Doug,
Definitely, a good manual will help. I think you mentioned you had one. Attached are a few images of how you might want to set the settings on your carbs if you had them off the manifold. I think you can buy a cheap plastic dial caliper at Autozone for $10. You don't even need to be able to read the dial... just make sure the pointer is in the exact same place on both carbs
I usually start with the mixture screwed out 3 and a half turns.
Measure the depth of the jet on both both carbs. Make sure that they both are the exact same height. Be precise. Once this is done the carbs are perfectly matched mixtures to each other*
Then measure your throttle plate depth. The manual has you use a drill bit... as long as I have the dial calipers out I think it is easier to measure. Just make sure each side is exactly the same depth. Try opening the throttle plates a couple of times and recheck your depths. BTW< you don't have to separate the carbs from each other but just loosen the throttle shaft coupler.
Again, be precise... your carbs will be perfectly match for flow*
Now, I can't say this enough... NEVER EVER adjust one side without making an identical adjustment to the other. EVER.
You may have to do mixture tunning and idle speed adjustment BUT adjust both sides.
Again, it sounds like you have a hodge podge of parts. Check to make sure your jet assembly looks like this. (The jet, on some of those cheap parts, will have the flange separate. You'd never get this running properly. I like to unscrew the mixture screw an visually check the jet is moving up and down the barrel)
Also, check your diaphragms to make sure the raised bumps in the diaphragm are in the notches in Both the piston and the carb body. I have seen people get the raised ridge seated and unaware they didn't get the piston orientation correct because they failed to get the bump in the notch.
As Dick mentioned check to make sure the piston springs are matched.
Yes, carb rebuilding instructions may be too much for the board!
Steve
* note, this assumes you don't have parts that are worn or mismatched - or float issues. If the carbs don't run well with these setting established then most likely your floats/needles need adjustment or you have an air leak.