I guess I'm just grasping at straws and thinking out loud here JB, I'm at a bit of a loss and not understanding how I can have a junk engine, but still turn it over by hand. I guess I'm just being lazy (and cheap) not wanting to tear into this thing again right away.

In regards to the starter, I had it tested at O'Reilly and it tested good. I'm there several times a week and they are starting to know me by name, and SEEM fairly knowledgeable. Battery is new along with a new positive battery connector, and a new negative to fender battery cable. I cleaned all ground connections that I had access to excluding the rear bolt at the AC pump/block ground. Time to get the volt meter out I guess and check continuity.