Thanks very much for this detailed response. I'm glad to know I'm on the right track.
With respect to old_coot88's point about the VIF passing the 5.5MHz carrier, this is my first "somehow" in the OP. Looking at the circuit, I don't really see any reason why it wouldn't. Fink says the gain of the IF stage is about 8X greater for video than audio, and here I'm only seeing traps that seem to be for increasing selectivity (X3, X7, X8, VC1):
Along with the interstage transformers T1, T2, T3 which set up the hump around 45.75. Am I correct that the 4.5MHz just sort of goes with the flow through this circuit, on account of being so far removed from the resonant frequency of any of the traps? The gain through the three tubes should be equal at 4.5 or 45.75; Fink's 8X difference in the net gain of the circuit between the two frequencies is due to the frequency response of the interstage transformers? If that is the case then the 5.5MHz carrier should also sail through, no?
The sound alignment procedure is basically to tune a weak station and crank on the coils and transformers until maximum output is obtained. My hope is that there is enough range in those inductors to avoid having to swap capacitors.
I'm wondering about the best method to verify the passing of the 5.5MHz carrier through the VIF section, and then peaking those inductors in the SIF section. I don't have a sweep generator but I wonder if I could just inject an unmodulated 5.5MHz signal at J4, and look for its presence using a scope on the output? If this is viable then I can also presumably then inject a 4.5MHz signal to the SIF and gradually increase the frequency, adjusting the inductors with each increase, so as to walk the center frequency up to 5.5MHz?
Learning is fun. Thanks very much guys.