(I think... I'll take it for a test drive tomorrow)

Still believing that the irregular idle was the result of something I touched while doing the head gasket job, I continued to wiggle vacuum hoses until I was blue in the face.  Finally tonight I started the engine, stuck one end of a piece of 3/8 inch hose in my ear and began systematically moving the other end over all the hose fittings.  Ah ha!  What's that unusual noise coming from the point where the air intake elbow joins the air flow meter?  Visual inspection revealed that the underside of the elbow was distended somewhat and not making a good fit around the collar from the AFM.  I grabbed my handy screwdriver, loosened the clamp, refit the elbow, tightened that clamp like there is no tomorrow, and -- Voila!  No more irregular idle.

Shucks.  This mechanic stuff is easy.

Dave in KC
85 Westy