I have not looked for a vacuum leak at all - damn except when I left the PVC hose off - thats an easy one to check and one that could be a source of my angst
the high compression and large cam has had me on edge about what to expect, its new territory for me - generally one of the first things I check after a manifold and carb install is for leaks - duh - gonna suck with my juiced up gas if its the issue or part of the issue