Choke Heater

Do I need the automatic choke heater and related parts/hoses? I was going to go with a K&N chrome filter but I have only seen Jeeps without them in warmer climates. I am in CT but never drive her in the winter. Will the motor perform normally?

 

Does a '71 have TAC (thermostatic air cleaner?) - removing that will affect your cold-weather drivability a lot.

You need a choke of some kind. If it's a hot-air choke, you need a filtered air input. If the input is on the factory air cleaner, you'll need to duplicate it on your new open filter, K&N or whatever.

I would suggest a big paper air filter with a K&N wrap, rather than just the K&N element, for a Jeep.

Note that, if you replace the factory air cleaner with an open element air cleaner, the fuel in the float bowl will evaporate much faster than it would with the factory setup. You may find that you have to prime the carb if the Jeep sits for more than a few days.

 

I was 75% to stay stock and 25% to change. Thank you for your input. I'll stick to stock...

 

I converted my '71 over to a manual choke...and have not looked back since.

 

From what I can tell, my 71 came with a manual choke. All I did was lube up the cable a bit to make it easier to operate, but then again here in So. Cal you almost don't need it R)