I finally got some pics off my phone. Some of what was stuck to my oil pickup , and some of the rods and piston bottoms of the new engine.

A little tear down update. I finally tore the top end off today. I do remember having quite a bit of valve train noise before, and I think I figured out why. The intake lifter on cyl 4 was grinding itself to death and starting to take the cam lobe with it. I could only push the pushrod seat with finger pressure on a couple lifters, and 2 were visible collapsed, there was scoring on a couple that I couldn't feel.

Other notes:
2 front bank and 1 rear bank exhaust valves were yellow with sulphur build up
Flaky carbon buildup on all the pistons
Cylinder bore scoring in cyl 3 that I could feel.

Here'* the bad lifter pics, it'* pretty deep:

Warranty?

On an original lifter? I wish... oh, this is out of my original engine. Not the new one.

Is the new one dead also?

No. The new engine is fine. I was just giving the old one an autopsy.

I feel I must applaud you determination in getting this fixed and mostly without help from what I can recall. Kudos!!

Thanks. I gleaned a few tidbits here and there first, though.

Heh, just rereading and reminiscing.. and notice this pic. That'* right, I used a hammer in my engine swap.

That'* a "persuader"