Stopping the knock: Lower compression and ported heads...

I may have not mentioned it before, but I actually did verify TDC when I degreed the cam before. I bought a robust solid brass piston stop and did the deed using a dial indicator. The timing marks on the balancer are spot on. The balancer was bought new when I first built the engine in 2004.
The heads are on already. I bolted them on Dec 31st. Today I got the headers in and bolted up. The steering linkage and trans linkage are in place too.