Yea your getting close for sure The felpro #60529 is a hard spacer like the stock one and give the throttle cable the right height also. It is around $20 at the part store see if they have a carb gasket also. The gaskets are real hard on the spacer. I found a new gasket every time you pull the carb is necessary the same with surfacing the bottom of the carb good and flat. The ears on the carb get bent down causing a vacuum leak. I got the tranny working need to get it dialed in also. I have about $450 into parts and oil they want $950 for a rebuilt here. Anyway the best way I found to locate a vacuum leak is with a piece of vacuum hose about two feet long put one end up to your ear and search around all the gaskets and fittings the closer to the leak the louder the hissing noise. Check the base of the carb on the passenger side I bet you locate the leak but search everywhere. You can isolate a exhaust leak that way also be careful of moving parts.