Well I figured out why my idle drops considerably when turning on the AC. The white solenoid is working, but seemed to have no effect until I pulled out the vacuum hose sticking in the top of the do-hickey that has the screw adjust for AC idle. Leave the hose open, the idle increases. Plug it, or hook it back up to the port, idle drops. Turning the set screw=no effect at all.
Bad do-hickey thing-a-ma-bob?

 

Hook up a Mity-Vac or some vacuum source to the canister's vacuum input and test it. You'll physically see the little rod responding to the pumping of the tool. The idle increases because you're adding air through that unhooked vacuum tube into the manifold and leaning out your mixture at idle...

 

Sounds like the canister is stuck, should I try to take it off & clean & lube it?
Thanks!

 

I know most of you guys have sh*$ canned the AC, and I am a major WUSS for needing it, but have anyone messed with that canister thingy before if its not working?

 

either the solenolid is bad or the vaccum diaphram

I place game on the vacuum diaphram

 

Hey Mike, I checked the solenoid, works fine. Hows that other thing come out, does the black cap unscrew somehow so I can get at the innards? Taking the whole thing off looks like a PIA.

 

Ok, I took the diaphragm assy off, easy enough.
It does seem to work, when I push the bottom arm up, air squirts out the vac hole. Now, upon reinstalling, I noticed that the bottom arm is not contacting anything, if its moving when actuated, it's not touching or activating anything else. The 'L' shaped arm sits about 1/2 inch under the nearest lever that look like, when moved up slightly, actuates another lever into the carb. Is this what is supposed to be happening? Hope all this makes some sense, but I'm no mechanic (yet).
Oh yeah, I got a haynes and a clymer manual for this 84 GSL, no help. I'm countin' on you all for guidance here!

 

Anyone know what I can do next? Sorry, I'm old, decrepet7 MUST have my AC!. Of course, I could just bump the idle up a bit & forget it.