Ok found a workaround (if anyone else has this issue)
- make the modifications to the template via the "editor"
- accept the changes
- "Save and Continue"
- "save"
- in the actual web content item, make a non-performance impacting change ( like an extra "asdasd" to the end of the text )
- "save a draft"
- remove that character data you've added
- save / publish accordingly
- close content dialogues and reload the page
- Profit
Seems like I either missed a cache setting on the content item itself or there is a trickle down effect that "cues" the item to dump its temp state.
A little extra clicking but this works for now....
