#2: Tighten the timing cover to intake first means

START ALL INTAKE BOLTS, RUN THEM DOWN FINGER TIGHT

then tighten intake to timing cover.

#1 can be answered with a question: How lucky do you feel? On one side, it's possible to drop large hunks of steel down the intake. It will manage to enter the firing chamber, get chewed up and spit out like a dog consuming tender prime rib. On the other side, even the smallest jesus clip made out of # .023 wire will instantly trash the engine if it gets sucked up.

I'll ask you a question about dropping something into the intake: What road would we go down if it were my engine or one that I was working on?