I found this procedure out on the web and gave it a shot...Same results....running very rich, black smoke.
So now I'm not sure which way to go with this...
How can you tell if your power piston spring is too stiff and not allowing the power piston to “seat” at idle?
If your engine does not produce enough manifold vacuum at idle and/or cruise (due to a lumpy cam or other engine parameters), it is possible that the power piston is not being pulled all the way down to its seated position due to the power piston spring being too stiff. The result is that the car will run very rich at idle, and the idle mixture screws will have little effect or response. Idle speed may also “float,” with idle speed starting high and gradually decreasing until the engine stalls due to the engine getting “loaded up.” There will typically be a puff of black smoke out the tailpipes when you “flick” the throttle.
To test for this, pop the top off the carb, remove the power piston/rod assembly, and remove the power piston spring from its bore. Re-install the rod/piston assembly without the spring and put the carb back together. The carb will now run in the full-lean condition all the time. If this clears up the idle, improves idle mixture screw response, and eliminates the black smoke when you flick the throttle, you need to install a softer spring.