so i got the coolant issue fixed, and the carb is running great. Now all I have to do is adjust the timing. There in lies my next problem. I have no idea how to do this. I will include some pictures of my engine and hope you guys can help me out!

 

I know this isn't the most scientific, but you may find it works well for you.
- Loosen the hold down on the dizzy
- Start the car (assuming it's warmed up already)
- Standing on the drivers side, buzz up the engine to around 2500
- Now slowly advance the distributor (Clockwise) until you notice the performance degrading, then turn it back finding the optimum position.
- lock it down right there.

 

OR, get a timing light and set the timing to specs. Yea, I will admit to always using JamesWs technique in the past, but I did buy a light about a month ago while trying to diagnose a problem withmy son'struck. I needed the light to verify timing because he was having real issues with the truck running right, and I could not nail the problem down, so I wanted to eliminate timing as a variable or problem.

Mark the 4 degree mark on the harmonic dampener, and mark the timing pointer with chalk or somthing else white, (I used white out), unhook and plug the vacumne avdance tube, point the light at the pointer and turn the distributor until the marks line up. The ligh will make simple work of the timing and take the guesswork out of the process.

BTW the problem that gave me such fits withthe truck was caused by him washing the engine, and getting the dizzy full of water. I wont even admit to what I went through before finding this out!!

 

4 degrees or 6, Ithought it was 6 for 289/302's.

 

James...you are right. That's the proper way to do it. I used to do that too. But the last motor had an old balancer on it that had slipped a little, so I just got in the habit of tuning it by ear.

 

I always tuned by ear as well, that timing light I bought last month is the first one I have owned in over ten years.I was getting frusterated with why I could not get the timing right on my sons truck, it kept misfiring for some reason..........

 

I think that you are right, it is 6 degrees, oops!