Sounds lean, ie vacuum leak but you already assumed that. Soapy water in a squirt bottle. Start motor and idle (where it has the highest idle) and start squirting the manifold gasket in slow methodical areas. If you start to bog or RPM's jump up or down, suspect that area and do a little more probing. I just tightened a intake bolt on my Breeze and got rid of a rough idle I had for a YEAR! Stomping the gas shoots raw gas into the mix and thatll overcome any vacuum leak for the moment and if you have to feather it coming down to an idle to keep it running, yeah, its a vacuum leak or a really lean carb. I would ask you to check the exhaust manifold tempo after a good run but you dont have a baseline to go on, an elevated temperature on an exhaust manifold can tell you things, also a white spark plug will tell you your lean or vacuum leak (making you lean). Well, the 225 only "needs" a 250 CFM carb so the 500 is a bit big, but only at WOT. You can even run a TQ or a quadrajet on a slant, as the secondaries will never open). Get 'er done!

already know where the leak is

when the secondary kicks in on this - you can feel it!
most of my "normal" driving doesn't kick it in until i step on it and when it does it works great!
love the way it feels and acts at that point

wish i could afford to spend a little more time at the track with it
i am positive i can get this brick faster than 17 seconds at 71mph in the 1/4

i do know that light to light racing in town - this thing freaks people out
by the time they respond at the light i am already halfway through the intersection!! LOL

anyway - until i can get a new gasket for the intake/exhaust i am just gonna half to put up with it for now

later
d

_________________
"I may be slow, but at least I'm not very fast!"
'69 A108 - 225, 727, 3.55, MSD6AL, a.k.a.-the brick

If the leak area is obvious, ie around a crack or so, smear some "super copper" RTV on it at idle for about 10 seconds then shut is down overnight to cure. the leak should pull some of the rtv in and allow it to cure, might give you a temp fix. Worth a 4 buck shot..skip the Starbucks that day....I had a bone stock 273 4bbl in my Barracuda and 3.55 gears and I was unbeatable crosswalk to crosswalk! I was also in 3rd gear by that time as I learned I didnt have a trans kickdown linkage!

gonna order a gasket set in the next day or two
one of those remflex ones

never ever spent a dime at star$$$$s

i have my tranny "wired" at about halfway so it shifts itself
works pretty well
shifts seem to work at the "right" speeds
if i want to get with the program
i shift it down into 2nd at anywhere up to around 45 and stomp on it till i am up at around 70 then shift it up to drive!!!

with the 3.55's and the 727 with the shift kit in there it justs takes it and goes - one of these days i will get a cable kickdown and get it installed

i thought about using the copper rtv which i have but since i only drive it about once or twice a week right now i figured i can just wait

i hate the thought of having to redo this damn gasket again - the cheapy that's on it right now i just replaced about 7 months ago dangit!

that's also why i am still using the 500 holley in here - having to replace gaskets and spacers and hook it up and test it and all that is just not easy for me right now - it's a toss up between suffering on the motor or weedeating or mowing or hauling firewood or............

thank god i don't have a 22 year old girlfriend that wants sex all the time or i would be wore to a frazzle and unable to move at all!!! LOLOL

_________________
"I may be slow, but at least I'm not very fast!"
'69 A108 - 225, 727, 3.55, MSD6AL, a.k.a.-the brick

gasket on it's way
$42.42
this thing is gonna nickel and dime me to death!

gotta get someone to buy the valiant i got and all the parts i got laying around

gotta find out if 4 old radiators is enough money to help buy a new one for this thing!

Just get married...you'll have plenty of "down" time...hahahaha!

married
and
divorced
twice
never
EVER
EVER
again
20 years wasted
and ungodly amounts of $$$ lost

got 3 fantastic kids
only good thing outta the deal!!


The outfit I ordered the Remflex gasket from has already processed the order! Now that's the way it should always be when ordering stuff! Supposed to be here by the weekend if I am lucky! (it's just that living out in BFE - things take longer to get here sometimes!)

_________________
"I may be slow, but at least I'm not very fast!"
'69 A108 - 225, 727, 3.55, MSD6AL, a.k.a.-the brick

I just priced an intake/exhaust gasket for the slant...11 bucks! Are these worth it or are they junk? I think it was a Fel-Pro. Im used to 30 buck V8 gasket prices for the same intake and exhaust parts, suprised...Just bought 6 plugs and tube seals..14 bucks! Too bad performance intake manifolds and headers are 2X the V8 prices.

http://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=43810

Check the link above for an answer to your gasket question.

The one I have on here now was a cheapy felpro and this one lasted around 6 months or so.

With a freakin bad back like mine - I can't take changing the damn things this often. Once in a blue moon is allright but 6 months to a year or 3 just plain sucks!

_________________
"I may be slow, but at least I'm not very fast!"
'69 A108 - 225, 727, 3.55, MSD6AL, a.k.a.-the brick

I found that lean/rich trick. If you put your hand over the air horn at idle and the idle goes up, your lean.