Thanks for the feedback. I just bought a good Craftsman timing light and multimeter, so I should have some info back up tomorrow. I'm going to start with retarding the timing and see if I can get rid of the ping first. I'm also going to check the resistance of the plug wires, and see if I can clear up the fouled plug. Man, I really want to run this thing like it's supposed to be run.

There were no problems with the truck before the rebuild. The engine had close to 190 on the clock, and my grandpa plans to take the truck to MN when I xfer to San Diego so I wanted it to be fresh for him. Also, I agree with you on the thread lube, but man, does it like to spread to everything if you get it on your finger (I use it too <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/coolg.gif" alt="" />).