I completely applaud you for jumping in and learning something new. These things can be intimidating at first but the more you keep working on them the more you learn and the less scary they become.
in fact I guarantee that in short order you'll look back over your initial posts with incredulity at how much you have learned.
you seem to have a tendency to just go full speed in whatever direction you get pointed in - replacing many many parts without even knowing what the problem is. And now talking about many many tools still without knowing what you're really looking for.
as far as tools go, you need sockets, wrenches, screw drivers, pliers, maybe diagonal cutters and a multi-meter.
you'll need to make sure the distributor is oriented correctly. Then you need to make sure it is hooked up correctly. Then you need to make sure you're getting power (and enough of it) to it properly.
then you check for spark
I'm guessing it is a spark issue since you had no luck after squirting gas down the carb. But something in the valvetrain could have broken.
if you have spark, try some starting fluid or gas down the carb again. If nothing, pull a valve cover and see if the valves move while turning the engine over.
try the other side too if need be.
also, a few notes to help when you're discussing. "Engine won't start" could mean several different things.
turning the key is when you literally turn the key, making sure it's all the way to the end, to the start position. When you release it it should turn back to the run position.
the positions are accessory (one position to the left of Off), off, run, start
cranking is when the starter is turning the engine over but not when it's running.
turning over is the same as cranking. it is often used to describe an engine that is running but better to use it simply as the engine is rotating but not running
Catching is when the engine is running but usually a short burst in the context of an engine not running right. Or tries to run.
Such as "I got the engine to catch a few times but wouldn't run" It is similar to or sometimes synonymous with firing.
running means it is continually running, even if poorly
make sure your battery is fully charged (grab an inexpensive charger to make sure it is topped off). When you try to start the car, it should at the very least turn over If it isn't cranking, that's the first thing to fix
if it cranks but doesn't start, does anything happen? Is it trying to start? Meaning is it catching a little? Or Maybe backfiring?
