I was not expecting the balance action to come about this quickly - THANKS, MARK!
The old pressure plate has a small washer welded on to it to bring it into balance, as well. Meah - steel stamping - if all it took was a weld bead, that's actually pretty good, in my opinion.
Yesterday was shot with work, but today, I put the finishing touches on the brake box - it's finished and fireblocked. Plumbed up the brake line, installed the front air springs and repinned the front suspension bolts.
I've got a stainless steel order to place with Burns tomorrow, and we should have a header to work with in a couple of weeks.
I think I've also figured out a double sheer solution for the motor struts - with any luck, utilizing the original A-Series motor mount brackets.