Okay, quick background:
My recently-purchased Kaiser M715 was rebuilt by Memphis Equipment in 2007. Small-block Chevy 350 was dropped in, along with a TH350 transmission and conversion to power brakes-power steering.
Engine is from a 1974 Chevelle, rebuilt at time of install. 2-barrel Rochester carb, distributor was switched to a new HEI unit. Less then 2000 miles since 2007, stored indoors.
Now I have it. It starts up ( manually operated choke) but idles rough. It stalls if choke is pushed to off position. Runs if choke is left open, but it's running rich. Not sure butit appears not to be firing on all cylinders. If I drive it, or run the throttle, it will run with the choke off but unless I gun the motor when I stop it will stall.
Pulled the plugs, oily and black on six cylinders, two are dry with normal black/tan color, no wear to electrodes. Put in new plugs and it seemed to run less rough, burned out a bunch of carbon etc, would ALMOST idle but stall after thirty seconds or so of choke going off.
Checked compression, it is good in all eight cylinders. Ordered new plug wires and picking up a new dist. cap tomorrow.
Most (all) of my experience with car engines for the last thirty years has been fuel injected electronic engines; last carb engine I touched was a slant-6 Dodge back around 1987.
Checked for vacuum leaks and sprayed carb cleaner inside and out, no leaks and float appears ok but I'm not much of a carb expert.
Any ideas? I don't have a tach gauge, wondering how to read RPM's to set my idle. Going to drain gas and change fuel filter to be on safe side. Truck had been sitting since this January, I bought it in June.