Car shuts off when put in drive

You REALLY need to seriously consider spending some dough on test gear.

TACH You can use an in-car tach, so buy one and install it

COMPRESSION GAUGE. Get one with a popular style (not proprietary) quick coupler. I have two, one is Proto, one I forgot, BOTH have a quick disconnect with a so called "industrial interchange" or "Hanson Milton" air coupler. That way you can use it for other stuff---

(If you buy one, get "the guy" to make SURE it fits a commonly available quick coupler so you can attach it to an air hose coupler, even if it's not what your shop uses, that way you can adapt it

I used to know the names of the popular ones, AeroSpeed, Hanson-Milton/ Industrial Interchange, Lincoln, and tru-flate

injecting air into cylinders to test, or even to build your own homebrew leakdown tester, which is an EASY project, LOTS of info on the www

VACUUM gauge, at any parts store, are not expensive, lots of info on the net on how to use and diagnose problems, AND YOU CAN EVEN USE one for setting timing. Just adjust at lowest good idle for highest reading, then retard timing to drop vacuum a couple of inches Hg.

TIMING LIGHT I guess you have. I prefer the old school, NOT the "dial up" or "delay" types. Seen a few that were not accurate. You can degree your balancer or buy the right size timing tape.

USE a "piston stop" to make sure your marks are accurate

Like this, you can make 'em, or buy one

http://www.jerrybramlett.net/images/pic_installation.jpg

What you do is, remove the no1 plug, wrench or bump the engine until the piston is "down a ways" then remove the battery ground for safety. Install the stop, you might need to diddle the length at first, NOT critical. Now wrench the engine in normal rotation until the piston stops on the device. You are NOT looking for TDC, but rather "some amount" before TDC. Make a temporary mark onto the balancer under TDC on the timing tab. Now rotate CCW and do the same thing.

You now have TWO marks, and true TDC is halfway in between, so if the stock mark is accurate, that is where it will be.

From there, measure around your balancer carefully with a narrow, flexible tape, and figure how many "degrees per inch" for your wheel. Then mark it off and scribe the markings, or buy the correct timing tape for your balancer size.

You can look for crap like exhaust / vacuum leaks, and other wierd noise with a scrap length of fuel hose.