Just dropped in motor, help please

[69ChevySB]

I started my truck up last night for the first time...i just recently put a rebuilt 350 and t400 transmission in. I drove down the street, but when I have it in 3rd it doesn't shift. I don't have my kickdown switch hooked up, but it should still shift shouldn't it? I was driving and it shifted at like 2200, but then i kept going and it wouldnt shift again. I stopped and went again but it doesnt shift like it should, only sometimes. Could this be my vacuum lines? there is one coming from the transmission and one coming from the distributor, where are these supposed to go?

someone told me that they are supposed to go to the carburetor and someone told me they go to the intake. Where is the better place to put them? in front of my edelbrock carb where the two little outlets are, or on my edelbrock rpm intake where the little hole is plugged off. I bought the vacuum tree that replaces the plug. I don't know though, could this be the reason why it won't shift all the time? Please help, I wanna cruise... :P also when I am driving there is a funny sound as I accelerate kind of like a metal grating sound, could this be the driveshaft? am I supposed to grease the yolk before I put it in the transmission? or should I get a grease gun and grease the little nipple on the shaft.

oops one more thing. what is the timing supposed to be set at? should it be at exactly zero or should i go to the left of the zero or the right of the zero? also, how many rpms should my truck idle at? all help would be appreciated. thanks tons