What you've said of the history is enlightening to me. Now we (I) know this isn't a car you've just acquired from a young enthusiast who was into spirited driving and engine mods. As our favorite cars get older, the probability they are not serviced by skilled people increases, but yours is just the opposite -- a family car. You are truly fighting a symptom not caused by someone's tinkering.
However, with regard to your own tinkering, why, after stating the TDC agrees with the mark on the pulley would you "suspect the harmonic balancer" and whatever is the relation of that suspicion to your coastal dwelling? One minute I'm clear, and the next I'm confused.
Anyhow, I can see you have tools (i.e. vacuum gauge, fuel pressure gauge) so do a compression test.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore
A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband.Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen. 'Careful,' he said, 'CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my gosh! You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Oh my gosh! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK! Careful. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the! salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!' The wife stared at him. 'What in the world is wrong with you? You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?' The husband calmly replied, 'I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving.'
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