Car won't idle, carb. throttle shaft??

[CATPAMDU]

I have an 1983 tercel SR-5 4X4 S/W. The car does not want to idle correctly. Runs fine while on the throttle. Tried another used carb, did the same thing. On both carbs the primary throttle shaft has some play, possibly the problem? (vacuum leak)? Any ideas? All would be appreciated. New carb too expensive.
Thanks.

[xirdneh]

these cars are notorious for bad idle
there are many posts on this site in regards ro that
could be carbs
vaccum leaks due to hoses or equipment connected to intake manifold
vac hoses hooked up wrong
and much much more

i doubt its the throttle shaft but who knows
pack some nondrying gasket compound in there or something like it (bubblegum?)
to rule it out

good luck
you will need it

i'm just frustrated cause i cant fix a friends tercel with that problem and more.

[Highlander]

The easiest way to check for vacuum leaks is to use a can of carb cleaner and spray it at the offending area while holding the rpms stable. If the r's rise, you had a vac leak there, if not, its not the problem.
You might check the vacuum line (~1/2" diameter) that comes up to the air cleaner from the carb body-it's the one that you have to disconnect to remove the air cleaner between the air cleaner and the valve cover- if that's cracked/broken or not attached it'll have a hard time trying to idle.

[ARCHINSTL]

What the other guys said...also the HIC line from the carb to the valve in the bottom of the air cleaner.
There is a color-coded vac chart as a Sticky in the Repair Guides section (for USA Fed cars).
Plus - check for vac leaks at the two hoses from the manifold to the brake booster; I had big leaks there due to perished hoses - just replace them as a matter of course. This was, of course, unsuspected after I'd renewed all of the other hoses. There were still more probs, but every little bit helped.
I think the leak around the throttle shaft would be a unique prob, as xirdneh mentioned.
If you decide on a reman carb - save a bit more and just get a Weber (if your state allows it). Amazing differences!
Tom M.
P.S. Welcome to the Club! There is also a FSM available for download - at the top of each page.