I've used Lares a few times. Mustang, 78F150, 72F250. I've had very good luck with them. About twenty miles north of me. I drop off and pick up.

I run E85 on my 445 stroker in a 66 Tbird. Engine dynoed at 510hp, 565tq. I've had it for about 12-13 years running that way. I too have a test kit that I use. In MN, they drop it to E75 in the winter and then the summer blend bumps back up to E85. Once I know a station converts over to their summer blend, I will use that gas station until they change back to winter blend. I even spray it with a 100 shot on E85. It's cheaper to run than race fuel. It is a pain to learn how to tune, and a real pain without an A/F gauge. My milage is down around 5-6 mpg, so I don't know if I'm really saving that much money. But the stares that I get at the gas station pumping E85 into an old car is fun. I've had many people asking me what I'm doing, and I tell them that the older cars run better on E85. My wife enjoys the little joke too.
If you are trying to decide which way to go, I would not be scared to run E85. It's not going to get you there any faster or cheaper though. I run all Quick Fuel E85 metering blocks and a Proform carb body. Big electric fuel pump in the trunk with the cell, and a return line is necessary. Good luck! Dan

L5S1 here also. A steroid shot helped me a LOT the first time. The second time the shot didn't help at all, but oral steroids did help. I now have a standing prescription for prednisone to take for six days when my sciatica flares up. It started about ten years ago, and flares up about once or twice a year now. I investigated surgery very intently, but was scared away from it. There are many success stories with surgery, but look at long term stories, and you'll find that most of them aren't that good.
Lay on your back on the floor with your feet up on the couch to relieve the pressure on your lower back. It will help with the pain.
Good luck.
Dan

Jay,
I have little experience with filling a block except for once. I was told by a well known Chevy race engine builder to put metal shavings in to the mix. He equated it to rebar in concrete. He also told me that it would prevent shrinking and expanding and keep the hardblok up against the cylinder walls for added strength. He poured my hardblok for me. He first went over to his Bridgeport and grabbed several handfuls of shavings and mixed them into the hardblok. Most shavings were around .75-1.25". He tilted one bank up and poured 3/4 up the cylinder wall and waited for 15 minutes. Then tilted the other bank up and poured the hardblok. This was on an iron block, and not aluminum. In my younger days, I poured many sidewalks, and his analogy to rebar struck home with me. Good Luck, and hope to see that engine running strong again one day.
Dan

Jay, I gotta agree with Bob, that it looks like the bolt heads are sticking out kind of far. If the plate had hit the bolt heads though I would think that you would see metal shavings or a sheared off bolt. While you have it apart still, you should put some hardened button heads in there instead of the cap screws. Now would be the time instead of after the fact. Plus the weight savings of button heads vs cap screws.  Lol!   Dan

Joel,
As I grew up, my dad was a piano technician. We had lots of player pianos come through his shop. You got a good one, if you got it working that quickly. In order to automate it, you will put the pump right after the bellows. I'm sorry, but I don't remember what cfm pump he used. I seem to remember that he used old vacuum cleaner motors. I say that because they were always so loud. I can't tell you if he used the blower, or sucking side either. I do know that it was low pressure, high volume. He would always put a reostat in line with the motor, to regulate the motor speed. With it cranked up, it would always get loud, and play a bit faster. At low volume, the motor could always still be heard over the piano. If you find rolls for your piano, be aware that the "newer" rolls from about 1960 and up are only 66 key rolls. The older rolls are 88 key rolls.  Good luck with your new beer drinking toy!
Dan