Ok. Today, the car began acting as if it had a vacuum leak.. would warm up, then "sputter" and not be smoooth on acceleration, ultimately dying. Holding foot on gas let it start, but it would die soon after. I floored it and was able to sputter back home.

After a few more repeats of this, i noticed smoke from the air housing (circle, filter) and eventually it would start, run a few seconds, then have smoke shoot up out of the carb. Someone suggested the "Choke was stuck open."

So i popped the air housing unit with the circle off to one side, and sprayed the spring, and any piece i could see, being careful about the rubber hose and electrical connector, the rubber hose only got one blast. i then started the car and kept spraying. Engine was "Warm" so i used caution, and i ultimately used a half a can, including spraying it directly down the carb throat WHILE TI WAS RUNNING, i could hear the pause.

Surely my choke was now un-stock OPEN! So time for a test drive.

I drove it for 5 minutes, all good. Went to pull out in traffic, uh-oh.. hesitation, stall, and die. Foot down on gas, start car (works every time,) FLOORED throttle, put into reverse, BURN OUT!! back into parking lot around a car, yay (would have stalled and hit a car at 40mph otherwise) and after that, it has ran without issue.. driving it about 20 minutes.

Nice smooth throttle response, all seems well.

As to the plastic valve with three things on the passenger side, it seemed to have smoke coming out of it. it eventually stopped, and i popped the PCV valve back in. This engine is a sludge monster (my particular one is. I have 10W-30 Maxlife in it, no solvents like MMO.)

I think i may have licked the problem. Used half a can of card and choke cleaner, getting the spring and working the spring by hand a few times, maybe i "Freed up" a "stuck open choke" as it has been suggested, and even someone else on an internet forum said "it sounds like the choke is stuck open and flooding the engine with gas and it cant run." (That would also explain very bad gas mileage. Very bad.)

Also, as a sin that maybe i "solved the problem" of a "Sticking choke" w spraying it (both running and not running, down carb throat while running as can says,) i went to start the car hot.. previously i always had to "floor the gas" and that made me waste $$ on a tow when i tried literally everything BUT that, this time after running HARD throttle (to blow out any ???) for about 20 minutes or so, i did not need to do that and it fired right up.

I wonder if i maybe solved my issue with half a bottle of $4 Carb and Choke cleaner, spraying it liberally on the spring and body (when i popped off air housing) and i dont know what the steam coming out of by EGR valve housing was (check valve?) but it runs GOOD! Tomorrow will tell.

I also added 4 gallons gas for good measure, it is at half a tank now. Certainly ran good after that too, though it was at 1/4 tank before that

Thoughts? And YES im COMPLETELY NEW to the Camaro 2.8, and this is my FIRST CARB'd CAR and also oldest model year car (newest: 1995, first and second, 1986.)

Thanks!