No idle problem

["Myron Ware" <cmw@domain.elided>]

Hi all,
  On the way back from an uneventful (mechanically speaking) weekend 
at the beach, my engine refused to idle properly.  I noticed this 
behavior right after an hour long stint of 35-55mph driving, no stop 
and go traffic.  It had idled fine all morning, although the temp 
guage was just a tick lower than normal, and the problem seemed to 
just *happen* when I slowed down for a traffic stop.  I swtiched 
tanks because I thought my first tank had gone dry.  I got it running 
again, but the temp guage was reading a couple needle-widths lower 
than normal, especially for a hot day.  The only way to keep it 
running when not at cruising speed is to pull the choke out to what I 
normally use for morning warm-ups.  It seems to run fine at that 
speed, with no misses whatsoever.  With no choke it just dies.  I 
plugged the vacuum advance port and that didn't chage the behavior.  
I pulle dthe #1 and #2 plugs, and they have the barely brownish look 
to the insulator, with maybe a tad bit of an ash look on electrode.  
I looked down the carb with a flashlight while it was running, and 
saw the fuel dripping in, and then I ran out of daylight.  Are there 
any clues I can check before I take the carb off to check for 
blockages?  I have noticed a lot more backfiring while decelerating 
in gear.  Time for another exhaust donut for that problem I guess.
Thanks,
Myron
68 Scout 800 4-196
----------------------------------------------------------------------
C. Myron Ware  Senior Prog/An, CNE/CNA |  NASA Langley Research Center
Email c.m.ware@domain.elided           |  Hampton, Va   23681
http://cnb-www.larc.nasa.gov/~ware/cmw-home.html  (work) or
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/1370  (non-work)

The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.
  -- Humphrey Bogart