I pulled the plug out of the Ryobi last night and tested the spark. It was very inconsistant. I narrowed the gap a little and got a consistant spark even when flipping slow. I also pulled the backplate off and looked at the reed valve from the side, and sure enough it wasn't sealing. I could see light through the space. I tried to run it and got consistant popping but no run. It acts like it wants to run, but I think I'll have to play with the reed valve more, and my mixtures might be out of whack from all my past efforts.
Thanks to everybody for their ideas. I think I'm getting closer now to getting this thing to run properly. I'm on a mission now.