[Chris in WNC]

growing up on the farm in the 1950s-60s, we had a 1938 Allis-Chalmers styled WC tractor.
sometime before my memories began, the magneto ground which stopped the engine broke or otherwise went south.
my Grandpa, a pragmatic non-mechanic, simply choked the engine to stop it every time he used it.
that tractor worked hard up into the 1970s and saw limited service into the 80's.
the engine was never taken apart and did not smoke or knock.
last time I saw it, a buyer was driving it home across the fields from Grandpa's estate auction in 1984.
I suppose it's comparing apples to oranges, but evidently choking it didn't do too much damage.