I have an 86 Honda Accord with the 2bbl carb and I am having alot of trouble getting it to idle smoothly/at all. Once the engine gets above 1100 RPM, it is smooth as butter and it has no problem going down the road, just at idle. I idled it up just to keep it running, but if it idles at less than 1000RPM then it surges between 250 and 900 and shakes the whole car and the motor eventually dies.

I had a ton of vacuum leaks, but I fixed all that I could find and it's still doing it, though not as bad.

Things that I have done to the car.

Changed head gasket
Full tune up (cap, rotor, plugs, wires, and air filter)
Fixed numerous vacuum leaks.

I am thinking that it's either a vacuum leak, or the fuel filter, but i am wondering if there is a specific trouble spot to look since there are 10 million hoses on it

Any help would be appreciated.

Have you tried rebuilding the carburetor? Good luck with that vacuum system, that could easily be the root of the issue, but I've worked with those (mid 80s carbureted hondas) before and they aren't fun.

My Dad rebuilt a carrborator before. He was a mechanic and knew about engines. He worked on on cars, trucks, motorcycles, and snowmobiles. When he was done it was perfect. The idle should be steady, so maybe it is a vacuum tube that has a leak he didn't find. They have many of these to check for leaks.