Jerry,
I'm not averse to pulling the head and having a full valve job done. This truck is a daily driver and I want it to be reliable.
For the record, can you tell me what I should have done, vis-a-vis the valve train, before trying to start it? This won't be the first time I'll have learned from a hasty mistake!
PS: I never "expected the used engine to run like brand new." I don't have a test stand, so I decided the most efficient way for me to check out this engine would be to simply drop it in the truck, hook everything up, and see what I've got. I paid $90 for this engine at an auction. Sure, it'd be great if it just ran fine, but if I have to spend a few hundred bucks on a valve job, I'll still be pretty happy with it!
Tyler
