[Formulajones]

Kenth showed in post 658 what others have been talking about.

Yes that rod is in backwards in that picture. There may be others, I haven't bothered to look at other pictures to verify.

Just seeing that one rod, plus the fact that 7 other pistons are backwards is all I need to know, that short block needs torn down and done the right way. Most likely just bite the bullet, hit the machine shop and do the whole short block properly. Then hope your knurled valve guides last you for at least a few thousand miles before that has to be revisited. Or better yet, do it right while the short block is down.

You say you're making progress Mike, but most of us are looking at this as a train wreck that has issues that just haven't been addressed yet. We are all trying to help you but I believe what ever your current situation is, it's not allowing you to deal with this thing properly. Whether it's money, work space, or time, it's understandable. Hope it turns out for the best.