I always forget about setting the slides with a feeler gauge for some reason, but it is the best way to get a ballpark setting on the bench before doing the final sync with a manometer.

I bought a set of new carb boots from this Ebay seller and they look just like the OE parts. If your old boots are dry & hardened it will make removing the carbs so much easier that they're worth buying for that reason alone. My old boots were so bad I had to use a small prybar to get the rack off the last time before I replaced them, and I'm sure they weren't sealing properly in that condition.