Yes the mechanical timing is highly likely OK (& if the #6 pushrods/rocker arms are at the same height (both open) that would for sure confirm this). I'm assuming firing order (CW) is correct/reluctor gap is correct. right now is the tooth near dead even with the magnet? Is the coil/ECU getting fire in ign2 (crank)? (pull the yellow wire off of the starter relay & have a helper turn the key to start & you check with your VOM or if you have a spare dist (from any cube eng) plug it in & spin it by hand & see if it makes the coil wire held 1/4" from ground spark with key in "run" and in "start"

I am getting fuel to the cylinders.
As for the vacuum lines, I have not completely plugged them off.
The brake booster is open.
The EGR valve is connected to the carb.
Any others that I need to be concerned about?

That #6 intake valve looks pretty far into it's lift for piston being at top dead center. Normally when piston (#1 and #6 same time) is at top, the two valves should be overlapping, meaning exhaust is still closing and intake is beginning to open. That's what's happening at #6 when #1 valves are completely closed and ready to fire.

So, if that is the case, do you have a suggestion on what I need to do to fix that?

Thanks,

SLD

With the dampener slit on zero (TDC) are the #6 rocker arms even (both open the same amt). This is a stock (symmmetrical) cam I'm assuming. If so the cam timing is Ok & we can move on to dist timing/fuel

Let me start by saying, thanks to everyone's help.
I decided to get back into the gear set to verify the dot lineup.
Guess what, I did not have the rotation set correctly.
There were so many marks on the crank gear, I used the wrong one.
I set everything to the way it was supposed to be.
Cranked it and had plenty of backfire.
Rotated the distributor 180 and it fired off immediately.
It sounded great!!!
Tomorrow it will button up the fluids and break in the cam.

I will keep you all updated on the build.

SLD

Don't know if it was said, but dot to dot is not TDC.

dot to dot is tdc for #6 & #1. TDC just means the piston is all the way up.

Crank dot at 12:00 and cam dot at 12:00 is top dead center on the intake stroke. That is where you want to position the distributor at #1.
Aligning the two dots as indicated in the book is top dead center on the exhaust stroke which is 180* out with the distributor.

Good thing he's got it running, because nobody lines up anything with crank dot at 6:00.

When crank dot is at 6 o'clock the #4 & #7 pistons are at TDC (maybe not exact enough TDC for cam degreeing but close enough for our dist timing we have in mind (but back on #1 or #6 tho). getting dot to dot at 6/12 is far easier than getting dot to dot at 12/12 cuz then (12/12) the crank snout is in the way of your steel scale. I get 6/12 & leave it there & time the intergear/dist to have #6 to the rear & slightly to the DR side. Want minimal cam turning