[Roadsters] Engine in -- but no start -- hit list needed

[nmleeds at mindspring.com]

All,

About two months ago my cam broke.  At that time the car was running.  I got a new cam, and a new head.  Finally got them in, and the car won't start.

I've tried what I think are the basics:  

1) yelling
2) running the distributor through its swing to see if I could get a catch.
3) confirming spark 
4) confirming gas pressure to the carb
5) confirming spark plug wire orientation

Here's where I'm stuck up.  

I was pretty careful about keeping the timing gear at the same place on the chain, but I'd like to confirm that I've not screwed the mechanical timing.  

I still have some slack in the upper tensioner which makes it a little difficult to see where things are. And -- since I don't know what the hell I'm doing -- I could use a walk through about what top-dead on crank and cam shaft look like  (i.e. is TDC when the cam pully knotch is at the indicator, or at 12 o'clock; and where should the cam lobes / gear orientation pin be at that point?)

Another possible problem would be the SU carbs.  I tried to store them oriented properly -- but my brother shuffled them around the garage a little/

Could I get the group wisdom on what what I should check and do as far as diagnostics.

Nathaniel Leeds
1969 2000 - SU
Garaged 
Brother's garage, Berkeley, CA