OH NO! ONE OF THOSE DANGEROUS BLACK GUNS!! 
<sarcasm>
Great job! Did you do the threads yourself? I thought most muzzle brakes went up to minimize recoil?
Thanks! Yes I threaded it myself with a 14x1 left hand die. I also used a guide that you put in the muzzle that keeps the die aligned as it cuts into the barrel. I definitely recommend getting the guide if anyone undertakes a similar project.
The original front sight base was canted a bit (a common issue on the Romanian rifles), and its two pins were slightly closer together than on the new base, so I had to drill new slots for the pins, and pressed them in with vice grips. I also had some new front sight posts from Tapco, so I put a nice fluorescent red one in. Real pleased with how it turned out.
As for the muzzle brake, it does have ports on the top as well. The AK-74 muzzle brake is one of the most effective out there. Some of the port channels go through some convoluted twist and turns. This US-made one looks a little different from the authentic ComBloc one on my other rifle, hopefully I'll have a chance to test it out next weekend.
ETA - I agree Soup, and that is perfect description for the pensiveness I think we're all feeling. Not to sound too over the top, but I never know from day to day what is going to befall us as a country. I never know when/if something might happen and we're all suddenly finding ourselves in a Reginald Denny scenario. Preparation, it's the best thing we can do.
