I certainly appreciate all the input,and I'm definately not disagreeing or disputing anyone-that's why I asked here,but honestly I have NEVER had anything like this happen due to dist. timing and although the problems I've encountered with this car never cease to amaze me,I'm not a novice.I've built quite a few cars/engines.
On another note,I did pull yet more spark plugs to check thier color(the car developed a distinct "miss" after I added water to it).Surprise,surprise-water in #3 and #5,water in #4 and #6.This engine has BOTH head gaskets blown between the cylinders.
I'm not 100% certain if they were that way when I got the engine or if whatever caused the headers to glow also blowed the gaskets.I did notice severe discoloration around the exhaust ports before I installed the engine,but I chalked it up to poorly sealed headers!
It did NOT miss until I filled it with water,but then again,the plugs were dry until that point.There is very slight rust on top of the pistons and in the chamber area of the heads,indicating that water was present prior to me starting the engine,but the piston tops aren't burned "clean" as if it had been ran for any period of time this way.
The engine is(was?)fresh and I suspect the problem occured just before the guy I got it from pulled it out.
This is,after all,the engine I got(on a trade)from Tim Lohden(aka critty396ss) of Elizabethtown,Ky.He lied and said it was a forged 383,when in actuality it IS a cast 355,so why would he bother to tell me it was junk!?
Oh yeah,it is a hydraulic camshaft(although he said it was solid)LOL.
Thanks a lot guys,
Glen