I just spent yesterday chasing down poor idle and low power on my '71.
After checking compression, ignition, and carbs, it turned out to be a leaky
manifold gasket. If you haven't all ready done this, spray WD 40 along the
edge of the gasket between the manifold and the head with the engine
running. If the idle suddenly changes, you've found a leak and it's time to
replace the gasket. The standard issue gaskets don't last long, so get a
high performance one if you can. Another trick is to use two standard ones
with metal sides facing away from each other. This makes them last longer.
The extra few bucks for either approach is worth it as it's a minor pain to
replace this gasket.
Jim Knight
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