The transducer is a small black can that should be the next hop up hose from the thermal valve. It is sorta shaped like a UFO and is held in a clip on the front side of the intake manifold pretty much out in the open. (at least it is on the 79 I have that is still smog complete)
Sounds like you've tracked this quite a bit already. It does sound like a vac leak sort of, but maybe disconnecting the EGR just masks the symptom. You might as well do a complete sweep for vac leaks. Check manifold/head joints and carb base spraying with carb cleaner and listening for RPM change, plug off the brake booster line, cap the stuff leading up to the air cleaner. Eliminate every thing else, and what remains, however improbable must be the truth.
It might have something to do with the idle mixture adjustment. If the carb got rebuilt but never tuned back in, maybe that is causing the trouble. It gets a bit more air just as the throttle opens, maybe the idle mix isn't enough for it to run and the main fuel circuit hasn't kicked in yet. The EGR behavior could just be a coincidence.