360 mystery breakdown

The good news is it sounds like you have learned some things from the process.

Education, real education, costs an assload.

Lol true, what sucks is I learned a lot of these things soon after the engine was assembled and running and I didn't think it was serious enough to at the very least change out the cam way back then. And get a cold-air intake. And stop trying to be a cheap-*** and run mid-grade gas when it should have had 100% premium always, at least :D