choke knob

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Looking for a choke knob for my 1928 Series 81 coupe.

Jack Davis

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Jack,

Are you talking about the PRIMER PULL or the Rich-Lean assembly?

If the former, contact Wayne or Marc Hancock (PAS members).

If the latter, I DK.

Peter

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Peter

I have the primer pull OK. It is the rich-lean I am missing, the round knob, would just say “choke” on it. At some point in the past someone mounted a non-PA brown plastic knob that says “L” on a unit below the dash, leaving the original hole empty.

Jack

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Jack,

How about a photo?

The Series 80 has a slide that is a “RICH – LEAN” lever, and no “CHOKE.”

I believe that the Rich-Lean lever IS the choke.

The Series 81 must be different.

Also, the problem with detail parts for the Series 81 if they are different from those on the Series 80 is that the PAMCC made very few Series 81 cars.

Peter

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Peter: The car in question is a Series 81. It uses a Stromberg carburetor with an actual choke. So it has as original equipment a choke knob, and a primer knob, both heavy round knobs with the name of it’s function printed around the perimeter of the knob..

The Stromberg O-3 carburetor does not have a main-jet that can be adjusted from the driver’s seat, so it does not have a ‘rich-lean’ lever.

The Series 81 has one of the most beautiful dashboard and instrument panels of an of the Pierce Arrows produced.

Note the nice hefty plated round knobs between the steering column and the instrument cluster.

Greg Long

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Greg,

All of what you wrote is fine, but remember that my Series 80 runs a Stromberg O-3, Series 81 carburetor on it.

If the carburetor has a real choke on it, that is great, however, my Series 80 does not have a “Choke” knob, but a “Rich – Lean” slide on the dash and that adjusts the level of choke, which I usually run mid-way between Rich & Lean.

Peter

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Peter

Here is a photo of my dash showing the primer pull knob and the empty spot where the choke should be. The choke is now located below the dash with an incorrect knob. So what I need is a nickel knob that reads “Choke””.

Jack”

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And while I am at it, can someone tell me what these two pull buttons to the left of the steering column are for? They don’t seem to be mentioned in the owner’s manual for the Series 81.

Jack Davis

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sorry, the photo is upside down. Damned if I know how that happens.

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Peter; Jack’s car is a Series 81, through and through.

Your car is a Series 80, with a S91 carburetor. The installation of the S81 carb adapted the S80 Rich-Lean lever to actuate the choke. What your S80 has is not related to what Jack car needs.

What Jack needs is a part that is on S81 cars only, not on S80’s. It does not make sense to discuss a rich-lean lever when discussing a Series 81. there are no such levers on a Series 81. It just confuses the question and potential

answers.

Take a look at the nice cylindrical knobs in the photos of the Series 81 instrument panels. Take a look through your drawer full of nickel and chrome ‘car-jewelry’. Maybe you have a choke-pull knob from a S81.

Greg

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Jack: those pull-switches look like add-on switches for accessories added to the car.

Does your car have any extra parking lights? or a heater with a fan? or a defroster fan? Those are a few items i’ve seen added to our cars .

Greg

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Greg,

My Series 80 was upgraded about 91-years ago to run the Stromberg O-3 carburetor.

It was upgraded by my Uncle Joe’s, Uncle Joe Waldorf who was the Supervising Director of the PAMCC Grisholt rear-end / differential plant.

In addition, I am confident that there are no Choke Knobs in any of the boxes of nickel do-dads that I have floating around.

If there was such a knob, it certainly would not have a hole for mounting on the dashboard of my Series 80.

The Rich-Lean level adjusts the Choke / Butterfly on my Series 80, Stromberg O-3 carburetor.

If you note my second question to Jack, I requested that he post a photo.

After that, I made no comments regarding the Choke Knob..

As to my adding confusion to the discussion, OOPS, as I clearly pointed out from the beginning this discussion, I am not familiar with the dashboard configuration / Choke Knob on the Series 81.

Cheers,

Peter

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Greg, Peter, et al, thanks for your responses. Maybe a choke knob will turn up. As for the two little switches, I would swear that I have seen them on a dash photo of another 81 or two. Haven’t had a chance to trace their wiring to see where it goes. There are no add-ons that I am aware of, no heater, etc. They look anachronistic on that dash. I would have thought if factory issue they would have compatible knobs. One of many little mysteries.

Jack Davis

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Jack,

I have similar small pulls on my Series 80, one is for the Visionall Vacuum Wipers and one is for the Cowl Lights.

On your Series 81, do you have Auxiliary lights in between the headlights?

Do you have wipers?

Are they both electrical switches or is one a vacuum switch?

I see in the one photo what looks to be a vacuum tube (although it appears cracked).

Do you have vacuum wipers on the car?

Peter

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Peter

There are vacuum wipers on the car, but they appear to be controlled by a toggle under the dash on the far left side. It also has small auxiliary lights between the headlamps, but I believe they are controlled by the central light switch in the middle of the dash. I’ll check this all out.

Jack

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Peter

Here is a photo of the vacuum wiper switch on the underside of the dash on my 81. The auxiliary lights between the headlamps are controlled by an auxiliary setting on the main light switch. Those mysterious little switches seem to tie into the electronics somehow but I’ll have to crawl under the dash with the seat removed to track them.

Jack

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Jack,

Just as a point of correctness,; Electrics, not Electronics.

Electronics came in with Transistors and that didn’t happen until the 1950s or 60s.

How about an under dash photo of the mystery switches?

Do you have ONE wiper or Two?

Is your wiper motor a small semicircular type that swing back and forth or a Long type that goes back and forth all the way across the windshield?

Photos?

Peter

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Jack,

BTW, my wipers had that sort of Left-Center-Right toggle until I swapped it out for a three position In-Out type.

I will post photos soon.

Also BTW, it is cool to have wipers on a 1920s car.

Peter

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Peter

I stand corrected re electrics. So much to learn!

Here is a photo of the back side of the dash where the two push/pull switches attach.

Jack

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Peter

IN re wipers, there are two, and really see no motor. See photo.

Jack

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