First, please turn off your caps lock...makes your post hard to read, and is the internet equivalent of yelling at someone 
Second---"Covered carb with hand and the idle picks up"---this is your problem. The engine should die when you cover the carb with your hand; you have a major vacuum leak somewhere. Some places to look include carb to intake gasket, manifold to block, and power brake booster.
-SM
Second---"Covered carb with hand and the idle picks up"---this is your problem. The engine should die when you cover the carb with your hand; you have a major vacuum leak somewhere. Some places to look include carb to intake gasket, manifold to block, and power brake booster.
-SM