How steady should idle be?

[Dead Parrot]

Loosen the power piston caps enough to swivel out of the way, pull the pistons and spray a bunch of carb cleaner down the bores. If you park it hot, some of the gas will evaporate and over time the gum deposits build up. Sticky pistons could cause your cruise issues. A sticky float might be causing your idle surges. I don't have idle issues but have found that every couple of years it will develop flat spots on accelerations due to gum build up.