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Well, I stumbled into what I think is a pretty good deal and should solve the problem once and for all... a new engine!
Turns out a friend of a friend runs a small garage and towing service. He pulled in a totalled 85 Chevy 4X4 that had a later model 350 built by a local circle track guy in it. I told him that if I could hear it run and it sounded okay, we could probably come to a price.
I heard it run this morning and it sounds awesome. No unusual noises from the bottom or top and, from the sound of it, I'd say they weren't lying about having a little bit of a cam in it. Not even a puff of smoke from the open exhaust (and yes, I'm absolutely positive this was the first time the engine had been fired in 2 months).
Long story short, I bought it for $250. Actually, we made a deal... he'll sell me the engine, do the engine swap, and hang a new set of duals on it for $700 total. If that engine runs 1/2 as good as it sounded then I think it's a pretty sweet deal. He's supposed to pull my truck into the shop today and get started. Woo-hoo!
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