Winter Issues - Looking for Help!

[Elsie72]

Since the weather has turned cold (below freezing) my truck has been running very poorly.

Does anyone change idle settings during winter to keep their engine running, or am I on the wrong track with this? Unfortunately, I only drive my truck about 4 minutes from my house to the bus, then it sits until I get home from work, when I fire it back up and drive it home. It takes me longer to get the truck warm enough to drive than it takes to get to where I'm going. In the summer, it runs perfectly, but since the weather has turned cold, it's a real bear to keep running. If I let it idle, it will die. When I come to stop lights, it will idle low enough that the lights dim, and will die if left idling for more than a minute or so. I'm pretty confident that the idle mixture is set correctly, and the timing is in the ballpark. I know that the main jet doesn't have anything to do with the idle, but I've always suspected that it is rich by 1 jet size due to my altitude. Are there any adjustments that may need to be changed when the mercury drops?

In addition, I'm thinking that if I could locate an air cleaner assembly with a heat riser that will fit on a Holley carb, that would assist in warming the engine up quicker. Any suggestions on that?

I appreciate any help on this.

Thanks in advance.

Chad