The reasoning for not using the carb pad on the intake manifold is this. Knowing the angle of the carb pad on an intake won't help me solve a driveline angle problem. When I'm at work, I'm checking a vehicle that drove into the shop. It might be a semi tractor, so you don't have that v-8 intake carb base to measure from. Because of that, I have learned that most OE installed engine/trans setups are at 2 1/2 degrees to 5 degrees front higher than rear when measuring on oil pan surfaces, etc, wherever you can get a good KNOWN MEASUREMENT THAT IS PERPINDICULAR OR PARALLEL to the crankshaft. Because your next step in finding driveline angle is to compare it to the angle of the first driveshaft in however many the system has. Yes, the carb pad will be approx 3 degrees from level. That can be used as a good baseline. But, if you DON'T have that to work with, you need to know another good baseline. Keep the good questions coming.
The Jalopy Journal
