Vacuum leak advice

What would be the best way to track down a vacuum leak? My car has trouble getting moving after being started, trouble not stalling from a cold start, putts and pops on deceleration and has "dead spots" while laying on the gas in low gear. I'm thinking Vacuum leak. I haven't had the time to install my gauge and I'm not sure where to splice in at anyway. So what should I try and am I even thinking in the right direction?

 

Crank it up, get a can of spray carb cleaner and get to squirtin. If there's a leak, you'll know it when the carb cleaner gets sucked into the leak.

 

Cool. So just hit around the hoses and stuff with the carb cleaner and keep an eye out? Elegant in simplicity.

 

Or you can use a small propane bottle & get the same results...

 

A real quick way to tell before shooting flamables at a running engine is to choke it once it's warm (manually close the choke). If the idle speed picks up then move on to spraying around any potential leak areas. If it dies you probably don't have a vacuum leak and need to look for other issues.

 

No, keep an ear out. You will hear the engine's pitch change when it sucks in the carb cleaner.

 

Spray around the base of the carburetor too.

 

if you spray with water. the motor will stumble when you find the leak. water will not catch on fire on the out side of the motor like carb cleaner will. its alot safer and just as accurate of a method.

 

I understand. I did kind of wonder what it would "Look" like.

 

Ok. I just assumed Vacuum leak, so I'll have to try this.

 

OK so I'd just need a spray bottle. Sounds good.

 

Allenport pa,,, is that in the Mon-Valley by Belle Vernon?

 

Nope, wrong Allenport. We're about 2 and 1/2 hours off from there, a little tiny town by Mount Union. Same name though.