Bob;

I remember this interesting project...I may have some ideas toward it, but lets get it starting first!

In order to give any really useful info, it's best to be fully informed...and as yours is even more out of the ordinary than usual, all of that info was probably necessary for me to get a good idea of what you're up to here...

First of all, I don't care whose method of adjusting the valves you used, if they are anywhere near nominal, and you have decent compression, that wont prevent starting...and it sounds like you have the carbs under control somewhat (although leaning them out would increase revs, and color of the plugs is best checked after running under the normal load that you expect to run the engine under...more on that later), that leaves IGN, and even a wobbly-gobbly distributor is not going to keep you from starting...but that 60degs sounds a might suspicious! I suggest you get that down to somewhere from 5 -10 deg at starting revs (either static time, or check with a timing light during cranking)...FIRST...before running a 6V starter and before drilling the intake for starting fluid injection! (Refer to my Ignition tech page.)

Also, once you are firing at the correct time, look down the throat of each carb at the venturi with a flashlight...do you see dropplets of fuel being atomized during starting when choked?...if not, try squirting a half a shotglass of fuel into one carb...if it starts then, you're probably still lean.

As far as using only two cylinders for a decreased HP application...don't forget, unless you are racing up an extended hill, you rarely are putting out all of the 100 or so HP the engine is capale of...in normal cruise, you're running at around 20HP...so you could let two just run along for the ride by totally disabling two, but fact is...it's still a four cylinder engine...why not run it as such!... Just run the whole thing at reduced performance...by this I mean, through a single carb, with a vacum governer, much like you lawnmower has...a linkage attached to a vane in the intake acting against a spring which senses vacuum and therefore load, actuates the throttle in a closed loop mode...it would take some tinkering with, but would be a fun project! Once you had that control loop working, only then I would optimize for mixture and SPPlug color.

...but you got to get it starting FIRST!

Good Hunting!