Hey KP, missed this thread. Some wild stuff huh? I bet you were surprised at that find.
Well, IMO, yes, that would cause the plugs to go black since the fireing signal is weak and/or off if even present at all from time to time. Being brass, you can do as suggested. Just hold that distributor upside down to have debrise fall out instead of in. A quick vacuuming would also help if anything falls in.