Yeah, about ten times better. Look, you need vacuum in the intake manifold, you have to have it or air wouldn't rush in from the air cleaner, the engine would not breathe, and it would sit there and barely run, or not run at all.
By design, vacuum is created when the piston in a cylinder is pulled down by the crankshaft and the intake valve is open. So air from the intake moves into the cylinder, leaving a vacuum (lower air pressure) in the intake manifold. For more air to be drawn in, but it's a set amount of air. Vacuum leaks and
leaking intake manifold gaskets pull in extra air and lean out the air/fuel mixture too much. So plug off that hole and make sure no vacuum leaks.
For your '72, an inexpensive vacuum gauge would be a wise investment. Check this site for its usefulness:
http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/186.cfmAll engines run with a vacuum in the intake, a good engine should have a
steady vacuum of between17 and 21 inches on the gauge at idle. The tighter and less worn the engine is, the vacuum will be higher, like 21 inches Hg. But should be at least 16 or 17, and steady. Learn how to use a vacuum gauge and you can tell a lot about the engine's condition-just check the site.
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