When I first made the car road worthy it was choked down by the cats.
I punched them out and then it ran well except for the hanging of the shutter valve. So I started to perform the rats nest removal. I was short of time that day and I only performed the nest side that evening. Everything ran well the next few days. The next day I had a chance, I completed the ACV side of the engine. On the second day is when the car started running rough.

When I removed the ACV the plastic shield that is a part of the black spacer/gasket was very brittle and broke off. When I say broke off, I mean the shield part. The actual spacer seemed to be intact despite the rough edges where the shield part once joined. I wend ahead, removed the ACV and blocked it. At first, the ACV plate was leaking. I made a thicker rubber/cork gasket and it seems to not be leaking.

It has a miss in it. I can't lower the idle with the idle screw below 700 rpm. It idles rough regardless of mixture screw adjustment. It feels like I have a small vacuum leak.

I have sprayed Carb cleaner all around the intake, the carb, and the manifold and I just can't seem to find it.

I have checked all of my vacuum caps.....

I recently removed the carb from the manifold to inspect the black spacer/gasket. All seemed fine. The spacer stuck to the bottom of the carb. I did not have another fiber gasket that goes between the carb and spacer so I didn't pry it off. It was on there pretty good and I looked closely with no apparent leakage. I used RTV red on the manifold side when I reassembled. It is currently drying.

I have searched for this leak diligently!!

Suggestions would be appreciated.

 

My recommendation is to retrace all you have done. Have you read the rats nest removall in the archives?

Of course my 1st recommendation would of been to leave the rats nest in place. If I had a dollar for everyone that had a problem right after they did the removall, well I would have alot of dollars,lol.

 

I hear ya Doc.....The FB is my daily driver for now. I wasn't going to touch anything because everything will be pulled for the swap...... Well, my need to tinker and make things cleaner got the best of me..

I have read the nest removal. I guess I just have to break it waaaaaaay down.

I'll get it no doubt......just aggravating.

 

There are no gaskets for the spacer, they are permantly integrated/bonded to the spacer. I hope you didn't use the rtv on either side of the spacer. All it will do is squeeze itself into the vacuum ports on the spacer and plug them. If you did, remove it as soon as you can, you may need to find a new spacer.

If you can't get the idle to drop down and none of the cables to the carb are too tight, time to look for vacuum leaks.

 

Thanks! I did use the RTV. I just took it for a drive. It seems to be running a little better. .....ha... my choke doesn't work now. Must have plugged that hole up. Honestly, I know the RTV would do this but I wanted to see if the spacer was the cause.......I will drive it more.

I may have to get another spacer. They are $140.00 from Mazdatrix......looks like I'm looking for a used one

Thanks.

 

The choke is controlled by the thermo sensor on the back of the water pump housing. Did you unplug it?

 

I'll check..... Thanks!