Mike,

Can't help you with the idle spring, but I just finished replacing a number
of fuel lines and dealt with flowing fuel in two ways:

1.  if possible (i.e. not too much gas and with an adequate fill
container), use a siphon--I used a kerosene siphon--to put your fuel
elsewhere until the repair is done

2.  or, I often use sharpened pencil points--either removed from the pencil
or intact, to plug open fuel lines while performing repairs.  This can be
sloppy and if you don't have the right diam. pencil, problematic, but
generally gets the job done for me.

Good Luck,

Seth B.
'84 Westy

Seth C. Bruggeman
College of William & Mary
Department of American Studies
http://www.resnet.wm.edu/~scbrug/