Need help with the basics

[Alvin]

I've had my truck for a couple of months now, and I need to finally jump in with both feet and tune it up. I would like to adjust the timing, clean up and tune the carb, fix the valve seals (i hate burning oil), and fix my intake gasket. The problem is, I have no idea how to check or set the timing. I have a timing light that my dad left me, he just never showed me how to use it. I've also never tuned a carb before, and all I know is I have a Holley. So any help in those two areas is greatly appreciated. As far as the valve seals go, I think I have a connection to get those done easily. and the intake gasket shouldn't be too bad to do on my own I wouldn't think. Thanks in advance! I'm just tired of driving it this way!

I also need to know if there's any thing to be careful of when changing the fuel sending unit. I ran out of gas again today (200 feet from the gas station), and would like to get my new sending unit in there ASAP. Thanks

[Big69C20 Toy]

Well it's always great starting up.
Bear with me as i'm not near pro on anything. i cannot help you with carb tuning, i've no ideas there

Timing light: should have a hookup to the gun and a hookup to the battery and another thing that looks kinda like a li'l clamp witha notch at the pivot point. You hook the clamp deal to the #1 wire and have it all plugged in and make sure it's outa the way of ANYTHING wit the engine running. Loosen up yer dist holder a little bit so you can rotate the distrubutor CW and CCW. With the motor running you pull the trigger on the gun and aim it at the harmonic balancer (below fan pulley) it should have some sort of a marked setup on the side of it saying A and R and a 0. When the motor is running aim it at the balancer and where the light shows up indicates your timing. As you gas it it will raise up indicating the advance curve of the timing. you can set initial timing at 6 degrees i think (each mark near balancer is 2 degs i think). To advance timing turn the distributor clockwise and vise to retard timing.

For the valve seals you'll need to pull the valve covers and then remove the rocker arms (can do one at a time to maintain all parts dont get mixed). You need a valve spring compressor, i suggest a screw on type or a lever type. Fill the cylindar with compressed air (they sell those units to hook up to compressor too). You do this by removing the plug for that cylindar and using taht fill tool. i suggest 100-120 psi, but often that's not needed that high. Anyways if you dont have a compressor or cant acces that cylindar you can stuff rope into the cylindar and then crank the motor by hand so the piston pushes rope and all up against the valves to hold em up. IF yo dont do this when you remove teh keepers from teh valve springs you'll drop the valves down into the head. Ok once the keepers are off you can remove the spring and then have access to the valve seals. replace and reinstall the keepers (possibly replace, especially if they are marred). and put on rocker arms.

Intake wont be hard to do, just remove the bolts and anything plugged into it (i suggest using tape to mark hoses if you get confused easy). then remove the manifold and scrape off and clean the surfaces where the old gasket was, dry em, use rtv silicone that is reccomended for intake gaskets and apply to the intake itself and to the head where the gaskets will go. make sure you put sealant on the front and rear parts too and replace those little strip seals with the new gaskets taht are supplied. Reinstall is simple and a Chilton's manual will tell you bolt torque specs and orders.

never done a sending unit but they seem easy, just disconnect the battery whenever you do any auto work, specially wit fuels.

Ok that was a lot but anything i screwed up and/or forgot the others will help with.
Good luck

[chevyman 68 C/10]

Carb is easy, use a vacume gauge conected to a sucion line and adjust the air fuel screws. It will go through the idle timing and air fuel all in one. They are not expensive.