[olddog]

Post #1 you said the vacuum was bouncing between 13-15. Vacuum should not bounce. You also said the engine is missing. Are you sure it is running on all 8 cylinders? Are the plug wires correct for the firing order of the cam that is in the engine? Does the engine pop if you rev it hard?

I'm thinking that either the firing order you used is the wrong one or you have a couple wires crossed somewhere. Have a second person trace the plug wires and verify your results. Sometimes when you a so close to something you see what you believe, not what is there.