just weird. help wanted.

[wayfastwhitey]

i put another 305 in my truck and i have a couple concerns. when the truck is cranking before it actually starts the fuel filter pulsates. it also runs like no matter where i put the timing, i have tried and tried to make sure it runs okay but it just wont. and i dont know if it has anything to do with it or not but i had a really hard time, and still do but not as bad, getting the truck started until i put a whole can of starting fluid in the tank. what would be a good way to test whether or not i have water in the gas? i noticed a week or two ago that my fuel cap went missing and it had rained alot a few weeks before that. and i'm hoping all the smoke coming from the rebreather and filter on the valve covers is from old carbon being burnt off and not blow by cause alot of smoke also comes up out of the carb when i shut it off. its not blue so i don't suspect blow by. not sure what to do.