Is there a good website with everything I need to perform a thorough tune up on my 77 Chevy with a 350? It's running like a dog and I think a tuneup will help a lot. Also, there is a slight knock the engine makes when I get it up to the higher RPM's, is this only caused by pistons or could it be lifters or something like that? Is the easy to fix or do I need a new engine? thanks

I sorta hate to say this, but those little haynes or chilton's books are great. I used to play mechanic and like books with stuff in em due to school and what not.

A 77 gm car would have hei, a truck could have points I do not know.

for an hei system, distributor cap, rotor, button, plugs, wires, and a seriously good check of all hoses in the engine bay that flow air or vacumn or anything is all there is.

If points, get all your stuff, but you also need to know how to set points. Points kill performance as they wear. Well, when really worn that is. I know how to do em and make sure none of my stuff has em.

A pinging could be the timing wanting to be reset or something not adjusting. More info on the vehicle would help, mods, what it has stock and whatnot.

Lifters do not knock, they clack and do it at idle where I adjust em, at higher rpm they pump up and shut up. If really bad they make noise all the time, but are easy to adjust running.

A piston knock is pretty serious, but it will be all the time as well.

Most likely reset timing, a really good tune up and a check out of the carb should keep you rolling along. Do you have a temp gauge or oil pressure gauge working? If so, what do they show at idle, light cruise, light acceleration, and hard acceleration. Light cruise is like the speed limit on the highway, you are at speed and need a bit of gas for going up a hill.

Oh, exhaust leaks can be annoying as well, I have a problem on a 90 crew cab cause I can't get a bolt in due to messed up threads, so I have a leak that sounds like pinging on the timing.

I have the chilton's book for it and am gonna follow that. I'm gonna replace plugs, wires, distributor cap, points, condensor, rotor, fuel filter, and air filter. Anything else? The knocking is not constant at all, it only does it when I get into higher RPM's. The truck has the stock 350 with what seems to be the stock carb, I don't know too much because we bought the truck a month ago. I don't think the gagues work too well, but not sure. It definitely has an exhaust leak right where the manifold bolts up to the exhaust pipe, I'll fit that later this summer. I think a big part of the power problem I have is a dirty fuel filter. When I step on the gas hard, it takes a few seconds to respond and sometimes feels like it's gonna die when I let the clutch out. What do you think about this? thanks for the help

Sounds to me like your distributor isn't advancing at higher rpms. You may wanna look into cleaning and/or replacing the advance mechanism while your replacing everything else.