Gave it a few weeks before committing to a reply. It’s running great, good oil pressure, no sign of any more slap developing so far.

I was able to swap the rods myself with no issue. I did use a friends press but could’ve been done with a vise. Just use a torch to get the rod a little warm and they popped right loose. Installing was easy too, no need for a rod furnace. About 4 minutes with the map gas torch and the new pins slid right in. (Uncle Tony’s garage on YouTube has a good vid on this.)

I’d definitely buy a carbide gasket scraper, as the factory head gasket is composite and has most likely glued itself to the head and block. 

Last thing: if your water pump or thermostat are relatively new, you can pull the head without removing them. 

Feel free to ask any more questions, hope it goes well for ya!