after sitting for 5 hours my car went from running great to running terrible

AJ/FormS said
no I dont think those needles could get into the lifters.
I also cant figure out how the needles got past the oilpump in one piece. That pump should have ground them to powder. The powder could get into the lifters. I would take off the pump next.and that valve cover.

i would have to guess that the guy i bought it from must've had it apart for some reason or another. he sure didn't mention anything to me about it though. i'll take off the pump. and that valve cover, and if i still cant get it to come to life then i might as well rip it out and give it a simple overhaul.

what kind of signs would i want to look for under the valve cover? just check the pushrods and see if they move all over the place or not, and see if there are pine needles up there too?