So is the engine boiling over and pushing out coolant? If not, then you really don't have a cooling problem. Stock guages are junk and not reliable and if the oil pressure isn't the same, maybe your guage voltage regulator is taking a dump.
You need a shroud, get one.
I kinda feel bad for you that you are only capable of making guesses and swapping parts. I mean to swap that 77 pound chunk of pig iron because you can't tune a carb.....Whew!

 

I had the radiator done about a month ago because it sprung a leak so I had it rotted and leak fixed so radiator is good. I didn't swap out the parts and play guessing games because I can't tune a carburetor. I'm no expert but I was tired of trying to tune and deal with the new POS volley carb. I also use a engine hoist to change the intakes lol. I'm young and still learning and don't have a lot of years of experience and that's why I post and ask for help. I love to fix and learn thing myself and only ask for help when I need it or can't figure it out myself.

 

Your next closest best friend would be buying a motor manual that covers your truck & engine.

Save a lot of head scratching and guessing for the simplest stuff.
But ya got to read it over & over until you understand it..
Orich

 

You cant tune a carb until your timing is set. So we are back to getting a timing light. You cant tune a carb without a vacuum gauge, so you need that.

It sucks to buy tools that you think you can get by without, but you cant get by without them.

It is kind of like eating soup with a fork, you are making it more difficult than just getting up and going to get a spoon.

 

I have a vacuum gauge but I am think I need to get a better one because its a harbor freight one. Timing light I'm trying to decide if I want to get a ragular one or a digital one but it'll be whatever I can afford.

 

A vacuum gauge is so simple it will probably work just fine. Same with a timing light. In fact some of the fancy timing lights get confused by high output electronic ignition or somesuch.

 

Using the KISS method works very well on these old trucks. You have to remember that when they were built there was no high tech stuff!

 

For buying a timing light if you buy the best one you can afford you'll never complain!!

Buying a Vacuum Ga. A cheap one or not don't really matter.

As for me, I prefer the dial back timing light for checking the advance so simple to use.

Orich

 

This is the timing light I have.

Products Listing

 

Yes, get the fan shroud it makes a ton of difference at idle. It's easy to over look, but it makes a huge difference at idle, or when your sitting still.

Going down the road air will naturally flow through the radiator. But a fan doesn't move as much air as it would when it has a shroud.

 

I agree. A dial back is 10 times the tool. You can check all your advance systems at a glance and see where you're all in at. Usually past the degrees marked on the balancer. My (ancient) snap-on digital dial back cost me $200 in 1990 dollars and has worked flawlessly all these years, don't know what I would have done without it.
Basic tools anyone attempting to tune an engine or troubleshoot NEED:
Test light
Digital Volt/ohm meter
Vacuum gauge/pump
Dial back timing light

And oh how I miss having my old 1020 Sun, probably one of the best tools ever for diagnosing older vehicles.

 

Okay I finally picked up a good timing light brand new in the package for 50 bucks Craftsman digital. Now what should I set the timing at and where should the idle be set at

 

Don't have anything against nice tools, but he needed to check or verify the timing.

I'd set timing to eight or 10 degrees BTDC for now.

 

OK what about idle rpm what should that be

 

You can set idle RPM whereever you want. 550-650 is about right maybe a little bit more if A/T.