Right, first question, whats the firing order on a SBC? I had it written down....like 1-8....something.....also, when your putting wires on, is it clockwise or counterclockwise from #1, I thought it was counterclock, but I don't want to find out the hard way.

2nd, so I have a mark for #1 @TDC on my damper, so I pull spark plug #1, put a piece of paper towel in, crank the engine over til the paper blows out and then use the damper mark to get it exactly to TDC on #1.

So then I put the distrib in, now my question is, how do i know which way the rotor should face? Does it not matter since it will be on #1 no matter which way it faces? I mean, the oil drive notch doesn't matter, only that when the distrib gear meshes with the gear on the cam that once it drops in and grabs that gear, whereever the rotor points is where the #1 wire goes on the cap right?

 

Here you go

 

If your engine is on TDC #1 cylinder, you need to put in the distributor so the rotor is pointed on the #1 plug wire. Crank the motor until you feel compression on #1, then line up the timing marks... this will give you TDC... not entirely accurate because the balancer ring tends to slip, but you will be able to get it running.

 

How do I know where on the rotor #1 should be? This is why Im' confused, basically, once I am sure that I'm @ TDC of #1 on the compression stroke (when paper towel blows out, I'll know I'm good). Then I am almost exactly TDC #1, which as you stated, is close enough.


But my confusion is when I drop the distributor. Basically, when the distrib drops in, wherever the rotor points, when i put the cap on, the terminal that the rotor points to with the cap on is #1 right? It doesn't matter which way I put the distrib in, because I could put the distrib in with the rotor pointing in any direction depending on how I put it.

thnx

 

correct, but for ease of confusion, the best way to stab a distributer is to have the motor at TDC of #1, and then stab the distributer with the rotor facing toward the #1 cylinder(the front driver side of the motor). then you can put your cap on, and wire the plug wires as shown in the diagram above. then adjust your timing as usual with a light.

 

Aight, wish me luck. I appreciate the help.