Sorry just out the sky here you sead you took off the tank and what not, have you tride to set the idling @ the IDLE screw and what is your air screw sitting at
I haven't messed with the idle screw on top of the tors under the seat, it hasn't moved either, it is still all dirty and caked on with dirt.....the air screw is approx. 2 turns out.
I think I'm going to try disconnecting the TORS today....if I cut wires and it won't run at all then, or if I need to put it back, I'll just say screw it and not ride until I buy a new carb/cable.
Sorry I'm bad with the gasket names super noober, I guess the base gaket would be where the crankcase/cylinder meet, and the head would be the top of the cylinder....if so yes, it looks like some gunk/sludge built up on the fins just above the exhaust flange (where the exhaust meets the cylinder), as well as around the pipe itself.
It still fires up first kick and doesn't seem any easier to kick...quite honestly I think I may have been riding it like this for awhile without noticing it....only reason I noticed it now is because this trouble started and I saw a bit of smoke coming from where the exhaust/pipe meets the cylinder (and since I have to keep it revved for it to run, I noticed the pipe shifts a bit when I punch the throttle).