There was a thread recently on just this thing,..... pumps that do not respond to tweaking. It is a topic on one of the performance shop web sites as well.
There are just some pumps that do not seem to respond to tinkering. Others, are real touchy, like mine is... 1/4 turn too much and I'm talking smoke like a WW II naval destroyer makin a hard turn wide open... . darn queen mary... ...
Keeno makes another good point... one of the common problems with the VE is the likelyhood of a sticky fuel pin. It is known to stick in the retracted position and without it, you just won't make any HP...
BTW, I hope you're having your timing set to around 14. 5 ~ 15* advance or about 14. 5 mm lift.
That setting will help with throttle response, reduce smoke a bit, better idle, help reduce EGT's, and lay the foundation for larger injectors too. .
bob.