I finally have an update on my problem. I dropped the distributor back in after lining up the marks on the balancer and promptly found out that the balancer mark does not line up with TDC at all. Great. I was able to get the motor to fire after getting it as close to TDC as I could figure using a piece of wire stuck into the #1 spark plug hole to feel the piston. I let it warm up and tested the exhaust temps. They are all about 400 degrees now, but there is a pretty good misfire at idle and under power. I replaced the cap, rotor, carbon brush (it's an HEI), plugs, and wires when I retimed the engine so I was pretty sure that the misfire was not coming from the ignition. I adjusted the rocker arms with the engine still warm and now it will barely run. I've adjusted valves plenty of times before on small block motors and never had any problems, but this big block does not like what I am doing. I used the EO-IC method of adjustment where you adjust the intake when the exhaust is just opening and adjust the exhaust when the intake is closing. I've heard that this method may not work for extremely radical camshafts, and now I'm thinking that this cam is more radical than I thought. I was going to try to re-adjust the valves using the TDC method but since the timing marks are off that will probably not work as well. It's looking like I might have to take the timing cover off so I can make sure that the timing chain is set correctly, what model camshaft is in there, and mark TDC. But I really don't want to take the engine down that far... Any ideas?