Pinching off the PCV line should have basically no effect, so that's the first problem to address -- you're not going to get the carbs to tune with that going on. Is the PCV valve in the right way around? Fat end goes down, closest to the teardrop.

I crank the jets all the way up, and then down 12 flats as a baseline. This is almost always too rich, but it's easier to go from rich to lean than vice versa. I have no use for the piston lifting thingie, so here's what I do from there:

Sync the airflow at idle with the idle speed screws, so both carbs sound exactly the same. Use a meter if you prefer.

Bring the jets up equally until you get smoothest/fastest idle. Then bring one of them up further until the idle degrades, back down until the idle degrades again, then back up a flat or two from there. Repeat for the other jet.

Readjust the idle speed, keeping the carbs balanced. Check the jets again, one at a time.

Then adjust the cranks on the linkage between the carbs so both pistons lift off at the same instant as you open the throttle slightly by hand. I'm more worried about them starting simultaneously than rising to identical heights.