Good job on what you have accomplished and you can be proud. However you have more work to do. I have given this some thought and now agree that the next thing to do is re set the valves. Are they hyd or solids? If the valves are too tight as what I suspect, running hot, losing power, the exhause valve is not on the face long enough to transfer the heat. Therefor the slow creep of heat. If its a stock cam? in a 235 ci enginge set to .006 & .013 hot. If its an after market cam from one of the manuf set to their cam card. After resetting the valves go back and check the timing and reset the carb idle screw and air fuel mixture. Some fiddling will get it right. With a new engine and the valves set correctly you should be pulling 20-22 inches on vac at idle even with an aftermarket cam with more lift. Do not wait to set the valves correctly.
Tim
