Thanks Boofer for the tips.
I ended up taking the petcock off the tank, then no problem.
I did the spacer mod, thinned it to .055, it was .110,....I'll try that 1st.
The screws were super tight, but a tap w/ my impact driver...no problem.
But getting those 2 little screws back in,......was a pregnant dog at best ! Had to use some super sticky grease to stick the screws to the driver, then pc a cake
I'll check the sp plug, then back together,...see if it runs a touch better.
Thanks for the help !