Suzi and Steve, saw you new video.
You need to focus on a few things more carefully.
1. First thing is to get the motor timed. It's OK to want the rotor to point at 5 oclock. But it really makes no difference where it points as long as the no. 1 piston is at Top dead Center on the compression stroke. Where ever the rotor ends up is where no. spark plug wire goes. Then you proceed to wire plugs per firing order from there. If others say 5 oclock then do 5 oclock.
2. Don't just say Top dead Center, ALWAYS say top dead center ON THE COMPRESSION STROKE. There are two TDC's on every piston. One has compression when thumb is places over the hole and one does not. This is one way some folks confirm timing as well as seeing the ball in the window. Which will also show up twice. Others have other methods, but the ball or facsimile mark must be near the pointer. Your motor is a 1959 so may not have a ball.
3. The TDC on compression stroke of no. 1 with mark in window, observing rotor, shows you which distributor wire hole is no. 1. That's timing. Then you tweak from there. I think you are moving ahead on too many things for us to keep up. Let's do one thing at a time. Wait for the visit. Please advise Steve to stop taking distributor out. Don't crank it anymore.
4. Remember when you search for parts, you have a 49 truck and a 59 motor except for flywheel and starter.
5. You DO have a TEE in the right place. Eventually you will take out the pipe plug and install the gauge tubing.
6. You have NOT confirmed that you understand, and have, a coil that is a externally resisted and a starter button with a side terminal.
7. I could not follow what you guys did with feeding the carb. What I see is the fuel pump outlet with a tube sticking out. For now you DO NOT want to have the fuel pump inlet hooked to the gas tank because if there is gum and debris it will be sucked into the pump unless there is a filter before the pump. For your gas situation there are only two choices. Attach a clean gas container directly to the fuel pump intake and leave the fuel pump outlet stay attached to the carb. This can be a gas can on the floor near the front tire with a hose from the pump inlet down into the gas can.. The pump will suck the gas up out of the gas can and into the carb. Option two is to attach a hose directly from a container to the carb inlet. No fuel pump involved. The container needs to be higher than the carb so gas flows by gravity. This info is not to encourage you do do anything or try to start the motor. It's info for later. Keep Steve in the house. Maybe you have some of this stuff above covered, I can not tell until you tell me. Your explanations need to be more specific. I know that it is hard for someone who does not know the buzz words yet and the names of things. It's also hard to detect if you have installed the necessary parts.
8. The braided ground strap is OK. The battery cable is not. Put it on the same bolt as the braid on what looks like the foot start bracket bolt or on a starter mounting bolt.
9. Using the house switch hurts my brain but it works.
10. I know some of this has been mentioned already but not confirmed to be understood and performed.
11. This is general info. Not meant to be a class in automotive technician school.
