if none of the other suggestions work to clear up your issue with the carbs attached, pulling them is pretty easy, its putting them back on that's a bit of a challenge.
As previously mentioned, order the carb boots in advance, you'll want new ones before re-installation. To pull the carbs remove the fuel tank from the frame, and then use a wooden lever like a broom handle to pry them upward out of the boots using the frame cross-member for leverage. This assumes you've loosened all the clamps on the boots first, which is straightforward, and disconnected the choke cable. When I did it, I left the throttle cables attached, but that's because I didn't need to remove them, only swing them out of the way to get to the coolant hoses below.
re-installation is a bit of a crapshoot, I think I had a similar experience as others in that I repeatedly applied pressure with no luck and then for no apparent reason they finally popped back in. It helps to lubricate the boots with a silicone lubricant, which doesn't harm the rubber.