That was my thought as well. The water choke is an interesting idea, but since the thermostat would have to open (if the heater hose is feeding the choke) before heating the choke element, it seems inefficient. I have an electric choke now and it works well. I was initially intrigued with the idea of using water but became less interested after thinking about it.
I ran a temporary wire from the solenoid. However, I prefer Chad's method of wiring it to the alternator. It's much more of a direct shot.
It depends on the brand. The factory wire on a '79 f100 is from the alternator and has about 8 volts. Aftermarket E chokes are usually 12V. The factory wire unloaded the choke too slowly on the aftermarket replacement YF carb. The Holley 4V on the '90 f150 and the 1V F100 are both wired to the fuse box on an "ignition-on" circuit. With full 12V both chokes are completely open @ two minutes, and cold drivability is perfect. Morning temps rarely below 40*, but does fine on the 20 or so days per year of sub-freezing temps.
Yes the carb needs to deliver more fuel when the parts (particularly the intake) are cold. No choke requires a pump or two- or three, depending on the carb, then crank with the throttle closed. Engine fires, then have to "pat" the gas quickly multiple times (how many depends on how cold it is) to add accelerator pump fuel. The closer the throttle stays to closed the better because it keeps vacuum up, keeps the cold mix vaporized. In 5 seconds or so the engine will stay on without pumps. Run it @ high idle another 10 seconds and drive off. She's a little lean-saggy for a minute, then good-to-go.
