploded view diagram, a reassembly sequence and/or a parts list. I am having difficulty understanding how two small radial springs and a lever work in conjunction with what I perceive to be the fast idle cam. One of the springs was broken when I started, so I had to guess as to its specifications; perhaps that is what is leading me astray. Jeff Dreibus Edited December 10, 2022 by carbdoc Wrong information. (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted December 9, 2022 Share Posted December 9, 2022 Those chokes are infamous. I believe Buick had that forced on them by GM Corporate, and in about a year it was clear to everyone they were a problem. Buick had replacement carbs available that eliminated the Delco choke. That said, SOMEONE on this forum successfully rebuilt and/or modified one to work properly. As I recall there were pictures and details. A quick search did not find the thread though. Does anyone remember who that was? Or know how to find the thread? @EmTee @dibarlaw @DonMicheletti @MCHinson 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbdoc Posted December 9, 2022 Author Share Posted December 9, 2022 (edited) Thanks, Bloo. Actually, I have rebuilt them to work properly in the long ago, but the memory how to do so has faded. Additionally, I think that someone has possibly "been into it" before and that is giving me a bit of a problem. Jeff Edited December 9, 2022 by carbdoc (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbking Posted December 9, 2022 Share Posted December 9, 2022 Unless one lived in Miami, or San Diego, or Honolulu or a similar locale, those chokes did not work well when new! Somewhere (please don't ask where), I have a Delco factory service bulletin from about 1938 or 1939 which advocated absolute butchery on the choke to attempt to make it function. Jeff - you may have one with the factory "fix" (that didn't). As Bloo mentioned, in 1938 Buick requested both Stromberg and new to Buick vendor Carter to use the conventional choke on the 1939 models, AND offer service replacement carburetors with the conventional hot air choke to replace ALL of the 1937 and 1938 units (both Stromberg and Marvel). Jon 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 It was @EmTee who recently cleaned up the Delco Choke on a 1938 60 Series carburetor. @carbdoc I am a bit confused exactly what you are working on. The 1937 40 Series Stromberg Carburetor was the AA-1. The AA-2 was used on 1937 60,80, & 90 Series. As soon as I know which one you need, I will be happy to post some photos of the material that I have related to the choke. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 Here's the thread where I refurbished the choke on my '38 Century: https://forums.aaca.org/topic/371015-my-1938-buick-century-model-61/page/2/#comments 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbdoc Posted December 10, 2022 Author Share Posted December 10, 2022 MCHinson, Thanks. I just checked and it is indeed an AA-2, it therefore must be for a model 60. I will edit my original post so as not to confuse anyone else. Please do post whatever you have that you believe might be relevant to this choke. EmTee, Thanks for the link! Yours differs slightly from the one that I am working on, but I believe that it is "close enough" to provide some insight. Jeff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 1 hour ago, EmTee said: Here's the thread where I refurbished the choke on my '38 Century: https://forums.aaca.org/topic/371015-my-1938-buick-century-model-61/page/2/#comments Wow. I thought it was you, but all a search came up with was some thread where you said you were thinking about tackling it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 Did you search the entire Buick forum or just the Buick Pre-War? It wouldn't have shown up if you were just looking in Pre-War. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbdoc Posted December 10, 2022 Author Share Posted December 10, 2022 EmTee, If you are addressing me regarding a search on the Buick forum, I haven't performed one. Do you have any suggestions should I decide to go there? Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 (edited) 10 minutes ago, EmTee said: Did you search the entire Buick forum or just the Buick Pre-War? It wouldn't have shown up if you were just looking in Pre-War. I don't remember now. That might explain it. Or more likely I might have been using google, limiting it to this site, a few keywords, etc. @carbdoc I think hes referring to my inability to find a thread I was sure existed. Edited December 10, 2022 by Bloo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 @carbdoc, sorry, I was answering Bloo, who was trying to find the thread that contained the repair of the Delco choke on my '38 Century. I posted the link to that thread above, if you're curious... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 Some of this might help or maybe it won't... In any case it is interesting reading. The first scanned .jpg files are the Choke and Carburetor pages from the 1937 Buick Engineering Features booklet. The last are 3 pages of 1937 Dealer Service Bulletins that apply to the Choke. I had to scan them as .jpgs to be able to post them on the forum. If you need higher quality versions, send me a PM with your email address and I will be happy to scan them as .pdfs and email them to you. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary W Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 I'll add my tear down also! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 I was engrossed in reading the "Valve Mechanism" section when it ended suddenly... Any chance @MCHinson can post the rest of that section...? Maybe a separate thread? Or maybe a Torque Tube II article...? Thanks! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 That is the problem with these types of documents. Whenever you are reading one section, you find something else interesting and it is difficult to stop. I will go ahead and add the next two pages, but ignore the start of the next section on "Camshaft" on the second page so I don't leave you hanging again... And yes, as soon as I finish the final installment of the current series on the 1937 Service Presentation in the Torque Tube II, I will follow up with the 1937 Engineering Facts. Unfortunately, it will take years to publish them all. I also have a lot of other old publications to reprint in the Torque Tube II over the next few years. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 Thanks, Matt. That section caught my eye because I have spent a fair amount of time trying to dial-in the valve lash on my '38. It is pretty good now (IMHO), but interestingly there's one (maybe 2) that tap lightly cold, but when I pull up to the garage door after a drive the engine is dead quiet. My theory is wear on the rocker arm tip from the valve stem 'fools' my feeler gauge by bridging the worn spot. I just bought an inexpensive dial indicator, so I plan to recheck the cold lash on all of the valves using that sometime this winter... Thanks again for the post! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 An issue that I found with both my '38's choke mechanisma was the alignment of the flexible cable inside the rubber boot. I never could get them so they didnt hit the boot. So, I leave the boot off and find the choking process works a lot better. I put the boot in the glove compartment so I can legitimately claim that the boots are in the car. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldtech Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 Oh my. never dealt with one of those. Rube Goldberg would be proud. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted December 11, 2022 Share Posted December 11, 2022 I found some more interesting documentation for the Delco automatic choke used on 1937 Buicks. These are from the documents from the 1937 Buick Service Presentations that were used to train Buick dealership mechanics on how to repair the new 1937 Buicks. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted December 11, 2022 Share Posted December 11, 2022 I think that when they were desiging that choke mechanism, there was a contest to see who could design one with the most parts. They built the winning design. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted December 11, 2022 Share Posted December 11, 2022 It takes an 'engineering team' to come up with something like this. One person could never make the required number of design compromises... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted December 11, 2022 Share Posted December 11, 2022 The really amusing thing is that a few years later, that contraption was replaced by a bi-metallic spring and a single, small piston 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbdoc Posted December 13, 2022 Author Share Posted December 13, 2022 Here's the wrap-up report to this saga: I've got the choke reassembled! I had to modify a radial tension spring spring (that I had on hand) with the same diameter wire and bore to replace a broken spring, but the choke is now back together and I believe that it will work! Thanks to all who contributed to this effort! Jeff 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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