If you could sweet talk someone into letting you borrow a borescope, that may answer a lot of questions for you.
It's not even funny the number of places i've called looking for one. probably well over 15

Is there any damage to the plugs? Look on the grounding strap if it looks smooth should be ok but if there is chips then im sorry
They were closed but were clean. And once again the turbo fins would have taken a beating

It's also "very" possible that some carbon buildup could have caused the gaps to close. But the ticking may be something more serious.
Also considered this, i just need a sure way to tell.

What would cause the excessive oil in those cylinders though?