What the heck is this and do I need it? It looks like a switch and it's located just above the cold idle adjust next to the throttle linkage. The truck seems to run okay w/o it. I just installed a rebuilt carb which did not include a replacement for this even though it is mounted to the carb. I thought I'd ask about this before I write it off as unimportant.
It looks like a fast idle solinod,lots of older cars had them for fast idle when the engine is cold i belive.but ive never seen one in working condition
I always thought it was used to catch the throttle linkage at the last bit of travel and slow it down so it wouldn't slam shut. I think it was called a Dash-pot or something like that.
Its a idle solenoid it is connected to the ignition so it is energized when the engine is running and allows you to have a faster idle RPM with out it running on when you shut the engine off. If you engine shuts off alright then you don't need it.
The factory tuning of engines in the late 60s and early 70s meant that they tended to frequently 'diesel' when the key was turned off.
Solenoids were used to set the actual idle speed and then when the key was shut off the throttle plates were allowed to shut completely so that the engine would stop instantly.
That is definately an "anti dieseling solenoid."