Tip, Steve W. has a lot more knowledge and experience than I do with these engines, but one interesting thing about the .002" gap is that it falls within the factory valve lash specifications (.004, plus or minus .002 - aka the cold engine lash range is .002-.006).
Of course, there is a long list of poor judgements made by the designers of these cars (dilivar studs, ****ty wiring practices, a steering wheel used in the 1980s that looks like it belongs in a station wagon or bread delivery truck, etc., etc.) so the factory did not always know best.
