Yes, puttering badly and lots of black buildup and spitting from the tailpipe, but no smoke. My Reman head and gasket set should be in by the 13th. It may be just a valve guide issue but with a reman at least I'll have a warranty. I just wish I was sure of the cause of the problem before I spend the money on the head. I know valve cover blowby is usually caused by bad rings, but if that was the case wouldn't my compression go way up after adding oil to the cylinder and re-testing?