Scotty:
What year was your car?
79TR7 do not come equipped with chokes (exactly)…instead they’re equipped with an item (on the front carb) called a FASD (Fully Automatic Starting Device). I assume all TR7 are equipped with these items.
They are operate like mechanical carburetors that inject additional gasoline into the engine when its cold…increasing the fuel ratio like a choke (but dosen’t do it by cutting off air like a choke does...it add gasoline and holding air constant).
When the FASD work…they work very well. A lot like a modern car with fuel injection. The problem is they operate using a wax valve that goes bad and it stops working. The solution is to replace the wax valve with a mechanical lever (like a choke lever). British Victoria sells the FASD replacement lever.
The replacement lever works very well…although you need to do a little modification… I’ve installed it on my 79 TR7 and it works like a dream. On cold mornings…I pull the lever, pump the pedal twice and start the engine and take off. Just like a modern car with fuel injection. After the engine warms up I push in the lever and that’s it…pushing the lever in has no effect once the engine is war.
When the engine is cold, the lever increase idol...it stays that way until you push the lever back in.
You save a lot of gas (and time) not having to wait for the car to warm up…and works much better than a “traditional chokeâ€.
I should say, there are no replacement parts for FASDs…except the British Victoria cable. Many previous TR7 owners that had problems with starting remove the FASD…because they didn’t understand how it worked…there are no manuals except what’s on the internet. There is nothing in the Hanes manual on the FASD either.
There are a few sites…that explain very well how they work, how to fix them…do your homework.
Here’s the link…to show you what an FASD looks like…its long
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... ehBaYpdeuQ
or google "FASD SD1"…the rover SD1 is the only other car that was ever equipped with an FASD
if your problem is the FASD (or a missing one)...its worth fixing and or replacing...it makes your car run better than any choke equipped triumph you've ever driven.
good luck
-V
79TR7
