318 2bbl won't idle without choke

There is no gasket at the bottom of the power piston; this will only serve to raise the metering rods and make it run rich.

There is supposed to be a horseshoe-shaped flat metal bar installed onto the float pivot. When you put the top onto the carb, it pushes the float down and locks it in place. Is yours in there?

The fuel in the bowl is constantly at or near the "boiling-point". and so there are vapors floating in the bowl any time the temperature is near 90*F. They float up and condense on the gasket,making it wet. That is normal. It is also normal for that gasket to be visibly wet at the squeeze-out, whenever you shut the warm engine off.
It is NOT normal for any fuel to be leaking out from the throttle shafts nor boosters.

Leaking boosters point straight to one of two things; 1) a very high fuel level, or 2) a very high idle rpm.

A very high idle rpm is a direct result of;
1) you set it that way, because that's the only way it would stay running, because;
A) of the gas dripping into the intake, or
B) because of retarded ignition timing, or
C) because the cam-timing is off, and the vacuum signal is so darn low.

2) a vacuum leak in conjunction with the leaking fuel. or
3) very advanced timing.
4) a Hi float level (lol) that causes you also to screw in the speed screw, in a hopeless attempt at giving it the extra air to burn off the fuel.