The Arizona Dart - teething.
Maybe your choke thermostat spring is broken (bolts into exhaust manifold). Otherwise, when it get hot it should pull the fast idle cam around and lower the idle throttle position.
That nylon tie on the choke pull-off is silly. They should have at least used stiff steel wire. Test the pull-off diaphragm by: remove hose, push in rod, block port with finger, let go of rod. If the rod moves out, the diaphragm is torn and your pull-off useless. You will never get the choke adjusted right without a working pull-off. Its job is to pop the choke open slightly once the engine fires (and produces vacuum). You can buy the pull-off separate.
Thanks for the replies, folks - keep 'em coming. Y'all are really helping me overcome my ignorance of yet another /6 issue. I checked the choke pull-off by sucking on a clean piece of tubing attached to its vacuum port. The rod moved slightly and returned to rest and I could simply suck air thru the unit. That's the same way I tested the distributor vacuum advance, with the same result (dammit!)
The choke linkage looks to have been "adjusted" with the same back country engineering techniques as the plastic wire tie on the pull-off. The choke linkage moves freely, but the spring may well be broken. I didn't feel any resistance to moving the rod, but I haven't removed the choke from the manifold yet.
The responses I'm getting from my inquiries are leading me to quite a few sources for carb and choke parts. There are so many choices, and the NOS parts sellers mention specific carb "OEM" numbers. Of course, the metal tag that had that number is missing and one site offering carb identification mentioned that if the BBS tag is missing "identification is extremely difficult."
How important the exact OEM number is to locate parts that will work remains a mystery. The many variations of the BBS carb called for lots of parts that did the same thing, but were formed differently. Still, the pictures on some sites look awfully similar and I have a heck of a time making choices. I'm still puzzled about that second screw on the throttle plate next to the fast idle adjustment. (visible below the wire tie in my second picture above) There is nothing there for the nose of that screw to bear against, making it completely useless. Is there supposed to be another part there that would give purpose to that second adjustment screw. It's such a little "thing" but it's got me wondering. It's obviously doing no harm, but if it has no purpose why is it there?
The project remains interesting, challenging and frustrating. Reminds me of the old story of the guy who was pounding his face into a brick wall. A passerby asked why he kept doing that. The guy answered "because it feels so good when I stop."
ATB
BC
