I bought a new ballast resister but didnt install it. I wanted to clean the bulkhead connectors and look closely for any bare wires. The electrical plugs didnt seem to be unusually dirty, but I did clean them up some and added a dab of dielectric grease. I also played with the plugs on the ballast itself. To my surprise, it started and ran in the run position. I didnt ask questions. That pesky oil leak was not fixed though. I thought it was coming from the oil filter base but a close inspection showed it was dripping out of the valve cover. It didnt hurt that I pulled the filter base, we hadnt installed the center bolt gasket the first time around. Valve cover appears to be OK now, hope to drive it some today for a shakedown run. The muffler shop was already booked until monday.
thanks again to all for the tips/fixes/ideas.