runs bumpy, smell gas

ok, 89' xj, new remanned motor. I've put about 1k on this engine since I put it in, and it's never really ran right. When I first got er running it was acting really tight, so I babied it in the hopes that the rings would seat and she'd loosen up and run a little smoother. Nope. Now I'm smelling gas, the throttle is really sensitive ( slight pressure on the pedal will kill it, feather the pedal and it recovers ). I've been through the vacuum system, replaced all lines and checked the locations so many times I'm beginning to think I'm obsessed. Pretty sure it's not vacuum. All sensors are new, except for the MAP and it seems to be operating correctly. I've pulled the plugs, and as one might expect when you smell gas they have a little carbon on em. I'm tempted to believe that the dist is off by a tooth or something, but I've always been told that the computer will compensate for that. Truth? Anyhoo, I've poured a ton of money into this little rig and I'm not going to quit until it's pounding the ground like a beast. Thanks.

sorry for the novel

No complaints about the novel as you've given plenty of detail. Some folks don't even mention what model year they're talking about.

I supposed it's possible the dist is off by a tooth. Computer doesn't care if it's off since it's going by the cranksensor, but if it's sparking when the rotor isn't in positions that will cause a misfire. Possibly a bad coil or ignition module? EGR valve working okay. TPS sensor hooked up and looking good?

EGR may be a bit sketchy. I've run down the vacuum lines this afternoon, and the lines are good but the 3 way solenoid that activates the valve may be bad. Would this cause a "rich" conditon? The solenoid that I'm talking about is inline from the fender control to the EGR itself.
Thanks
Bob