OK, today I've blown several hours again on finding out what the heck is going on. I am desperate. I put on a new coil......just in cases - and put in new plugs. The "old" plugs (they had about 3 miles on them) were fouled with black carbon...so, too much gas, right? I rebuilt the carb yesterday eveing. ....gas flooding out the top, so I adjusted the float level so that gas would not be allowed this high as to overflow. Still no result. The engine runs worse by the minute. As for the vacuum hose, I just pulled it off. No different result. If anything, we're going backwards here. I actually getting some pop back from the carb now. I went though all the electrical 2 weeks ago, so now I don't know which way to turn. Help.