Once the battery charged up I rolled it outside, and cranked the key.
*BOOM* Strait to 6000 RPM. Those forged pistons with 20 some odd thousands quench just loved that shit.
I didn't get a photo, but the cruise control cable was not seated in the bracket all the way and was holding the throttle open. I checked that it was closed all the way and opens all the way - before I installed the cruise control.
Once I fixed that, all worked perfectly. Shoved a 1/8"ish chunk of wood under the throttle plate which put is at 2K RPM and ran it for 30 minutes to do cam break in.
I've taken no more photos from here, but I'll give you the story. Ronbo (from naxja) was there when we fired it up, so after break in we left it running and went for a drive. Pinged like a mofo. Constantly. I mean it was pinging driving down the driveway. Went around the block and it just got worse. Came back to the shop, drove it on the trailer, cleaned up and went home.
The next morning Mark came down to look at it with me. We found it only had ~20 psi fuel pressure (should have been 49). Pulled the relay and jumpered the fuel pump and it went strait to 50.
Replaced the relay with the one from the AC (which is still not charged) and it read 45 psi. Went for a drive, no pinging, but no power. I mean it was clearly a torquey little stroker but it just did not want to get up and GO. Until the parking break wore out, which took about 4 blocks. After that I scooted along pretty effing good, no pinging.
Drove it to dinner that night up the highway a ways. Pings just a hair when it locks up the torque converter, but wasn't sure I didn't have a relay problem. Parked it and loaded the camper up, the misses and I were leaving on vacation the next morning, we got back this morning.
Today I ran out and bought a new relay, and tested fuel pressure. Now I'm getting 62 psi (wtf?) and no pinging - but, I am using a crappy $19 harbor freight fuel pressure gauge instead of Mark's snap on. Tomorrow he's coming down to do some more diagnostics and start some ECU tuning.
So I don't really know where we're at on the fuel or the pinging. My brain is still sitting on a beach in Ventura drinking beer and relaxing.
I'll update more after we have figured out what's going on and done an initial tune.