Sounds like a good time to go through and check everything under the hood. Tune-up parts and technique suggestions in this thread. Carburetor operation and repair manuals and links to training movies and carb repair/modification threads are posted here for free download.
New hose going directly to the carb and the whole engine seems happier.
It might or might not be present on your car. Look at the front of the engine. If you have about a 7" round aluminum-housed device driven by a belt that is not an A/C compressor, not a power steering pump, not a water pump and not an alternator, you've got a "smog" (air) pump. It takes almost zero power to spin and there's very little to be gained by eliminating it (except some underhood space). To do so, unbolt it, then remove it and its tubing which connects to the cylinder head at the far rear. Buy from a Mopar dealer a blockoff plate 3751 249 with gasket 4275 834.
Do you see any reason to keep the carburetor attached to the charcoal canister?
