258 Carb heater?

[grand_wag_85]

I have a 258 from an '87 YJ and there is this 12ga red wire that disapears into the intake in the plate directly under the carb. Is this some sort of carb heater? I believe it's factory but then again this motor did have alot of mods done to it.

[addicted]

Yep, it's a heater. If you look down the throttle of the carb you will see it, it looks kinda like a meat tenderizer.

[grand_wag_85]

My next question is how should I wire it up and under what conditions would I need to throw the switch?

[tgreese]

I recall there is a relay in the 258 equipped Jeeps that handles the carb heater. Take a look at the wiring diagram from any '81 or later Jeep vehicle with a 258 and you'll find the circuit.

I have the same dangling wire on my '77 J10 with '85 CJ manifolds. It's not connected. I expect my truck would run better in cold weather if I connected it, but it's low on the priority list. The coolant circulating through the manifold will keep the carb warm, once the engine is up to temperature.

[backroadin']

You could always wire it to a switch and just turn it on until the engine is warm.

[grand_wag_85]

You could always wire it to a switch and just turn it on until the engine is warm.

That's what I was thinking.

[2ToneBluJ10]

Here's a link that explains how the manifold heater operates.

http://home.sprynet.com/~dale02/manifold.htm

Hope this helps.