I think your correct about my vacuum not being my problem. What you describe regarding putting you hand over the throat of the carb I think is exactly why it will only run with the choke on. The choke is basically doing the same thing. What I am wondering is that when the choke is on is the carb pulling gas from the main jet along with the idle jet. And when the choke is off is the gas only coming from the idle circut.
I've been around car many years but I don't have much of an idea of how carbs work
