They passed that check, I got the other 148.3 jets in all 3 carbs, stock 45 degree helix back in, and wound up to 70 degrees per SLP's instructions. Went for a quick rip and it seemed at first like it was going to be very close at WOT, tach seemed to be in that 8700-8800 range when I'd crack on it. Then as it warmed up more it seemed to get worse. It would try to go, but lug down whereas before it wasn't lugging down. That doesn't sound like clutching to me. I had maybe 5 miles on the sled with new BR9ES plugs and the center looked a nice dark brown but the outers looked lean. Maybe I needed more time on the plugs? Hard to say, it was probably 50 degrees out so less than ideal testing conditions but the thing should have been pig rich and definitely wasn't. Before I left the garage the response off idle felt off. Oh well, maybe it's a bit loaded up? Who knows. After I spun the plugs back in, I tried snapping the throttle to WOT instead of working up to it like usual. I was met with a distinct bog. So I gave it half a choke and tried and the thing just jumped. So I'll yank the carbs tomorrow, back the fuel screws out 1/4 turn (probably won't be enough), and repeat. And get some bigger pilot jets coming sooner than later. Is there another jet I'm not tracking that I may need to screw with? I know if those fuel screws don't want to be close to 1.5 turns out that the whatever jet is too small, is that the pilot or something else I should be aware of?
Edit: per the Hammer carb tuning article, the only jets affiliated with that screw are an air jet or the pilot jets which I was planning on going up with anyway. I'd had it in my mind that pilots were mid-range more so than low end but it seems that's not the case. Needle height for the midrange and if that's off I need a different needle or nozzle which can't be had anymore.