[butler57]

Originally Posted by jocko

All good advice above. As long as you didn't remove the distributor (i.e. you just rotated it), the worst you could have done is to mess up the initial timing setting - cam and crank relationship is intact as well as the distributor being installed correctly into the cam gear - so you should not need to find TDC. Projectking's method would be preferred if you have a helper, and Coley's distrib body mark is the way I do it also if doing it by myself. So in a nutshell for me (if working solo), I remove the distrib cap, rotate the crank (by the balancer bolt) until the balancer timing mark is at approx 4-6 deg BTDC AND the rotor is pointing approx to the left headlight quadrant of the truck (may take more than one trip past TDC mark as mentioned above). Twist the distrib body (if required) such that the leading edge of the rotor tip is approx directly above the mark on the distirb body you made), tighten the distrib clamp, reinstall cap, start it up and set initial timing with a timing light. Then worry about the fuel system

Thanks Jocko, didn't remove or lift the distributor - just rotated it. Just for my education when you refer to the 'left' headlight do you mean looking into the engine bay or from the driver's seat.